St. Christopher's School Wrestling

Virginia Independent Schools Athletic

 Association (VISAA) State Champions

 1995, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

 Virginia Prep League (VPL) Champions

 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,

2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012

St. Christopher's has a rich history in the sport of wrestling, especially since 2002 when the Saints began their eleven year reign as the preeminent program in private school wrestling in Virginia. However, even before Pete Shaifer won his first VISAA team title as the Saint's head wrestling coach in 2002, St. Christopher's has developed some very successful teams and individuals.

The Saints wrestling program has developed seventy-one VISAA individual State champions, beginning in 1973 when Gordon Kirkham '73 won the 148 lb. title. Robbie Fiero '90  became the first three-time State champion for St. Christopher's winning titles from 1988-1990. Every year since 1996, the program has put at least one wrestler on top of the State championship podium, including 2013's champions: William Kelly '14, Robert Janis '13, and  Marshall Hollerith '13.  Kevin Donahue '07 is the only St. Christopher's wrestler to win four consecutive VISAA championships, earning titles from 2004-2007. In 2013 Robert Janis '13 joined David Wesley '11,  joined Zach Rolfe '06 as the third five-time VISAA State place winners in school history. Janis placed 5th as an eighth grader and third as a freshman before winning three straight VISAA State championships in his last three years. Wesley also broke Rolfe's record for career victories during the 2010-11 wrestling season, ending his stellar career with 210 wins.

St. Christopher's has been the most consistent private school wrestling program in Virginia, winning twelve straight Virginia Prep League and eleven consecutive VISAA State championships  under Pete Shaifer, (who won six VISAA titles as coach), three with Frank Kiefer at the helm, and two (2011 and 2012) under second year head coach John Gordon. For his efforts, Gordon was named Wrestling USA Magazine National Coach of the Year in 2011. However, the Saints won their first VISAA team title under a former St. Christopher's State champion wrestler. In 1995, Lake Taylor '88 led the Saints to the VISAA title, matching his individual feat from 1988. The 2010 team broke Woodberry Forest's record of eight straight VISAA State championships when they won their ninth consecutive State championship. And in 2012, the Saints made it a perfect eleven VISAA and Virginia Prep League team championships in a row.

The team has competed successfully at the national level, placing in the top ten at the National Prep Championships three times, including a school best 7th place finish in 2010. The Saints have also shown consistency at the national level by finishing in the top twenty every year since 2003, including 2013s sixteenth place finish. 

Thirty-eight wrestlers have garnered All-American status, by placing in the top eight of their weight class at Nationals. Three have reached the finals: Gordon Kirkham '73 in 1973 and Brandon Jeske and David Wesley '11 in 2010. Scott Harvard '73 became the first St. Christopher's grappler to earn All-American honors when he placed third at 129 lbs in 1973. St. Christopher's has produced at least one National Preps place winner every year since 2003. In 2009, the team produced the most All-Americans in school history, with five Saints placing in the top eight of their weight class for coach Frank Kiefer. The 2013 team produced three four All-Americans: Joey Prata '16 (5th place, 106 lbs.), William Kelly '14 6th place, 113 lbs.), Robert Janis '13, (6th place 152), and Marshall Hollerith '13 (8th place, 220 lbs.) and finished in 11th place. Janis joined Kevin Donahue '07 and David Wesley '11 was the program's only three-time National Prep All-Americans.

St. Christopher's has begun to show its strength in off season wrestling too, having developed a number of USA Wrestling and NWCA National Champions and All-Americans. Tyler Spangler '09 became the first Saints  wrestler to earn USA Wrestling All-American status with a seventh place finish at the 2007 Cadet Nationals in Fargo, ND. He repeated the feat in 2008 to become a two-time USA Wrestling All-American. In 2009, David Wesley '11 placed at the NWCA Sophomore Nationals tournament and won the NWCA Junior Nationals in 2010 to take home All-American certificates.  Wesley was joined atop the victory podium in 2010 by Brandon Jeske, who won the 119 lb. title at the NWCA Freshman Nationals. Jeske won back to back USA Wrestling FILA Cadet National titles in Greco Roman in 2009 and freestyle in 2010. He also finished 3rd at the USA Wrestling Cadet Nationals in 2009.

Saints grapplers are no stranger to the college wrestling ranks either. Former four-time VISAA State champion Kevin Donahue '07 became the first St. Christopher's wrestler to earn NCAA All-American status in 2009 when he placed 7th at the Division III National tournament for Cornell (IA) College. He became a two-time All-American in 2010 with a 4th place finish for the Rams, and ended his career as a three-time All-American. In 2009 Tim Rose '05 took 2nd at the NCWA National tournament for Amherst College. Former state champion wrestlers Ted Gottwald '10 and David Wesley '11 also compete at the NCAA Division I level- Gottwald for VMI and Wesley for the University of Virginia.

The future looks bright for St. Christopher's wrestling program, with six returning VISAA place winners and three National Prep All-Americans for the 2012-13 season. The program is continuing to work hard to develop the school's first National Preps champion, which could happen any time over the next few years. The legacy of St. Christopher's wrestling is growing deeper each year, with a new crop of Saints wrestlers trying to out-do the last group's success.