Burrell grad Niko Ferra building skills, confidence under coach Vince DeAugustine with Seton Hill wrestling
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The 2023-24 season might have been Vince DeAugustine’s first as a college wrestling coach, but after overseeing the Hempfield (16 years) and Norwin (two years) wrestling programs, he is no stranger to the talent around the WPIAL.
So when he assumed the helm of Seton Hill’s program last season, he knew what he was getting with then-freshman Niko Ferra.
At Burrell, Ferra was one of the many top-notch wrestlers to come off the Bucs’ assembly line. He won 130 career matches in high school, including a pair of section titles and, during his sophomore season, a WPIAL Class 2A title at 120 pounds.
“We competed against Burrell when I was at Hempfield and Norwin, and I had a pretty good understanding of what Niko was about,” DeAugustine said. “… A guy that was trained by (former Burrell wrestling) coach (Josh) Shields and the Mat Factory club and those guys — guys I have a tremendous amount of respect for — you know you’re going to get a guy who comes in and does everything he’s asked to do, and they’re going to be well-coached.”
And because of that, DeAugustine has high hopes for Ferra. Last season, as a freshman, Ferra placed sixth in the NCAA Super Regional tournament. That didn’t advance him to the “big dance,” but it was a strong starting point to what DeAugustine believes can be a successful college career.
Ferra went into February of his sophomore season with a 10-9 record. On Jan. 24, he absorbed a 9-0 loss to Pitt-Johnstown’s Mason Myers, ranked No. 14 in Division II by Intermat.
But, DeAugustine said, that record isn’t necessarily a reflection of the type of wrestler Ferra can become. DeAugustine pointed to the Midwest Classic, held in mid-December in Indianapolis, as evidence of Ferra’s potential. At what the coach called one of the toughest tournaments in the country, Ferra was one of only two Seton Hill wrestlers to advance to the round of 16 (Hempfield grad Ty Linsenbigler was the other).
“I think I have progressed really well,” Ferra said. “I think Coach Vince has really pushed me, and I’ve seen some real significant changes in my wrestling. … I’m starting to get where I should be to place in the national tournament, which is one of my goals.”
DeAugustine is confident Ferra, indeed, can reach that level but said a long road remains. In terms of technique, DeAugustine said, Ferra has all the tools. But beyond anything technical, a key piece of the puzzle is getting the mild-mannered Ferra to develop a bit of a mean streak.
“The biggest thing we have to work on is making sure he turns into a different person in practice,” DeAugustine said. “It’s got to be that killer mentality. He’s as talented as anyone maybe in the country, and we just have to get that talent out of him.”
From a strategic standpoint, Ferra said he has been working a lot on hand-fighting to help him set up his shots. He also has been developing a low single — when a wrestler drops down to attack an opponent’s legs — and a misdirection single — faking an attack before shooting a single-leg maneuver.
He hopes to be able to incorporate the more-refined moves into what he calls his “scrambling” style of wrestling. It is a method he believes best-suited for him, and it keeps his opponents off balance.
Ferra has wrestled some impressive matches this winter: He recorded a fall against Pitt-Bradford; he went 2-2 at the Adrian Duals, including getting one of only two wins for the Griffins against Wisconsin Eau Claire; and won a 15-8 decision over Shippensburg’s Eli Bounds.
But there have been low moments, too, and DeAugustine said Ferra can minimize those valleys by being more confident in addition to being more aggressive. Again, the coach referred to injecting more ferocity into his workouts, and getting out of his comfort zone in the practice room, DeAugustine said, will help Ferra in matches.
“Sometimes he lacks a little bit of confidence in those shots and different techniques,” DeAugustine said. “Once he gets that confidence … he’s keeping a lot of matches close, and we want to make sure we’re in position to win those matches.”
Added Ferra: “Last year, I struggled a little bit with the transition (to college), but as this year is going on, I’m starting to notice that I’m competing a lot better with these guys that are higher-level.”
The same might be said for the Griffins overall. When DeAugustine was hired, he was inheriting a roster that graduated a number of wrestlers from the previous season. And the incoming freshmen, such as Ferra, were recruited by previous coach Brian Tucker.
Slowly, the team is starting to jell. After a 6-11 finish last season, Seton Hill entered February at 7-7. On Saturday, the Griffins will host the Seton Hill Duals — East Stroudsburg, Frostburg State and Tiffin will participate — which will be a final tune-up before the NCAA Super Regionals.
With another year under DeAugustine’s watchful eye, Ferra is hoping to improve on last season’s sixth-place finish.
“I’ve made some big jumps this year, and I’m excited to see how I do at regionals,” Ferra said.