ALTOONA – Prior to the Parade of Champions at Saturday’s District 6 Class AA wrestling championships, the district honored its Hall of Fame inductees and announced its awards for the season. Amidst both, area coaches were recognized.

The Penns Valley coaching staff – featuring head coach Joel Brinker and assistant coaches Baylor Shunk, Colten Shunk, Zach Rummel and Preston Rogers – was named District 6 Class AA staff of the year for the team’s historic success through its 2025-26 campaign. And in the Hall of Fame ceremony, Jersey Shore wrestling head coach Tony Owens was inducted for his time wrestling at Tyrone.

“I’ve got really good assistants here,” said Brinker when discussing his staff’s award. “All of them – Baylor Shunk, Colten, Preston and Zach, are just phenomenal people. Technique wise, Baylor, coming out of the Penn State room, can pretty much address any technique we need to address. So, it’s great to have.”

“I want to thank the good Lord for giving me the opportunity to do that with the talent that he gifted me,” said Owens on his induction. “It’s a privilege to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with so many amazing area athletes prior to me, guys like Steve Krauss, Mike Moore and Ron Guenot. It’s cool to be a part of that group with them.”

The Rams took a strong 2024-25 season that saw them finish 14-4, take second at team and individual districts and make PIAA Class AA Duals and ran with that success in the run back. While their success on paper was similar, it built on every metric, and the earned honor was a testament to that success.

Through 2025-26, Penns Valley finished with a 14-2 record and 6-2 record against state-ranked competition, reaching state duals for the second straight season. Historically, it closed out the regular season undefeated for the first time since 1966, doing so with its first win over Clearfield since 2019 in its season finale.

Some of that success was due to the team’s immense returning talent, with two returning state qualifiers and a plethora of regional medalists giving its roster plenty of depth. But those talented wrestlers would be the first to credit their staff for helping build up their strengths and diminish their weaknesses, aspects that helped the team build upward.

“They deserve it,” said Penns Valley senior Conner Myers, who earned his first district title on Saturday. “They’ve done a lot of hard work and helped me the whole way through my journey, from when I was just a young kid in kindergarten the whole way through. I couldn’t do it without them.”

“When you surround yourself with really great people, great results tend to follow. We have a great coaching staff at Penns Valley, and they truly want the best for every wrestler and are committed to helping all of us,” emphasized senior Brayden Lisowski, a two-time District 6 runner-up. “I just think I’m really lucky to be around that coaching staff, and we don’t want to do it with any other group of guys.”

For Owens, the honor came in regard to his decorated, four-year career wrestling at Tyrone. As a Golden Eagle, Owens finished his high school career with a record of 94-26-2, including a final two seasons that saw him pick up 30 or more wins in each.

Within those last two campaigns, he also took home two District 6 titles, three top-three regional placements and two state qualifications, finishing as a PIAA runner-up in his junior season. He truly left his mark throughout his high school career and continues to do so at the helm for the Bulldogs.

“I gave my best, so I appreciate (the honor),” said Owens. “I just feel blessed to be a part of that.”