Knight Site

MATT FINACCHIO

Athlete, North Penn High School, 1990

4 Varsity Wrestling Letters, Team Captain 1989 & 1990

Member 1987 NPHS PIAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

1987, 88, 89 & 90 Southeast Regional Champion

1987, 88, 89 & 90 District 1 Champion

1987, 88 & 90 Sectional Champion

1990 Southeast Regional Outstanding Wrestler

1990 District One Outstanding Wrestler

1990 PIAA State Championship 4^th Place

4X Bethlehem Tournament & 3X Manheim Tournament Champion

Career Record of 137-11 (only one Dual Meet Loss)

NCAA Division I All-American, George Mason Univ., 1995

1994 & 95 CAA Champion & Member of CAA Silver Anniversary Team

1995 Virginia State Intercollegiate Champion

George Mason University, BS, 1995; Capella University, MS, 2002

Inducted 2019

North Penn High School, 1990

Matt Finacchio is honored to be a 2019 inductee into the North Penn Athletic Hall of Fame.  Matt was a four-time varsity letter winner and captained the wrestling team during his junior and senior seasons.  During Matt’s time at North Penn he was fortunate to wrestle with an elite group of athletes and was a member of the 1987 State Championship Team.  

Matt is the fourth of five children and grew up watching his oldest sibling, Tom, play football and baseball. At one of Tom’s football games, a coach from the North Penn Squires suggested that Matt and his brother Dan try wrestling, and so, at the age of five, Matt began wrestling for the North Penn Squires.  He absolutely loved it.  Matt did not attend the North Penn School district until ninth grade and did not have the benefit of wrestling for a middle school program.  Starting in sixth grade, Matt began wrestling for Warrington’s travel wrestling program, where coach Mokrynchuk introduced Matt to riding legs. Thanks to Coach Mokrynchuk and Coach Taylor at Rider University, Matt later became nationally recognized for his ability to ride legs.  Matt was ranked eighth in the Country by USA Wrestling magazine and under Matt’s picture the magazine referred to him as “the master of devastating leg rides.”  

When Matt entered high school he had big shoes to fill.  His brother Dan (NPAAA Hall of Fame member & State Champion) was already a two-year varsity letter winner and State place winner. Matt had the luxury of wrestling with Dan and competing in one of the best wrestling rooms in the State.  This great sibling rivalry and competition in the wrestling room pushed Matt on a daily basis. As a freshman, Matt Qualified for States by winning the sectional, district and regional tournaments.   Matt went 2-2 at states in a year when every win was critical because North Penn tied North Allegheny for the State Championship.  Through Matt’s four year career he went on to win three Sectional titles, four District titles, four Regional titles (at the time Matt was only the second wrestler in regional history to win 4 titles), and placed fourth at States.  Matt ended his North Penn career with a record of 137-11 and only one career dual-meet loss, resulting in a 92.5% winning percentage. 

After High School, Matt went on to wrestle for three years at Rider University and two years at George Mason University. Matt was ranked in the country’s top 12 for all four years of his college eligibility.  At the Division I level Matt went on to be a two time ECC finalist, CAA Champion, Virginia Intercollegiate State Champion, and All-American.  

After graduation, Matt went on to teach and coach for the Hamilton Township School District.  He coached at the Township High Schools for approximately 13 years and was the Director of the local youth program for another six.  Matt gave up coaching to become the District’s Mathematics Supervisor, and is currently the Vice-Principal at Emily C Reynolds Middle School in Hamilton, NJ.  Matt currently resides in Hamilton Twp., NJ with his wife, Nikki, and his two children, Zack and Christian. 

Matt would like to thank his parents and coaches for their endless patience and tutelage during his journey: Tom and Barbara Finacchio, parents; Joe Statuti, North Penn Squires; Bill Mokrynchuk, Warrington; Ed Klavon, Rob Shettsline and Jim Heimer, North Penn H.S.; Gary Taylor, Rider University; and finally, Mike Moyer and Kevin McGuigan, George Mason University.  Without any one of them, Matt’s journey could have been very different.