Award Winning High School Wrestling Coach Establishes Leadership Scholarship for Women’s Wrestling at CU-Lock Haven

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2. Award Winning High School Wrestling Coach Establishes Leadership Scholarship for Women's Wrestling at CU-Lock Haven

Award-winning North Allegheny High School head girls wrestling coach, Dan Heckert, was never a student at Commonwealth University-Lock Haven. He was never employed at the university. Nor did he grow up locally.

Yet ask him what the Lock Haven wrestling program means to him, and his answer is simple.

"Lock Haven and Mat-Town USA are home."

For Dan and his wife, Elisabeth, that affinity has inspired nearly a decade of philanthropic impact in support of Lock Haven Wrestling student-athletes.

In 2018, they established the Heckert Family/PPG Men's Wrestling Leadership Scholarship through the Lock Haven University Foundation (LHUF), with matching support from Dan's employer, PPG Industries, amplifying the impact of their gift. A year later, they created one of the first women's wrestling scholarships in LHUF history by establishing the Heckert Family/PPG Women's Wrestling Leadership Scholarship.

Now, with their most recent gifts to LHUF, the Heckerts and PPG are not only renewing both scholarships, but, proudly, they are increasing their level of support to make an even greater impact on Lock Haven wrestlers as part of Lock Haven Wrestling's The Rise campaign.

The Heckerts' scholarships recognize student-athletes who demonstrate leadership, character, and academic success-qualities the Heckerts believe define the Lock Haven Wrestling experience.

"We're not just throwing money out there," Dan said. "We're truly trying to change lives."

Dan's connection to Lock Haven began long before he became a donor.

Growing up in Mount Wolf, he attended Lock Haven wrestling camps for 10 consecutive summers beginning at age nine. Under legendary Lock Haven wrestling coach Carl Poff, he found something that extended far beyond wrestling instruction.

"It really struck a chord and stayed with me my entire life how they treated me as a high school kid," Dan said. "They treated everyone like family."

One summer, Poff invited Dan to stay for team camp, even though his high school team was not attending. The experience left a lasting impression that he believes still defines Lock Haven wrestling.

"The backbone of their mindset wasn't about wins and losses," he said. "It was about building character and putting people on the right path."

Although a series of concussions cut short his collegiate wrestling career, Dan remained involved in the sport through coaching. Today, he is recognized as one of Pennsylvania's most respected wrestling leaders. He serves as head coach of the North Allegheny girls wrestling program and previously served on the Board of Directors of SanctionPA, the organization that spearheaded the statewide effort that led to girls wrestling becoming a PIAA-sanctioned sport in 2023.

He continues to advocate for the sport's growth as the girls representative to the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association and as Pennsylvania Girls State Chairman for the National Wrestling Coaches Association. In addition, Dan serves as Senior Director of Pennsylvania USA Wrestling. As the organization's Junior Women's Director in 2024, he helped lead Team Pennsylvania to its first-ever USA Wrestling National Duals championship.

His efforts have earned numerous honors, including the 2021 Pennsylvania USA Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year Award, back-to-back WPIAL Girls Wrestling Coach of the Year Awards in 2024 and 2025, and the 2025 National Wrestling Coaches Association Battles Won National Coach of the Year Award presented by the United States Marine Corps.

Along the way, Dan developed a close relationship with current Lock Haven head men's wrestling coach Scott Moore and saw the same values that first attracted him to the program decades earlier.

"The more I got to know Scott, the more I saw Coach Poff's mindset," Dan said. "That's what really built our relationship."
He sees the same qualities in head women's wrestling coach Matt Lackey.

"Yes, they're going to win," Dan said. "But not at all costs. Scott and Matt are going to build amazing men and women who are proud to be Lock Haven alumni and who will go out into the world and make a positive impact on others."

That confidence has inspired the Heckerts to continue increasing their support over the years.

Unlike many athletic scholarships, their awards are designed to recognize leadership potential rather than athletic accomplishments alone.

"We don't necessarily want it to go to the top wrestler on the team," Dan said. "We want it to go to the student-athletes in the trenches who help everybody else get better and have the potential to grow into great leaders."

For the Heckerts, the relationships they build with student-athletes are just as important as the financial support they provide, and meeting their recipients is non-negotiable. Since 2018, Dan and Elisabeth have personally met each of their scholarship recipients-from early wrestlers like DJ Fehlman and Madison Matta to recent recipients Gable Strickland and Jayleah Pletz.

"We've seen lives being changed," Dan said. "The most rewarding part is seeing how much they've developed and hearing how much they want to help others."

Moore says the Heckerts' impact extends far beyond their scholarship support.

"Dan and Elisabeth have become part of our wrestling family," he said. "They genuinely care about our student-athletes and take the time to build relationships with them. Their investment helps us continue developing young men and women who will make a positive impact long after their wrestling careers are over."

That sentiment was echoed by Lackey.

"The support the Heckerts provide to our women's wrestling program is incredibly meaningful because it reflects exactly what we're trying to build," said Lackey. "Their scholarship recognizes leadership, character, and personal growth, qualities that will serve our student-athletes for the rest of their lives. Dan and Elisabeth aren't just investing in our program-they're investing in our student-athletes' futures, and for that we cannot thank them enough."

For Dan, that's exactly what makes Lock Haven so special.

Whether it's the packed crowds at Thomas Fieldhouse, the lasting relationships between coaches and alumni, or the culture that values people over accolades, he believes the program offers something increasingly rare in college athletics.

"Lock Haven wins on the mat, but they do it by creating better people," he said. "You can support any college or nonprofit, but the return on investment when you invest in Lock Haven is more than I ever thought it would be."

For a camper who first walked through the doors of Thomas Fieldhouse more than 20 years ago, supporting Lock Haven Wrestling has become a way to ensure future generations experience the same sense of family, opportunity, and personal growth that helped shape his life.

And that's why, even without a degree from the university, Dan still considers Lock Haven "home."

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• Athletics
• Philanthropy

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• Alumni
• Philanthropy