Author: BTSPhilly

While some wrestlers hang up their shoes at the end of folkstyle season, Beat the Streets Philly athletes took advantage of spring and summer wrestling opportunities by training in freestyle, the international class of wrestling competed in the Olympics. After attending numerous qualifying tournaments, nearly 60 wrestlers earned a bid to the PAWF State Championship in Chambersburg PA May 31-June 1. In the first day of competition, 12 BTS Philly wrestlers took home hardware in multiple boys’ divisions by placing top 3 in their weight classes. Overall, Beat the Streets had 6 State Champions with 2 wrestlers qualifying to represent Pennsylvania at the Cadet and Junior National Championships in July. Cadet and Junior wrestlers are in 8^th-12^th grades.
On Sunday June 1, The Beat the Streets Philly Girls’ freestyle season culminated at the 2014 PAWF Girls Freestyle State Championships. In total, all 10 participants placed top 3 in their weight classes. Highlights included tournament champion Unique Jones avenging an earlier season loss to Mariah Harris of Johnston PA and Beat the Streets sweeping all 3 medals in the 90 lb Novice Division with Jadyn Drummond, Kennedy Cole and Kiana Habersham going 1, 2 and 3 respectively. In this round robin division, each girl had a 1-1 record meaning the champion was decided on criteria of who scored the most points. Amazingly, all 3 girls scored 18 points in their matches forcing a 3^rd criteria tiebreaker. Drummond was declared the tournament champion as she won her match by the biggest point differential. Finally, in the Cadet and Junior Divisions, 3 Beat the Streets athletes qualified for the Pennsylvania Women’s National team by placing top 3 at their weights. Seniors Unique Jones and Lakita Williams return to the National team after becoming the 1^st BTS girls to represent Team Pennsylvania in 2013. They will be joined by 7^th grader, Kyla Arroyo, who placed 3^rd at Cadet 115 lbs to qualify.
In addition to the 5 BTS Philly wrestlers qualifying for the Cadet and Junior National tournament, four city wrestlers were invited to join the Pennsylvania Schoolboy Team, which competed against the best teams in the nation in Indianapolis on June 8^th. In the dual meet tournament, each state sends a squad of their best wrestlers ages 12-13. Jameel Coles of the PAL Rizzo program, led the way for Beat the Streets Philly with a perfect 8-0 record in Freestyle. PAL Rizzo teammates, Greg Nau and Mike Leyland and Belmont Charter School wrestler, Kyree Brown rounded out the BTS Philly Schoolboy National Team members.

The primary mission for Beat the Streets Philadelphia is to positively alter the life trajectories of our student athletes. Many BTS Philly participants find success on the wrestling mat, but ultimately the skills and lessons they learn in wrestling positively impact their achievements in the classroom. At BTS Philly, we focus on the holistic development of young people by engaging students through wrestling and mentoring. One way we measure the success of this holistic approach is by taking a closer look at the post-secondary plans of graduating high school seniors who participate in the Beat the Streets Wrestling program. In a survey of 10 Philadelphia wrestling teams, both partially and fully sponsored by BTS, 38 out of 49 seniors have post-secondary plans, including 4 year colleges/universities, community college, trade school or military service. This rate of 78% could climb higher as seniors make their final decisions and choices this spring.
Mastery Charter Shoemaker, coached by Matt McConnell, led the way for BTS sponsored teams will all 5 of its seniors entering 4 year universities in the fall. This strong class of 2014 includes two of BTS Philly’s female wrestlers in Lakita Williams and Unique Jones, both of whom will attend Temple University. East Stroudsburg University will welcome Frankell Mack to its campus Darius Bernhardt will attend Albright and Demetrius Spicer rounds out this “Fab Five” of Mastery Charter seniors matriculating to the University of Virginia.
Overall, 23 seniors enrolled in 4 year universities with 6 BTS alums becoming Temple Owls and 5 more headed to East Stroudsburg University. BTS Philly counsels high school wrestlers on many options in addition to 4 year programs and 9 wrestlers will head to trade schools or community college. Finally, 5 high school graduates of BTS Teams have decided to join the Armed Forces, including the National Guard, US Army and US Marine Corps.
Congratulations to the Beat the Streets Philadelphia Class of 2014!

Beat the Streets Philadelphia Class of 2014 College/Career Choices

 Adams State University, Colorado
Apprentice Program
Arcadia University
Aviation Institute of Maintenance
Bloomsburg University
Community College of Philadelphia (2)
Chestnut Hill College
College of Faith Charlotte, NC
DeVry University
East Stroudsburg University (5)
Edinboro University (2)
Kings College
Lock Haven University (2)
Marines (3)
National Guard
North Carolina A&T
Notre Dame College
Temple University (6)
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (5)
University of Virginia
US Army

Beat the Streets Philadelphia wrestlers have been busy during the spring freestyle season. Most recently, a select group of high school students traveled to the  Gotham City Freestyle Duals on Saturday, April 19 at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights, NY. The first annual dual tournament featured wrestlers from public and private school teams in the tri-state area. BTS Philly received a tough draw, wrestling eventual runners up Force Wrestling (NJ) in the first round. Despite the early loss, BTS Philly rallied to win 2 straight dual matches for a top 10 finish. Back in the Keystone state, youth and high school wrestlers have been facing top freestyle competition at the PAWF Freestyle qualifiers. Wrestlers who place top 4 at these qualifiers earn a bid to the Freestyle State Championships at the end of May. In all, over 80 BTS wrestlers have already qualified for States and have 2 more tournaments left on the schedule at Saucon Valley April 26 and Muhlenburg College on May 10. Additionally, BTS Philly wrestlers will compete in the 2014 Northeast Regional Championships held at East Stroudsburg University May 2-4. The regional tournament will feature the best male and female wrestlers from 11 different states along the Northeast corridor.
In addition to the local qualifier this weekend,  girls and boys elite travel teams will be competing in New York and Connecticut respectively. The girls will travel to the Gotham City East Coast Freestyle Championships in New York and the boys head to Connecticut for the KT Kidz dual team championships.
See Gotham City Results
See Pictures
 

Saturday, March 15, 2014
Sixteen Beat the Streets Girl wrestlers trail blazed their way into  the first ever War of the Roses Northeast Championships held in Williamsport, PA. The Northeast Championships, which featured girl wrestlers from seven different states, is just one tournament in the War of the Roses Wrestling Series founded by Brent Harvey of Michigan. Harvey explains why he founded the series saying  “I felt it was important that somebody step up and expand girls-only events. My family enjoyed competing at all-girl events in the past. I felt my daughters got more out of girls-only tournaments, both locally and nationally, than they got out of the rest of their wrestling season.”
Similar to Harvey’s daughters, Beat the Streets  girls enjoy the camaraderie of the all-girl team and the chance to compete against opponents of similar strength. For example, 12th grader Lakita Williams complimented her kindergarten age teammate, Sage Bowman, who was competing in her very first girls tournament, saying “Sage is a super awesome little wrestler, we had fun today. And even though she took 4th she wrestled her little butt off! Proud of her!”
Beat the Streets girls will participate in their first freestyle tournament on Saturday April 12th, at the Revolution in Springfield Women’s Invitational in Springfield, Massachusetts.
View Pictures
View Results