Wrestling - Girls Varsity

Wyoming Seminary is a trailblazer in the sport of girls wrestling.

Wyoming Seminary first offered girls wrestling in 2017, at which point Sem became the first high school girls wrestling team in the state of Pennsylvania.

The team competes in freestyle (collegiate/Olympic) wrestling, traveling to top domestic and international competitions. Sem wrestlers have won collegiate titles, as well as USA Wrestling age group national titles and United World Wrestling world championship medals.

2020-21 Highlights
·      Sunshine National Duals Champions
·      Kennedy Blades UWW Junior National Champion (2020)
·      Ava Bayless UWW Junior National Team - 3rd (2020)
·      Kennedy Blades - 2021 Junior World Champion
·      Korina Blades - 2021 Junior World Bronze Medalist
·      Team USA won the Junior World Championship title for the first time ever with Korina Blades and Kennedy Blades earning key team points. The team was coached by Sem head coach Erin Vandiver
·      Lillian Freitas - Cadet World Bronze Medalist
·      Reese Larramendy - Junior National team member - 3rd
·      Rianne Murphy - Cadet National team member - 3rd - 2021 Pan American Champion
·      Faith Bartoszek - U15 National Champion - 2021 Pan American Champion
·      Prep National Individual Champions: Tiffany Stoshak, Avery Kibelbek, Ava Bayless, Carina Giangeruso, Kendall Bostelman, Lily Freitas, Piper Hall.

2019-20 Highlights
·      Win vs. Russia in dual match in St. Petersburg
·      Win vs. Mongolia in dual match in Kingston, PA
·      Finger Lakes Duals Champions
·      Prep Nationals Team Champions
·      Prep Nationals Individual Champions: Caitlyn Walker, Ava Bayless, Sophie Smith, Piper Hall, Kennedy Blades

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), Reese Larramendy 2nd (U15) and Ava Bayless 3rd (U17).

2017-18 Season Highlights
·      Three Sem wrestlers qualified for USA National Team (top three) – Vayle-rae Baker (2^nd), Amanda Walker (3^rd), and Ashlynn Ortega (2^nd)
·      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.

Erin 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.

Chad Vandiver - Assistant Coach
Brazel Marquez - Assistant Coach
Bret Fry - Assistant Coach