SLIPPERY ROCK — Few outside of the Slippery Rock High wrestling room knew who Gordon Bieber was a year ago.

New to the sport and raw, Bieber got by on pure athleticism.

Now as a 125-pound junior, he's making a name for himself.

“I've been an underdog and under the radar,” Bieber said. “Until now.”

A 28-5 season will do that. A high seed in the District 10 Class AA championships and a first-round bye also will get you noticed.

Bieber and four other Slippery Rock wrestlers, freshman Dave Huselton (112 pounds), senior Adam McDowell (160), and sophomores Forrest Christmann (189) and Tim Kerr (215), have their eyes on district titles.

Bieber, Christmann and McDowell have the best shots at getting to the Northwest Regional in March, said first-year Rockets coach Tyler Allen.

Bieber worked extensively with Allen on his technique this season, and it has paid off.

“He started when he was in the eighth grade, so he was pretty good having started that late,” Allen said. “He was real unconventional and his technique wasn't real solid. We worked on that and his confidence.”

With better technique came better results. With better results came more confidence.

Bieber took up wrestling by accident. He was messing around with friends on a wrestling mat, found he enjoyed it and was quite good at it.

“It was the first thing I found I was interested in,” Bieber said.

Allen moved Bieber around in weight classes this season to get tougher competition for his rising star.

Bieber didn't shy away from the challenge.

“I like getting tested,” he said.

So does Christmann, who found this season to be a test of his patience.

The same day in October that Christmann found out he was ranked No. 12 in the nation in his weight class by Wrestling USA magazine, he suffered a separated shoulder and torn ligaments during a drill.

The injury wiped out half of his season.

Still, he rolled off 16 straight wins before losing in the section semifinals last week. He won the consolation match to place third and carries a 17-1 record into the district championships.

“It was really tough,” Christmann said of sitting out. “I just tried to work out, run and do some drilling and stuff. But it wasn't the same.”

Christmann said he is 100 percent. But Allen insists Christmann would be much further ahead of where he is now had he not missed so much time.

“It slowed him down, no question,” Allen said.

Still, Allen thinks Christmann can get to the Northwest Regional and to the PIAA Championships.

That's Christmann's goal as well.

“This year I want to get to states, no matter what,” Christmann said. “I won't settle for anything less.”