Joey Petrella joined the Lynchburg wrestling program as a graduate assistant coach in the summer of 2026. He concluded an outstanding collegiate wrestling career at Baldwin Wallace as one of the most accomplished student-athletes in the program. During his senior season, he earned the Kenneth Steingass Most Outstanding Senior Male Athlete Award after compiling a 25-4 record and securing NCAA Division III All-American honors with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Wrestling at 197 pounds, he qualified for the national championships, placed third at the NCAA Division III Region 4 Championships to earn All-Region honors, and was named an All-Ohio Athletic Conference Second Team selection. He also earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American recognition and received multiple weekly honors throughout the season, including Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Wrestler of the Week and Yellow Jacket Men's Athlete of the Week distinctions. He finished the year with 11 pins, six technical falls, and career-best totals in several statistical categories.
As a junior, Petrella earned NCAA Division III All-American honors with a fourth-place national finish, captured the NCAA Division III Region 4 Championship at 197 pounds, and earned All-Region recognition. He was selected to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference First Team and received numerous academic honors, including College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic At-Large All-American, CSC Academic At-Large All-District, NWCA Scholar All-American, and Academic All-OAC recognition. He finished the season with a 27-4 record, won the 197-pound title at the John Summa Invitational, and tied for third on the team with 11 pins.
In his sophomore season, he posted a 16-4 record before a season-ending injury cut his campaign short. He won the 174-pound title at the BW Invitational and earned Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference honors. His season was highlighted by 12 technical falls, tying for third on the team, while also recording 43 takedowns and 20 near falls.
Prior to joining Baldwin Wallace, Petrella competed for three seasons at Gannon University, where he was a two-year letterwinner, a national qualifier, and the 2022 regional champion. His success extended to the classroom, as he earned Dean’s List recognition during all six semesters at Gannon.
Petrella was a four-year wrestling letter winner who compiled an impressive 143-31 career record and qualified for the 2020 state championships. He also earned two varsity letters in football and was recognized as a 2020 OHSAA All-Academic Student-Athlete. Additionally, he was a Dean’s List student, a Jacket Scholar, and a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society in college. He is the son of Paul and Barbara Petrella.
