PRTC Wrestling

29th Keystone Classic Set for November 23, 2025

2025-04-22

The 2025 PRTC Keystone Classic promises to be an exciting early season display of high paced NCAA Division 1 Wrestling action!

PRTC Developmental Training Begins on April 13th!

2025-04-22

Spring training with the PRTC is back!

Max Gallagher Earns Spot on U23 World Team!

2024-06-30

Max Gallagher, took the U23 Nationals by storm as he secured the 57kg championship winning a best of three series over Charlie Farmer. The University of Pennsylvania true freshman was unstoppable on his way to the finals. Max beat top seeded Stevo Poulin of Northern Colorado in the semi-finals before taking on Farmer in the finals.

Gallagher's performance secured his spot on the U23 World Team at 57kg. He'll compete in Tirana, Albania later this year and is headed to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for an Olympic Team training camp.

Maximus Hale, a rising senior at Penn finished 5th at 86kg for the PRTC. Hale defeated Oklahoma State's Brayden Thompson, the number 2 seed, twice on the day to secure his All-American status. Thompson was the top recruit in the nation at 182lbs in 2023.

Drexel's Ethan Wilson battled back after an early round loss in the Greco-Roman division to place 7th at 82kg and attain All-American status. The Dragon 184lber has been a part of the PRTC since he first qualified in high school to train with the Developmental program.

PRTC Developmental Training Prepares Juniors for Fargo!

2024-06-30

The PRTC Developmental Training program continues to grow. For all USA Wrestling athletes who qualify to participate at the PRTC, training has gone well this spring!

New Penn Assistant Coach and U23 National Champion Doug Zapf has led the way as we have helped prepare developmental athletes for the upcoming Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Doug knows firsthand how valuable this program is. He is the first person to work his way through the Developmental and U23 levels before joining the PRTC as a professional athlete.

The PRTC Developmental Training program is free to all who qualify. To train with the PRTC, all athletes must meet USA Wrestling RTC criteria. Click here for more information.

Win Tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics!

2024-06-30

The PRTC is offering a rare opportunity to attend the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

For a $50 raffle ticket, one lucky winner will win the following:

- Two (2) all-session tickets to the Men's Freestyle competition in the Champs De Mars Arena (August 8 - 11, 2024)

- Seven (7) night hotel stay at the Hotel La Chef Tour Eiffel (August 5 -12, 2024)

- Full access to Clubhouse 24, the ultimate in VIP hospitality for Olympic fans.

- $1,000 travel voucher for flight or ground transportation (Travel arrangements must be confirmed)

Raffle tickets will be available from July 1 - 15, 2024. One winner will be randomly selected at 5pm EST on July 15, 2024.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Penn Wins PRTC Keystone Classic, Drexel Places 3rd

2023-12-10

On Sunday November 19th, the Palestra was filled with NCAA Division 1 Wrestling fans to cheer on their favorite teams from several different conferences around the country. The 27th annual PRTC Keystone Classic was held in the famous venue on the campus of The University of Pennsylvania.

Penn took top honors in the team race edging out a top ten ranked team in Virginia Tech. The Quakers outscored the Hokies 178.5 - 167 to take the team championship. Drexel finished in third place with 88.5 points.

Both Drexel and Penn had multiple place winners at this prestigious early season event. Penn had 18 of their 28 competitors finish with a medal in the Top 8. Drexel had 9 of 21 come home with medals.

PRTC Senior Athletes Jordan Burroughs, Joey McKenna, and Doug Zapf joined Coaches Brandon Slay and Richard Perry for an autograph signing during a break in the competition. This was a great chance for fans and supporters to meet a few of their favorite professional athletes and coaches in person!

Penn's Alex Almeyda, the champion at 133lbs, was awarded the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler Award. Alex defeated several nationally ranked opponents en-route to winning Gold. PRTC Intern Eleni Glynos presented each championship winner with their awards while doing her best to help behind the scenes to make sure the tournament ran smoothly.

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor, Hunter Roberts Construction Group and The McKenna Family. Also thank you to The Perry Family for their generous support as our Tournament Sponsor. Thank you to our ticket sponsors Mike's BBQ, The Philadelphia Chapter of the Wrestlers in Business Network, Beat The Streets Philly, Beat The Streets National, and Royer, Cooper, Cohen, and Braunfeld, LLC.

Our weight class sponsors this year included Friends of Matt Eveleth, Canna-Milne Financial, FCA Wrestling, Wrestling Mindset, Serafenas Training Systems, Pat DiCerbo Financial, Trenton Youth Wrestling, Chain Wrestling, Overcomer Training Center, and Allman, Kelly, & Willner, Attorneys at Law.

Thank you to all who support the PRTC!

Drexel and Penn Prtc Athletes Compete at U20 Nationals

2023-05-01

Philadelphia, Pa – Taking the opportunity to compete against some of the best athletes in the nation, wrestlers from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania participated in the U20 Freestyle Division at the US Open last weekend. The tournament was held at South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Seven student-athletes from Drexel and five from Penn made the trip west.

Evan Mougalian, a freshman at Penn and competing at 61kg, finished in the top 12 narrowly missing All-American status. He was 6-2 on the weekend defeating several high level opponents.

Jordan Soriano, a freshman at Drexel had an inspirational run at 65kg. After losing his first match, Soriano battled back through the consolation rounds also finishing with a 6-2 record.

Gabe Giampietro, another freshman at Drexel, had an impressive 3-2 record for the weekend. Giampietro, a 125lber for the Dragons, competed at 57kg in Las Vegas.

All the athletes who competed from the two Philadelphia collegiate teams represented the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center.

Here are the full results:

57kg Desmond Pleasant, 2-2

LOSS Hunt (Georgia), 17-14

WIN Hernandez (Vail), 12-1

WIN Davis (Arizona), 10-9

LOSS Houpt (Quest), 19-15

57kg Gabe Giampietro, 4-2

WIN Richards (Utah), 10-0

LOSS Spalding (Compound), 16-15

WIN Higa (Hawaii), 14-3

WIN Concepcion (Cool), 10-8

WIN Tapia (BTS), 10-0

Loss Farmer (West Point), 10-0

61kg John Hildebrandt, 1-2

LOSS Avelar (Grindhouse), FALL

WIN Landroth (Baynard), FALL

LOSS Moore (Tar Heel), 20-9

61kg Evan Mougalian, 6-2

WIN Cox (Wisconsin), FALL

WIN Qureshi (New York), 14-13

LOSS Peterson (Sebolt), 10-0

WIN Kernan (Young Guns), 14-3

WIN Exford (All In), 12-1

WIN Guanajuato (Armona), 14-3

WIN Basile (West Point), 10-0

LOSS Barreto (Pounder), 4-0

65kg Jordan Soriano, 6-2

LOSS Priest (Pitt), 11-0

WIN Hernandez (Team Thor), 10-0

WIN Termini (Charleston), 13-2

WIN Brower (Young Guns), 12-2

WIN Buesgens (Pinnacle), INJ

WIN Jerore (Michigan), 15-5

WIN Hinrichsen (Central), 12-0

LOSS Miller (DMV), 16-6

70kg Aboubakare Diaby, 1-2

WIN Mazur (Cornerstone), 12-2

LOSS Arrington (Wolfpack), 10-0

LOSS Wonser (North Dakota), 5-4

70kg Hunter Gandy, 2-2

WIN Messner (Minnesota), 11-0

LOSS McDaniel (West Point), FALL

WIN Lang (Utah), FALL

LOSS Price (Boone), 10-0

70kg Jude Swisher, 1-2

LOSS Shapiro, 13-2

WIN Swenson, 10-0

LOSS Skellenger (Idaho), 9-7

74kg Tate Nichter, 2-2

LOSS Munro (Regional), 11-0

WIN Ugalde (California), FALL

WIN McGeough (Iowa), 10-0

LOSS Hanau (West Point), 7-4

74kg Dom D’Agostino, 3-2

LOSS LaCour (Rise RTC), 10-2

WIN Licht (Askren), 13-2

WIN Lindsey (Derby), 7-4

WIN Koch (CLT), FALL

LOSS Henckel (Blairstown), 10-0

125kg Matt Cruise, 3-2

WIN Acciardi (New Jersey), 12-2

LOSS Rasmussen (Jackrabbit), 10-0

WIN Becker (Minnesota), 10-0

WIN Carillo (Brawley), 10-0

LOSS Barket (Indiana), 10-0

Pictures by Levi Ventura

Story by Kevin McGuigan

Tyler Berger Wins Us Open!

2023-05-01

Las Vegas, NV – In a come-from-behind victory, Tyler Berger won the 70kg US National Championship last Friday evening at the prestigious and highly competitive US Open. This is the first National title for Berger as he has qualified to battle for the World Team spot at 70kg. He’ll compete against world medalist Zain Retherford at Final X in Newark, New Jersey on June 10th in the Prudential Center. If he wins the best of three series, Berger will represent Team USA at the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia this Fall.

In the final match, Berger defeated Sammy Sasso of the Ohio Regional Training Center with just eight seconds left on the clock. He was down by one point and utilized some recently learned skills to score a takedown as time ran out.

“We train this. We literally train this!” said Berger of the drill his coach, Olympic Gold Medalist Brandon Slay, instituted into the team’s training plan. “Seven second goes, you’re down by one, go figure it out.” The crowd at South Point Hotel and Conference Center went wild as the Oregon native and current resident of Philadelphia scored the deciding points.

The PRTC was well represented at this year’s US Open. In addition to Berger, senior resident athletes Joey McKenna (65kg), David McFadden (79kg), and Mark Hall (86kg) all competed in Las Vegas. McKenna won a silver medal while McFadden and Hall each won a bronze medal. All three will be competing at Final X for a spot on the national team.

The top three competitors at each weight make the US National Team. The final spots are determined by a wrestle-off to find the true placings at each weight if the competitors did not wrestle each other at the US Open. McKenna will wrestle Matt Kolodzik, McFadden will wrestle Alex Dieringer, and Hall will wrestle Zahid Valencia.

World Champion Jordan Burroughs will look to secure his spot on the World Team at Final X as well. He will wrestle US Open Champion Chance Marstellar at 79kg. This will be a rematch of last year’s Final X where Burroughs won two matches to one and went on to win a record breaking 7th World/Olympic medal in Serbia.

Also competing at the Senior level in Las Vegas for the PRTC were four University of Pennsylvania underclassmen. Ryan Miller (57kg), Michael Colaiocco (65kg), CJ Composto (65kg), and Maximus Hale (86kg) all stepped up to take on the challenge of competing at the national level against some of the best athletes in the country. Hale finished in the top eight gaining All-American Status.

Drexel Assistant Coach CJ LaFragola competed as well. He battled to an impressive 3-2 record for the weekend just missing the medal round. LaFragola, a three time NCAA qualifier, is undefeated as an MMA fighter yet he continues to enter high level wrestling tournaments to hone his skills.

Michael Boykin, a graduate of NC State, has been training with the PRTC. He made the trip west with the team and competed at 92kg. Boykin, who has been a welcome addition to the room, routinely works out with the Penn and Drexel upper-weights as well as training with Mark Hall.

Here are the full US Open results for the PRTC Senior Level athletes:

57kg Ryan Miller, 1-2

WIN Fischer (Wolves), 12-0

LOSS Glory (NJRTC), 10-0

LOSS McGowant (Blairstown), (7-5)

61kg Michael Colaiocco, 1-2

LOSS Shriever (Iowa), 11-5

WIN Kuketz (SERTC), 10-0

LOSS Valencia (CART), 14-4

65kg CJ Composto, 2-2

WIN Cooley (Missouri), 10-0

WIN Gold (New York), 10-0

LOSS Henderson (LVWC), 16-6

LOSS Madrigal (Oklahoma) 13-3

65kg Joey McKenna, Silver Medalist 4-2

WIN Koderhandt (Navy), 10-0

WIN Pfanz (Mustang), 10-0

WIN Aschnault (NYCRTC), 10-0

WIN Lovett (SKWC), 8-3

LOSS Lee (NLWC), 10-5

70kg Tyler Berger, Champion 5-0

WIN Monseratt (NERTC), 12-2

WIN Flores (TMWC), 10-0

WIN Verkleeren (Cavalier), 12-1

WIN Hidlay (Wolfpack), 11-0

WIN Sasso (ORTC), 10-9

79kg David McFadden, Bronze Medalist 5-1

WIN Torres (Arizona), 10-0

WIN White (Indiana), 7-2

WIN Marinelli (HWC), 10-6

LOSS Marstellar (NYCRTC), 6-1

WIN Kemerer (Spartan RTC), 11-9

WIN Marinelli (HWC), 10-0

86kg Mark Hall, Bronze Medalist 5-1

WIN Tarantino (NERTC), FALL

WIN Verhaege (Kansas), 10-0

WIN Marcelli (Cavalier), 10-0

LOSS Brooks (NLWC), 6-1

WIN Morgan (Spartan RTC), 8-2

WIN Hidlay (Wolfpack), 13-2

86kg Maximus Hale, 8th Place 3-3

WIN Lords (Viking), 10-0

WIN Harman (Tiger), 5-5 criteria

LOSS Valencia (SKWC), 7-2

WIN Jessen (Wildcat), 11-0

LOSS Morgan (Spartan RTC), 11-7

LOSS Webster (Gopher), 4-0

86kg CJ LaFragola, 3-2

LOSS Verhaeghe (Kansas), 7-3

WIN Danals (Cavalier), 14-4

WIN Morgan (Gopher WC), 10-0

WIN Squires (New Jersey), 13-7

LOSS Stewart (Cavalier), 7-2

92kg Michael Boykin, 1-2

LOSS Stemmet (Illinois), 10-6

WIN Filsaime (SERTC), 11-0

LOSS Haas (CRTC), 12-2

Pictures by Tony Rotundo and Eleni Glynos

Story by Kevin McGuigan

Happy Holidays From the Prtc!

2022-12-26

As 2022 comes to an end and we enjoy the holiday season, we want to take a moment to thank our supporters for helping us with another year of successful accomplishments. There is so much to be thankful for this past year. All of which would not be possible without you.

If you have not yet taken the opportunity to support the PRTC, please consider a year end donation to help us continue to do all the wonderful things shared below.

Donate Now

Our Year in Review…

We began the year hosting Summit 3. Several international events were canceled around this time. So, we made the effort to provide some competition at the senior level. Coaches and athletes from around the country and internationally traveled to South Jersey to participate in this live streamed event. Mark and David represented the PRTC at Summit 3 while coming away with two wins each and going undefeated for the day. We’re grateful to have the opportunity to serve others while competing.

Mark and David would go on to win US Open Championships in Las Vegas in April. This was Mark’s second National Championship in a row and David’s first major tournament win at the senior level. Doug Zapf, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, won a bronze medal as well.

In May, Joey and Jordan each won Pan Am Championships in Acapulco, Mexico. This was Joey’s second time and Jordan’s fifth time winning Pan Am Gold. Jordan outscored his opponents 40-1 during the tournament.

Also in May, Joey and Mark each placed third in the World Team Trials establishing themselves on the US National Team. This is the first time Mark made the Senior National Team. Joey is now a three time National Team member.

Our partners at both Drexel and Penn traveled to Ohio in June for the U23/U20 Freestyle/Greco National Championships. A combined group of 32 athletes and several coaches made the trip to Geneva for this high level competition. With every athlete representing the PRTC, we came home with 7 All-Americans.

Also in June, Jordan competed in Final X in New York City. In an exciting match-up with Chance Marstellar at 79kg, Jordan won to make his 11th World Team.

In July, Joey and David traveled to Warsaw, Poland with Mark to compete in the Poland Open. Mark served as coach helping Joey and David each win silver medals in this prestigious international competition.

Tyler Berger joined the PRTC in August. In an effort to build our team and provide higher level training partners, we are grateful to have Tyler in Philly.

Competing at 70kg for the US National Team, Tyler is a perfect addition to our team and our culture. He and his wife, Sydnee, have comfortably settled in the city and now call Philadelphia their home.

In September, Jordan won his 7th World/Olympic gold medal at the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. With this win, Jordan has more championship gold medals than any US wrestler in history. This is his second World Championship while training at the PRTC.

Also in September, the PRTC became the host of the prestigious Keystone Classic. Created by Coach Roger Reina over 26 years ago, the Keystone Classic is a premier early season NCAA tournament held on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania in the Palestra. As host, the PRTC has added valuable revenue generating opportunities.

In October, Tyler and Joey traveled to Kazakhstan for the Kunayev DA international tournament. Both senior athletes won silver medals and cash prizes for their efforts. This was Tyler’s first international competition ever.

At the Keystone Classic in November, Jordan held a wrestling clinic between sessions. Hundreds of young wrestlers and fans of all ages showed up to support and learn from one of America’s greatest athletes. It was a great experience for all involved.

The final event of the year was the World Cup which was held in Coralville, Iowa this December. Jordan and Tyler represented the United States in the competition. Their efforts helped Team USA win the men’s freestyle team championship.

As we continue into 2023, our mission of enriching lives locally and globally through the sport of wrestling stays our main priority. We continue to do this by adhering to our core values of faith over fear, full effort, struggle well, and serve others. Click on the link below to listen as our senior athletes discuss our four core values.

PRTC Core Values

We thank you, again, for your continued support of the PRTC!

Mckenna And Berger To Compete In Kazakhstan

2022-10-25

Joey McKenna and Tyler Berger are set to travel overseas for the Kunayev D.A.

Philadelphia, Pa – PRTC Senior Athletes Joey McKenna (65kg) and Tyler Berger (70kg) will travel to Taraz City, Kazakhstan with Head Coach Brandon Slay to compete in the Kunayev D.A. Senior Freestyle Tournament. The PRTC contingent will be the only representatives from the United States at the tournament to be contested at the Taraz Arena Sports Complex from November 2-6, 2022.

The two senior athletes are thankful to USA Wrestling for the opportunities they’ve experienced recently. This tournament will be a chance for them both to give a full effort while competing internationally.

Joey McKenna, 65kg

“After being at the World Championships serving Team USA, I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity to compete again overseas!” said McKenna. “I want to seek out the best competition to continue to challenge myself and make adjustments in my wrestling.” The three time U.S. National Team member last competed at the Poland Open in July, placing third at 65kg while earning a bronze medal.

This will be Berger’s first official competition as a PRTC athlete. He joined the team in August 2022 after earning a spot on the National Team at 70kg earlier in the year.

Tyler Berger, 70kg

“It’s been a seamless transition joining the PRTC,” said Berger. “I’ve felt at home since day one. Kazakhstan will be my first time competing at the senior level overseas and I couldn’t ask for a better crew to be training with while preparing for this event.”

At the World Championships last month in Belgrade, Serbia, McKenna served as the main training partner for 61kg World Team member Seth Gross who placed 5th. Berger served as the main training partner for Jordan Burroughs who won a record 7th World/Olympic gold medal. The US Men’s Freestyle team won the team title while crowning four individual World Champions.

Team USA in Serbia

Seeing the success of their Team USA teammates on an international stage has inspired the two athletes to seek higher levels of competition. The Kunayev D.A. could feature some of the better athletes in the world as cash prizes will be awarded to the top three placewinners in each weight class.

“When I saw the competition in Kazakhstan on the schedule, I wanted to take advantage of another international tour before the end of 2022,” said McKenna. “This is the perfect opportunity to implement what we’ve been working on and to sharpen my sword.”

Competition begins on November 3rd for Berger at 70kg. McKenna will begin competition at 65kg the following day on November 4th. It will be a two day event for each weight class. There is a ten hour time difference between Philadelphia and Taraz City. At this time, it is unclear if matches will be streamed live. Stay tuned to the PRTC social media accounts for updates.

“I’m excited for the challenge and the opportunity,” said Berger. “I love to train but nothing beats the feeling of putting your foot on the line and letting it fly!”

Photos by Levi Ventura

Story by Kevin McGuigan