SEPA Wrestling History

History

Southeast PA Wrestling Team was created in May of 2002 by a group of coaches who volunteered their time over Memorial Day weekend to take a team of 7th, 8th, and 9th graders to wrestle in the NHSCA National Dual Tournament. The idea of that first team was to expose the region’s best wrestlers to some of the best competition in the country.

By the end of that first weekend the Southeast PA team placed 4th. It was not the result the boys were looking for but, in the end, it opened the eyes of the wrestlers on that team. They understood after that weekend that southeastern Pennsylvania wrestlers could wrestle with the country’s best. That first team had three future PIAA State Champs, three multi-time PIAA place winners, and one multi-time PIAA state qualifier. Since that first year, the Southeast PA Wrestling Team has grown from 1 Jr. High Team of wrestlers to 5 teams made up of Elementary School, Jr. High School, and Sr. High School wrestlers.

NHSCA National Duals have grown to over one-hundred and twenty teams from all over the country. The Southeast Pa Wrestling teams are selected base on the following criterion: wrestling ability, the character of the wrestler, and the wrestler’s dedication to the sport. Since our inception we have placed teams in the top 4 every year including one National Championship team and two runner-up finishes. Wrestlers from our past six teams have continued to win and place at the PIAA State Tournament. Many of our past participants are wrestling at some of the top Division 1 Universities in the country. Over the years, we have come in contact with many outstanding wrestlers and their parents; after listening to their suggestions we decided to grow the national teams into a year-round organization.