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!

PRTC Becomes New Host of Keystone Classic

2022-09-29

Philadelphia, Pa – The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC), an official USA Wrestling organization, is the new host of the Keystone Classic, a perennial college kickoff event to the NCAA Division 1 season. The event, previously hosted by the University of Pennsylvania, has been held in the historic Palestra on campus in University City, Philadelphia since its inception in 1996.

PRTC Executive Director and Head Coach Brandon Slay is excited about the future of the event he once competed in. “It is an honor to become the host of the Keystone Classic,” said Slay. “Twenty six years ago, I wrestled in this tournament with my teammates at Penn. Continuing the tradition of presenting a high level event for programs looking to test their student-athletes early in the season, is something I am very much looking forward to. I am thankful to Coach Reina and the Penn Administration for this opportunity.”

Penn Wrestling Head Coach Roger Reina created the Keystone Classic in 1996. Calling it a “classic” in the first year was a bold move by Reina but the name has stuck through the decades. One of the founders of the PRTC, Reina is excited about the future of his original creation.

“The Keystone Classic has hosted many of the top teams in the NCAA over the past 25 years,” said Reina. “Going forward, we expect competitive levels to continue to rise, fan excitement and access to increase, and the Keystone clearly becoming the preeminent NCAA D1 tournament in the East.”

The 2022 PRTC Keystone Classic field will include a mix of competitive level teams from leagues and conferences around the country including EIWA, Ivy League, ACC, MAC, Southern Conference, and PAC 12. This year’s teams include Appalachian State, Arizona State, Drexel, Duke, Franklin and Marshall, George Mason, Harvard, Pennsylvania, Rider, Sacred Heart, and Virginia Tech.

The PRTC has also reached an agreement with media provider FloWrestling to stream all matches live online. Brackets and updates throughout the tournament will be provided on FloArena.

“We are excited to announce the PRTC and Flo Wrestling partnering to host and broadcast the Keystone Classic,” said Reina. “In Penn’s historic and vibrant Palestra , Greek for ‘House of Wrestling’ and one of the very best wrestling arenas in the nation, we will continue the tradition we started so long ago and take it well into the future.”

The Keystone Classic will be held on November 20, 2022. Wrestling begins at 9:30am. Tickets are available at PRTC Keystone Classic. For more information and for sponsorship opportunities, please contact Kevin McGuigan at kevin@pennsylvaniartc.org.

PRTC Wrestling

Penn Wins PRTC Keystone Classic, Drexel Places 3rd

PRTC Becomes New Host of Keystone Classic