Beat the Streets Recaps a Week of Success

TOP Camp, Summer Alumni Social, & Brawl at the Beach

K-8th grade student-athletes play a game of Jenga with counselors at TOP Camp.

Beat the Streets wrapped up its annual Top of the Podium Camp last Thursday, drawing 50 total Kindergarten through 8th grade participants for its three-day duration.

TOP Camp student-athletes learn technique from BTS Director of Youth Programming Penn Gottfried.

Organized and run by current high school students and BTS alumni, the camp was structured around two wrestling sessions and one life skill session per day. The topics of focus for life skill sessions ranged from communication, discipline, team building, and management. The last day of the camp also featured a tournament and water balloon fight.

“All the credit for the success of this camp goes to the counselors,” said BTS Director of Youth Programming Penn Gottfried. “One of the great parts about this camp is the ability to have high school and alumni wrestlers learning how to mentor and coach, while also having younger wrestlers engaging in the sport, many of them for the first time. This holistic growth is what makes this camp special, and frankly, what makes Beat the Streets so great.”

Beat the Streets alumni catch up at the Summer Alumni Social at Bowlmor Lanes.

On Friday, BTS hosted another annual event—the Summer Alumni Social. This year’s social was hosted at Bowlmor Lanes, where a group of 20 program alumni were able to catch up and network with each other.

Alumni Social events are part of the greater Alumni Program, which aims to provide continued resources to BTS graduates and connect them with employment opportunities.

Beat the Streets student-athletes pose with team championship trophy at Brawl at the Beach.

Finally on Sunday, BTS competed in the Brawl at the Beach Dual Meeting Tournament in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where the team took first place overall. The team also tied for second place in the 18U Duals category.

Out of the 14 total student-athletes who participated, every single one placed in the top three of their respective weight division.

“It was great to be together as a group again,” said BTS Head Boy’s Coach Barry Hart. “We got a lot of matches in and discovered what we need to work on going forward.”

Results for the tournament are as follows:

• Andrew Bonita - 1st Place

• Lorenzo Tiankee - 2nd Place

• Kiet Maloney - 2nd Place

• Leo Tiankee - 2nd Place

• Cameron Mayfield - 1st Place

• Kadeem Nibbs - 3rd Place

• Jared Apellaniz - 3rd Place

• Mitchell Barcus - 1st Place

• Dwayne Harris - 1st Place

• Devone Bogie - 1st Place

• Carlos Guzman - 1st Place

• Julian Szetela - 2nd Place

• Adner Ramirez - 1st Place

• Darryl Harris - 1st Place