Wrestling - Girls Varsity
Overview
Wyoming Seminary’s girls wrestling team is the only female high school wrestling program in Pennsylvania.
The Sem squad is supported by USA Wrestling as an accelerated, elite development program. The team competes in Freestyle wrestling, following an international schedule and travels to the top domestic and international competitions.
The 2018-19 season included trips to Japan, Austria, Sweden, and Estonia for competition and training.
Hosting international teams is another big part of the Sem program.
The Blue Knights hosted teams from Russia, Mongolia, Estonia, Finland, Canada, Brazil, and Japan in 2019.
Head coach Erin Vandiver, who has been coaching for more than 10 years, was an Olympic team coach in 2012 (London) and 2016 (Rio).
Assistant Adeline Gray has won four senior (Olympic level) world titles in that time.
2018-19 Season Highlights
· First place at Finger Lake Duals
· First place at Sem Ladies Open
· First place at Sem World Duals
· Win over USA All-Stars at the NCAA Fan Fest Dual
· 31 international medals (9 gold)
· Second place Cadet, third place Junior at the Flatz Open, Austria
· Third overall team (boys and girls) at the Tallinn Open, Estonia (out of 210 team and 2,246 wrestlers)
· Sem wrestlers qualified for USA World Team and won National Championships – Kennedy Blades 73kg (U17), Korina Blades 58kg (U15), Reese Larramendy 62kg (U15). Also earning National Team status were Vayle-rae Baker 2nd (U23) and Ava Bayless 3rd (U17)
2017-18 Season Highlights
· Three Sem wrestlers qualified for USA National Team (top three) – Vayle-rae Baker (2nd), Amanda Walker (3rd), and Ashlynn Ortega (2nd)
· The 2017-18 season was the first for the program, and all three seniors are now actively involved in collegiate wrestling. Ashlynn Ortega and Cheyenne Sistenstein attend King University and made WCWA All-American as true freshman and each carries over a 3.5 grade point average. Marlee Smith attends Arizona State University, where she is on the men’s roster and trains with Olympian Kelsey Campbell and World Team member Victoria Anthony of the world renowned Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club.
For more information about the program, please call Sem's Admissions Office at (570) 270-2160.
Roster
| Name | Class | Hometown |
|---|---|---|
| Ekta Arora | 2021 | Dallas, PA |
| Vayle-rae (Vayle) Baker | 2019 | Benton, PA |
| Ava Bayless | 2022 | Greenville, PA |
| Kennedy Blades | 2022 | Broadview, IL |
| Korina Blades | 2022 | Broadview, IL |
| Julia Dailey | 2019 | Clarks Summit, PA |
| Abbygale (Abby) Duke | 2022 | Patterson, NY |
| Reese Larramendy | 2022 | Reno, NV |
| Rhianna Lewis | 2022 | Scranton, PA |
| Shaina Murray | 2019 | Watchung, NJ |
| Kate (Kate) O'Brien | 2021 | Moosic, PA |
| Sophia (Sophie) Smith | 2020 | Bismarck, ND |
| Amanda Walker | 2019 | Hatboro, PA |
| Caitlyn Walker | 2020 | Hatboro, PA |
Coaches
Erin Tomeo Vandiver - Head Coach
evandiver@wyomingseminary.org
Vandiver has served on USA's senior women's world team coaching staff since 2009 and helped lead the 2012 and 2016 Olympic women's wrestling teams. Vandiver also coached the 2016 Pan American Championship team, served as head coach for the Junior National Team and Cadet National Team and has led the Women's University National team and Women's Junior World Team.
As a member of the U.S. Olympic Training Center wrestling coaching staff for resident athletes, she has worked with many U.S. senior women wrestlers who have won World and Olympic medals for the United States.
A Pennsylvania native, Vandiver wrestled at Grove City High School and was the first girl in state history to place at districts and win a match at the regional high school boys wrestling tournament. She wrestled at Lock Haven University before joining the U.S. Olympic Training Center as a resident athlete. She was a member of the 2001 and 2006 U.S. World Teams, placing seventh in the 2006 games; won the 2008 U.S. Open and was a four-time U.S. Open runner-up. She has earned medals in international competitions and holds gold medals from the Dave Schultz Memorial International and New York AC International. She is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, with a bachelor of science degree in history.
Adeline Gray - Assistant Coach
Gray won her fourth world championship in 2018, having previously won world titles in 2012, 2014, and 2015. With back-to-back titles, Gray became only the second U.S. women to win consecutive world championships.
Gray is a 2016 Olympian, a two-time world bronze medalist, the 2015 Pan Am Games world champion and a three-time U.S. Open champion.
Coach Gray is a native of Denver, CO.