RIT wrestler takes the national championship and pins a career

When Josh Harkless came to RIT, he envisioned becoming a wrestling national champion and building a career as an aerospace engineer.

He will graduate in May having accomplished both.

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NCAA

Josh Harkless, center, accepts his trophy and championship belt at the awards ceremony during the 2026 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships.

On March 15, the three-time All-American became a national champion, winning the NCAA Division III 285-pound weight class 4-1 over an opponent he lost to in a heartbreaker the year prior.   In August, Harkless will start a full-time job as a mechanical engineer at General Dynamics in its Mission Systems Division in Greensboro, N.C.

He said he approached his coursework the same way he approached wrestling—with hard work, persistence, and focus.

“RIT helped me achieve my success by simply providing me opportunities to learn as much as I could,” he said. “I was able to join a club while also being an engineering student and athlete all at the same time.” 

Harkless began wrestling when he was young, competing at school and on club teams in his hometown of Sinking Springs, Pa., near Reading. While in high school and exploring colleges, a guidance counselor recommended RIT because of its strong engineering program as well as the opportunity to continue wrestling at the collegiate level.

Harkless came for a visit, talked to coaches, and took advantage of RIT’s early admissions application option. He began as a mechanical engineering student in 2021.

RIT’s engineering degree programs typically take five years because of required co-ops, and the NCAA allows only four years of eligibility. Harkless made both work.

“Josh had the opportunity to work at NASA in Cape Canaveral, Fla.,” said Jason Bovenzi, RIT wrestling coach.  “Obviously, one would think that that would be an opportunity that he would not pass up, but Josh did. When I asked him why he chose to pass on that amazing opportunity he responded, ‘Coach, there’s no place to train down there.’

Harkless instead took a co-op position at Wellman Dynamics, an aviation and aerospace component manufacturer in Creston, Iowa, so he could train two hours away at the Iowa State Cyclone Regional Training Center.

“Not the choice most young people with aspirations in aerospace engineering would make,” Bovenzi said.

Having a passion for aerospace engineering since he was young was one of the reasons Harkless enrolled at RIT. He participated in SPEX, RIT’s student Space Exploration Club, for a few semesters and was the Cubesat structures sub-team lead. 

Coursework and club responsibilities prepared him for co-op responsibilities with company engineering teams. 

That first co-op with Wellman Dynamics led to another at General Dynamics, where he spent several months over summer 2025, and to a full-time job offer with the company. He will do hardware system design work on various defense and aerospace mechanical systems.

Harkless also found time to start his own business 3D printing custom art products. He’ll continue this taking a short break after graduation to spend time with family and begin his move to North Carolina to start work.

Harkless said wrestling and engineering have prepared him well for the future. He wants to one day coach, giving back the mentoring he received.

“There’s a shortage of heavyweight coaches. It’s a different style, different situations than some of the other weight classes. I think I can help younger wrestlers grow into the athletes they’d want to be,” Harkless said. “I always took student-athlete literally. It all comes back to that work ethic. I always prided myself on knowing I might not be the most gifted athlete or the smartest, but I am a hard worker. I’ve kept that with me, and it’s been the foundation for everything.”