Information - History - Traditions

2001/2002 Season

This document provides general information about Maryland's most successful and nationally recognized wrestling club, Southern Maryland Wrestling Club. Home based in Prince Georges County, the club has won twenty-eight Grand National Club Championships and many state and regional titles. SMWC is the 1993-2001 Maryland State MSWA Folkstyle Club Champion, the 2001 MD/VA Beltway Champion, and the 2001 East Coast Freestyle Club Champion. No other Maryland club has matched SMWC's record at any time during the past 17 years.

History of Our Club

The current SMWC was originally called the Kettering Cougars, and was sponsored by the Kettering Boys and Girls Club in Upper Marlboro. Two youth teams were maintained by Kettering, one beltway level practicing at Largo High School, and one junior league at Kettering Middle School. During the off-season, many club members and high school wrestlers continued practicing with the middle school club and before long the club moved to Largo HS. Because of small numbers, the winter youth club combined with Bowie wrestlers and established Bowie's beltway team at Bowie High School for a few years. SMWC's post season wrestlers also moved practices to Bowie HS during those years and continued there for a year afterwards.

Tracing its roots back to the 1970's, Kettering/Bowie/SMWC has been the foundation program for a large number of Southern Maryland's and PG County's most successful wrestlers.

The name SMWC actually came from a freestyle club. In the spring of 1983, Bruce Gabrielson established SMWC, a freestyle team mostley for older wrestlers at Calvert High School. Practicing on different nights than Kettering, the team drew wrestlers from Kettering as well as from PG and Calvert County. The club stayed in Calvert only one season and when practices moved to Bowie HS, SMWC became a formally AAU and USAW sanctioned off-season club.

About the Current Program

The all-age club practices primarily in the fall and spring while the youth league club called the SMWC All-Stars practices primarily during the regular high school season.

2000/2001 SMWC All-Stars
CAWL and MD/VA Beltway Champions

SMWC has long been considered a national contender, having won its first national club/team Freestyle title in 1986. When Southern Maryland Wrestling Club was established as an international style club, the original Kettering scholastic style team began to become more national rather then local in character. Currently, SMWC is much more than just a local club like others in this region. Members join from all parts of the country to enjoy the many benefits the club provides.

SMWC's Record Breaking 1995 AAU Grand National Championship Team

Coaching Staff's Background

Current SMWC members include not only several local high school coaches, but also outstanding coaches of other open, junior, and college teams. Successful moves and organizational skills honed at weekly SMWC practices are regularly taught at many other wrestling practices throughout the region. Some of the skills developed at SMWC have also helped members who became coaches go on to develop their own successful wrestling programs. The SMWC active coaching staff includes Head Coach Jason Gabrielson, Jim Howard, Rick Jones, and Steve Arslanian.

Jason Gabrielson was a 3x high school state champion and a member of the USAW Dream Team before moving to Edinboro University for his college and open career. While in college he was both an EWL Champion and a PSAC Champion. He finished 7th in the 1996 US Freestyle Olympic Trials while in high school.

Coach Jason vs. Ed Geise - 1996 Final Freestyle Olympic Trials

The Kettering/SMWC Hall of Fame

The Kettering/SMWC Hall of Fame was established in 1988 to recognize those member or youth league wrestlers who have contributed to the success of SMWC/Kettering/Bowie/ or Queen Anne's wrestling programs, either through competitive victories, or through coaching and continued club support.

For members who joined after the name change to SMWC, Hall of Fame nomination requirements were changed only slightly in order to reflect the broader nature of the club. Like the Kettering/Bowie requirements, selection requires a commitment and level of excellence well beyond local league competition. In addition to competition goals, this "Above and Beyond the Call of Duty" recognition is the ultimate final goal of all SMWC members.

Kettering/Southern Maryland Wrestling Club Hall of Fame Members

Bruce Gabrielson*---Earl Norman*---Stanly Proctor*---Steve Arslanien---Criss Toth*---Eric Lewis---Martino Seppi---Marty Fowler---Steve Thornley---Mark Mangrum*---Steve Chop*---Jeff Rosenberg*---Eric Norman---Scott Bergess---Jason Gabrielson*--- Steven Hoffer*---Carl Martin---Omar Malik---Kahlil Malik*---Jay Billy---Todd Walls---Kevin Gabrielson*---Marcus Foran*---Jim Howard*---Stan Hawkins---Jason Clendaniels*---Robert Alexander*--- John Allman---Randy Grant---Aaron Brown---Norm Brown---Jim Smith---Joe Higgs---Craig Herwig---Jake Scott--Todd Beckerman*-- Wade Hughes*--Anthony "Budy" Lee*---Andre' Prue*---Troy Sunderland*---Rick Jones---Willie Harris*---Chris Rodrigues*---Ryan Herwig*---Mike Faust*---Evan Sola*---Mike Sola---Scott McAdoo*---Brent Jones*---Luke Palumbo

*indicates national champion winner in any style

What Services Do We Offer?

Many wrestlers join SMWC to take advantage of the many benefits offered members other than direct advanced training and coaching. Wrestlers who live out of the immediate area can still enjoy some unique benefits difficult to find in many other wrestling clubs. While there are no limitations on membership, we do have two rules about competing with our club and competing with other clubs. If there is a direct head-to-head competition, members can not compete against members when scores count towards point totals. Also, as of the 2001 season, you must practice with or compete with the club at least twice a month before you are allowed to represent the club in dual meet or local team competitions.

1. Since the club is a formal non-profit tax exempt youth organization, members can solicit tax deductible donations to help defray costs associated with their attendance at major events.

2. Because several members are active in photography, club members often receive action photos of their matches, usually at no cost.

SMWC Wrestler in
East Coast FS Chs Club Finals

SMWC Wrestler Winning the 1999 East Coast Club Championships

3. SMWC enters a team or has members entered at most major national level junior age or all age events. Transportation to major events, and many other more local events is usually available on a cost sharing basis to members.

4. Special clinics and guest presenters are a common event at club practice activities. Past clinics have been presented by many prominent wrestling figures.

5. Finding practice partners of quality is a difficult task, especially when trying to prepare for national level competition. With most programs winding down by spring, SMWC practices continue to draw large numbers of serious wrestlers throughout the summer.

6. SMWC members and coaches are regularly asked to conduct sessions, coach, or to participate as a team at various summer wrestling camps. Members who enroll in the camps often do so as guests or at greatly reduced rates.

7. Spring club matches and other similar special events are scheduled regularly.

8. SMWC maintains a current news page on its Internet site. The news contains articles and information about local events, plus information about summer camps, local wrestlers and how they are doing in college, etc.

9. SMWC has visibility world wide for its members and activities over the Internet. SMWC's web site is visited daily by many coaches, recruiters, wrestlers, and fans. Members can be contacted through this valuable service, particularly those with email addresses. Many high school seniors and juniors have their profiles listed on our site for college scouts.

10. Officials training is something seldom available at the club level. SMWC regularly provides grass roots training for members who wish to become freestyle and Greco-Roman officials or pairers.

How Can a New Wrestler Join?

What a potential new wrestler needs to do is simple, just show up to practice. Anyone can work out with the club once in a while provided you have a USAW insurance card, but becoming a full member requires the payment of dues. Although everyone is a volunteer, our club does have expenses.

Once you are accepted for full membership, you remain a member on our roster unless you notify us otherwise. Hall-of-Fame members are members for life with no dues requirement.

Current practices are held Tuesday and Thursday 7-8:30pm at Riverdale Baptist HS.

In Summary

As a final comment, if you are a coach and want to learn something new, we need you and you can help us learn as well. If you are a small wrestler and would like to become a national contender someday, you really need to go wherever the quality competition and a variety of talent is located. If you are a high school age wrestler looking for a scholarship, you will have a much better chance with us then on your own. It has happened to our members many times over the years. Success is up to you.

Another SMWC Member Takes That Lone Walk to Glory

The sacrifice on your part is simply showing up to seriously work, the sacrifice on ours is the training and work it takes to make you successful. You must realize that it's very difficult to achieve your goals if you aren't willing to make the personal sacrifices required, including committing yourself to your objective. To answer any further questions you might have, please call coach Jason Gabrielson at 301-855-4565 (local DC call) any evening.

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