Coaching Staff

The Yorktown Coaching Philosophy

We approach coaching with the belief that wrestling teaches young men and women the skills necessary to succeed in life.  Wrestling is a sport that prepares student athletes for lifelong success by building character through hard work. Our staff coaches intentionally with the following things in mind:

  1. Success follows hard work. 
  2. Success follows discipline. 
  3. Success requires long-term planning.
  4. Success requires strategic thinking (“wrestling is a thinking game”).
  5. Persisting through adversity and failure, regardless of the outcome of a match.

Meet the Coaching Staff

Andrew Adams

Head Coach

Coach Adams is a native of Maplewood, New Jersey. He began wrestling at the age of 12 at Peak Wrestling Club and Cougar Rec Team. He finished his high school career tying his schools all career wins record. He went on to wrestle on the club team at James Madison University. Andrew joined the Yorktown coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2016, and accepted the role of head coach in 2019. He was recognized as Coach of the Year by the district for the 2019-2020 season.

Email Coach Adams

Benyam Getahun

Assistant Coach

Coach Benyam started coaching here at Yorktown during the 2022-2023 wrestling season. He’s going onto his 4th year as a assistant wrestling coach. Outside of coaching our atheletes during the season, he helps train our team during the offeason green days and is responsible for running our weight room sessions. 

Clayton Chadwick

Assistant Coach

Coach Chadwick is a native of Arlington, Virginia. He began his way into the sport of wrestling through the Cavalier Wrestling Club at Charlottesville, Virginia. Coach Clay is an alumnus of Yorktown High school where he served as a team captain and finished off his career as 2x district champion, a regional champion, and a state finalist his senior year. He went on to wrestle for the Washington and Lee University Men’s wrestling team where he earned NWCA Scholar All-America honors and was the Centennial Conference champion his senior year. Coach Clay is currently a social studies teacher for West Potomac High School. He is heading into his 3rd season with our wrestling program.

Stephen Gerdner

Assistant Coach

Coach Gardner is a native of Ridgewood, New Jersey.  He wrestled for Ridgewood Highschool and competed at the collegiate level at Ursinus College. He is currently an educator here at Yorktown High school. Outside of being a special education teacher, he runs weight lifting after school for Yorktown students. He is going into his first year as an assistent wrestling coach.

 

Jackson Gray

Assistant Coach

Coach Jackson Gray brings an exceptional competitive and academic pedigree to the Yorktown Wrestling program. A standout collegiate wrestler, Gray was a 2x NCAA Mideast Regional Champion, 3x NWCA Scholar All-American, and amassed over 100 career college victories while competing for Ithaca College. Throughout his career, he earned multiple tournament titles and runner-up finishes across the SUNYAC, New York State Championships, ECWC, and New Standard Invite, consistently excelling at both 165 and 174 pounds. In high school, Gray won 106 matches, was a 4x PA WPIAL regional qualifier, an Allegheny County Champion, and still holds Mt. Lebanon’s record for career near falls. His combination of high-level performance, discipline, and academic excellence reflects the values he now brings to coaching.

Owen Smith

Assistant Coach

Coach O bring a wealth of experience from a background of both coaching and competing at the collegiate level. He was the team captain for the University of Maryland Men’s wrestling team where he won the Maryland Athletics Community Service Award and the team’s Sportsmanship Award. Prior to UMD, Coach O lettered all four years in wrestling at Calvert Hall College High School where he won a state championship as a senior and received All-American honors. Even early into his athletic career in high school, coach O was dedicated to coaching youth wrestling and sharing his passion for the sport in his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. He is heading into his 3rd season with our wrestling program.