Manheim, PA -  The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced today that its 2026 Annual Convention will include a premier Freestyle and Folkstyle Technique Session on Thursday, July 31, from 11:05 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Room Maryland E/F. The session will feature three accomplished wrestlers and coaches who bring an extraordinary combination of competitive achievement and instructional expertise.
 
About the Session
 
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn directly from some of the sport's most decorated performers. The folkstyle segment will be led by Purdue assistant coach Matt Ramos, while the freestyle portion will be conducted by North Central College's Kendra Ryan and Yele Aycock, providing coaches at every level a rare chance to learn technique from elite practitioners across both disciplines.
 
Folkstyle: Matt Ramos, Assistant Coach - Purdue University
 
Matt Ramos joined the Purdue wrestling staff as an assistant coach in June 2025, bringing with him one of the most decorated careers in program history. A two-time All-American and 2023 NCAA Runner-Up at 125 pounds, Ramos compiled a 115-26 career record (.816) — the third-best winning percentage in Purdue history — and tied the program record for most career wins at the NCAA Championships with 14.
 
His 2022-23 season produced one of the most iconic moments in college wrestling history when he pinned three-time national champion Spencer Lee of Iowa in the NCAA semifinals, a match widely regarded as the greatest upset the sport has ever seen. He returned to the national podium in 2025 with a fourth-place finish, becoming Purdue's first multiple-time All-American since 2006, after a dominant regular season in which he did not surrender a single takedown.
 
Ramos is also a 2018 Cadet World Champion (51 kg) and 2022 U.S. Open Champion (57 kg), bringing international freestyle experience alongside his folkstyle pedigree. A four-time NWCA Scholar All-American, he graduated from Purdue with a degree in selling and sales management.
 
Freestyle: Kendra Ryan, Graduate Assistant Coach - North Central College
 
Kendra Ryan joined the North Central College women's wrestling coaching staff as a graduate assistant in the fall of 2025 after a standout undergraduate career with the Cardinals. A four-time Collegiate All-American at 110 pounds, Ryan was instrumental in North Central's national championship in 2023 and two consecutive national runner-up finishes in 2024 and 2025. She ranks fourth on the program's career wins list with 89 victories and second in career technical falls with 60.
 
On the international stage, Ryan is a multiple-time USA Wrestling All-American at the U20, U23, and Senior levels and currently serves on the USA Wrestling Senior National Team, ranking third on the USA Olympic ladder at 50 kg. A four-time NWCA Scholar All-American, she graduated in spring 2025 with a degree in exercise science and is currently pursuing her master's degree at North Central.
 
Freestyle: Yele Aycock - North Central College
 
Yele Aycock has established herself as one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the country at the 130/136-pound weight class. A two-time NCWWC Women's National Runner-Up (2023 and 2024) and two-time All-American, Aycock posted a 21-1 record in 2023-24 and a 30-6 mark in 2022-23, winning nine and twelve matches by technical fall in those respective seasons. She has also earned multiple CCIW and Region IV individual titles, and finished third at the U23 World Team Trials.
 
Convention Information
 
The NWCA Annual Convention offers wrestling coaches from across the country professional development, networking opportunities, and access to some of the sport's brightest minds. To register and view the full schedule of events, visit nwcaconvention.com.
 
The 2026 NWCA Convention is proudly sponsored by Cliff Keen, Cluffy, Defense Soap, Drip Drop, Resilite, and the United States Marine Corps.
 
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