Austin Kraisser named Head Wrestling Coach

 

St. Mary's Ryken (SMR) is pleased to announce that Austin Kraisser has been hired as the Head Wrestling Coach. Coach Kraisser will begin his role effective immediately and will also be a full-time resource specialist for SMR students. 

"My immediate goal as head wrestling coach at SMR is to create an environment where my wrestlers can be successful both on the mat and in the classroom, which starts with creating relationships with these young men and giving them a place where they can thrive," said Coach Kraisser. "I intend to compete for a conference championship and get as many kids as possible to the National Prep championships at the end of the season."

Most recently, Coach Kraisser was a Regional Training Center (RTC) Athlete at the United States Naval Academy (USNA). While there, he trained for the opportunity to compete and represent the USA at international competitions such as the World Championships and Olympic Championships, mentored and trained Naval Academy Midshipmen on the wrestling team, and created training plans and schedules for the Navy Wrestling Club Regional Training Center.

Coach Kraisser received a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Homeland Security from Campbell University. While at Campbell University, he was a wrestling team captain and received the Pinnacle Award for the highest team GPA. He is also a 3x Academic All-American, Southern Conference All-Freshman Team member, and Freshman Wrestler of the Year. He was on the Athlete Honor Roll and Dean’s List. He was the USA Wrestling U17 World Team Alternate, U20 World Team Trials Top 6 finisher, and U23 World Team Trials Top 7 finisher.

Coach Kraisser spent his last year of NCAA eligibility at Iowa State University, wrestling for the Cyclones. He finished his collegiate career competing in Ames, where he earned a spot on the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll.

"I had the honor of wrestling under some fantastic coaches in high school and college, and I plan to bring my favorite parts of each of those coaching staff members to this program. I believe that when a team feels like a family, has trust in one another and the coaches has the highest chance of succeeding in competition, so I plan to use my experiences to foster that type of environment at SMR. I also expect a lot from my student-athletes, but my coaching style will be to teach life lessons through wrestling and encourage the wrestlers to take risks and focus more on constantly improving rather than their wins and losses." 

"We are extremely excited to welcome Austin to St. Mary’s Ryken as our next head wrestling coach," said Athletic Director, Jon Lombardo. "Austin has extensive experience from his time at Campbell University, Iowa State University, The United States Naval Academy Prep School, and close connections with the Maryland wrestling community. Austin comes highly recommended from some of the best coaches in the state and from a wrestling family. Austin comes from a household of state champions, collegiate wrestlers, and coaches. 

While at the USNA, Coach Kraisser learned valuable lessons and skills that will help him continue a successful program at SMR. "My position at USNA helped me transition from solely an athlete into a mentor, which gave me insight into what kind of coach I wanted to be. I also got to work closely with the staff at USNA and learned how to run a successful, confident, respected program that continues to improve academically and athletically."

"I have the utmost confidence that Coach Kraisser will align with the mission of SMR in building a transformational experience that educates the whole child in the spirit of Xaverian values of compassion, humility, simplicity, trust and zeal," said Jon Lombardo. 

If you have any questions about the SMR Wrestling Program, please contact Athletic Director Jon Lombardo at jonathan.lombardo@smrhs.org.