Legendary Wrestling Coach Visits Island Trees

Ascend Wrestling, a Long Island-based wrestling club, brought a special camp to Island Trees High School this summer featuring four-time World Champion John Smith.

More than 60 youngsters from both Nassau and Suffolk Counties attended the four-day event, sharpening their skills with highly trained professionals. Smith, head coach at Oklahoma State College, was joined by fellow coach Zach Esposito, along with counselors Jordan Oliver and Alan Gelogaev.

Smith won Olympic gold medals wrestling in the Summer Olympics in 1988 and 1992. He began his coaching career in the early 1990s and served as a coach on the U.S. Olympic Team in 2000.

"We hosted a clinic with Zach [Esposito] last summer and it went really well," said Ascend Wrestling founder Craig Vitagliano. "We talked about a big camp and he said he would ask John [Smith], and I thought 'No way', but he agreed. This is actually the first clinic he has done on Long Island."

Vitagliano, a Massapequa native, opened Ascend Wrestling in 2009 with hopes to provide talented young wrestlers from the community with top notch instruction. "The kids here this week are really getting some of the best coaching in the country," the four-year Harvard University starting wrestler said. "It's a great opportunity."

Esposito began coaching when he graduated and is a 2005 NCAA Champion, 2008 World Cup team member and three-time All American wrestler. Oliver, a 133-pound wrestler at Oklahoma State, was just crowned NCAA Champion in his weight class, and Gelogaev is a 2010 All American competitor.

Having attended Plainedge High School, Vitigliano competed with current Island Trees head coach, Damian Garcia, who wrestled for Long Beach High School. The two kept in touch and when Ascend Wrestling was in search of a camp site, Island Trees High School seemed like the perfect place.

"The Island Trees Wrestling Council helped put everything together after I got approval from the district," explained Garcia. "It is such an honor to have all the instructors here, especially John Smith. Not only is he a legend, but he is so kind and humble and really got along with the kids."

The camp started Friday, July 29 and held multiple sessions through Monday, Aug. 1. Ascend Wrestling hosts both private lessons and group sessions for wrestlers of all ages. Further information can be found on the club's website.