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Coaching Staff

Our coaching staff is composed of experienced mentors who understand that true success extends beyond the boundaries of the wrestling mat.

Led by Chris Ayres, our coaches are passionate about fostering a positive and supportive learning environment where athletes can grow as individuals, ready to face life's challenges.

Image - Chris Ayres

Chris Ayres

The Matt Gentry Head Wrestling Coach

Achievements

  • Lehigh University - Bachelors of Science in Business, Concentration in Marketing
  • Lehigh University - Masters of Education
  • NCAA All-American 1999
  • EIWA Champion 1998
  • Outstanding Athlete Award 1998 and 1999
  • Held Lehigh’s career win record (120) 1999-2005
  • Led Princeton Wrestling to the first Ivy League Championship (2020) since 1986 (the team had finished last in the Ivy League four consecutive years prior to my arrival in 2006)
  • Guided two wrestlers, Pat Glory & Quincy Monday, to the finals of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the first time in program history
  • Coached Pat Glory to a national title, ending Princeton’s 72 year period without an NCAA Champion
  • Led the team to three consecutive top 20 placements in the NCAA’s, with the highest being 13th
  • Implemented year-long training plan that allowed seven (7) Princeton wrestlers to reach the NCAA tournament in 2017, a new record for the most ever sent by Princeton
  • Coached three (3) wrestlers that earned All-American status in 2019 and four (4) wrestlers in 2020 (both program records for the number of All-Americans in a single year)
  • Orchestrated the highest winning percentage dual meet season (11-4) since the 1985-86 season
  • Guided the 2020 team to a ranking as high as 5th in the NCAA individual rankings & 8th in the national team rankings
  • Coached Princeton’s first-ever freshman All American and 4x All-American (Matthew Kolodzik)
  • Wrestling team scored 60 points towards Princeton’s overall ranking in the Learfield Director’s Cup in 2019 (Princeton Athletic Department was in 17th place at the time)
  • Coached Princeton’s first EIWA Wrestler of the Year, Ivy League Wrestler of the Year, and Ivy League Freshman of the Year
  • Coached Princeton’s only U23 World Team Members (Matthew Kolodzik, Lenny Merkin, Pat Glory, Mathew Cover, and Danny Coles (Canada))
Image - Patrick Brucki

Patrick Brucki

Assistant Coach

Achievements

  • Princeton University - Bachelor's of Science and Engineering (B.S.E.) in Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus in structural engineering
  • University of Michigan - Master's in Science and Engineering (M.S.E.) in Construction Engineering
  • 2 x NCAA All-American
  • 5 x Academic All-American
  • Captain of Big10 and Ivy League Championship Teams
  • Ken Kraft Midlands Champion
  • EIWA Champion
  • NCAA Team Runner-Up
  • 100+ Collegiate Match Winner
Image - Ryan Deakin

Ryan Deakin

The Patricia Miranda Assistant Wrestling Coach

Achievements

  • Northwestern University - Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Business Institutions and a Leadership certificate
  • Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University - Master's of Science in Management Studies / Graduate Certificate in Specialized Studies
  • 5 x Academic All American / Big Ten Medal of Honor, for proficiency in athletics & scholastic work
  • NCAA Champion
  • 4X NCAA All-American
  • Hodge Trophy Finalist (2020, 2022)
  • 3X Big Ten champion
  • 5X Academic All-Big Ten selection
  • 109-14 career record from 2017-22
  • Junior world silver medalist in 2017
  • 3X National Team Member (2019-22)
  • U.S. Open champion (2019)
Image - Gerry Abas

Gerry Abas

Youth Coach

Achievements

  • California’s first 4X NCAA D1 All-American
  • 3x NCAA Finalist for Fresno State
  • 2x USAW National Champion
  • Former Assistant Coach for Fresno State and CSU Bakersfield
  • California Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee
  • California USAW National Team Coach
Image - Ahad Javansalehi

Ahad Javansalehi

RTC & Youth Coach

Achievements

  • 2x Olympian
  • 4x Asian medalist for Iran
  • Member of the 2013 USA Greco-Roman World Team Staff
  • USA Senior team coach at 2014 World Cup in Iran & Granma Cup in Cuba
  • Coached at Spartan RTC for 7 years
  • As an RTC coach he placed one wrestler on the senior world team, had one Junior silver medalist & numerous Cadet World Team members
Image - Jordan Gray

Jordan Gray

Youth Coach

Achievements

  • Former Cardinal wrestler & has coached with the Cardinal Wrestling Club since 2022
  • Higher Education Professional & holds a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford ‘13 & a Masters of Education from Illinois U. ‘20
  • As a coach, Jordan uses the knowledge, expertise, and best practices he has gained in his academic studies and professional career to inform his work with the club's elementary, middle, and high school wrestlers.
  • He is passionate about helping young wrestlers have fun and fall in love with wrestling, growing CWC student-athletes' mastery of technical wrestling skills and their application, as well as cultivating the mental practices and dispositions that contribute to young peoples' healthy personal development and success both on and off the mat.
  • 4x Vermont state finalist & 3x champion
  • Placed 4th and 5th at the New England Wrestling Championships
  • 2009 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award recipient for Vermont
  • Parent of a Cardinal Wrestling Club athlete
Image - Lori Ayres

Lori Ayres

Director of Operations California RTC

Achievements

  • York College of Pennsylvania - Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
  • Lehigh University - Masters of Education
  • Director of Operations at the California Olympic Regional Training Center
  • Co-founder of D1 Women’s Wrestling, an organization working to drive the growth of women’s wrestling
  • A member of the Committee to Advance Women’s Wrestling which is comprised of senior leaders from the following national wrestling organizations: USAW, NWCA, WIBN, WLAG, NWHOF, BWA, & D1WW
  • USA Wrestling Northeast Region Women’s Director- August 2020 to present
  • USA Wrestling NJ Women’s Council Chairperson 2019-2022
  • Served as team leader for the NJ Girls Junior National Team at the 2019 USAW Junior Nationals in Fargo, ND
  • Contracted by Flowrestling to host, produce and market the podcast, “Everything Women’s Wrestling” November 2021 - April 2023
  • Video produced the Teal Coaching Certification on coaching girls and women wrestlers offered by USA Wrestling
  • Teacher in the public school system from 1999-2023
  • Parent of a Cardinal Wrestling Club Athlete