All-Time Record at McKendree | 77-25 | 3x National Champions, 15 Individual National Champions
Sam Schmitz joins the Bearcats as head women's and assistant men's wrestling coach after McKendree University announced the addition of women's wrestling as its 23
rd sport on Tuesday, March 26, 2013. Schmitz joined McKendree from Lindenwood-Belleville, where he served as the head women's wrestling coach and assistant men's wrestling coach.
McKendree, under the direction of Schmitz, won its third-straight national title in 2022 with a pair of individual national champions and 12 All-Americans. Cameron Guerin (130lb) claimed back-to-back individual titles while Sydnee Kimber (191lb) collected her third-straight championship. The Bearcats posted 188.0 total points to claim the title, beating out rival King University by 22.0 points.
During Schmitz’s nine seasons at the helm for the Bearcats, the program earned three national titles (2020, 2021, 2022) while posting 15 individual champions with an overall mark of 77-25.
“McKendree University is known throughout the country as having a highly competitive wrestling program,” said athletic director
Chuck Brueggemann. “The introduction of a women's program was a natural next step for us. Women's wrestling is a rapidly growing sport and we want to be at the forefront of offering young women the opportunity to continue their passion of competition while getting a first-class education. We have every expectation that this team will be highly successful much like our men's team.”
The program competes as a member of the Women's College Wrestling Association (WCWA). The association, formed in 2008, is the current governing body for all collegiate women's wrestling programs at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) levels.
Before Schmitz joined the staff at McKendree as the head women’s wrestling coach, he served as a graduate assistant coach for the men's wrestling program at his alma mater, Lindenwood University - St. Charles. During the 2010-11 season, and helped the Lions to a runner-up finish at the NAIA National Championship. Nine wrestlers earned All-American honors, including Chris Chionuma who won the national championship at 174 lbs.
Schmitz then moved to the sister campus, Lindenwood University - Belleville and served as both the head women's wrestling coach and assistant men's wrestling coach. During his time with the Lady Lynx, he helped the women's program to an 11
th-place finish at the WCWA National Championship, with eight national qualifiers. One qualifier, Alana Jimenez, earned All-America honors with a 5th-place finish at 191 lbs.
In the last five seasons, McKendree's women's wrestling has continued to thrive in women's college wrestling. The Bearcats have had tremendous success both individually and as a program in dual-meet squads.
Most recently, the Bearcats finished the WCWC National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship with 13 All-Americans, a championship title and five individual champions. The 2019-20 season was a promising season. The Bearcats defended their crown at the NWCA National Duel Meet Champions.
McKendree women's wrestling is home to 7 World Team Members, a Junior World Bronze Medalist (Alexis Porter, 67kg, 2016), a pair of U23 World Bronze Medalist (Alexandria Glaude and Korinahe Bullock), a pair of WCWA National Champions (Alexandria Glaude and Destane Garrick), a Senior National Champion (Emma Brunitl), and multiple USA Wrestling Senior National Team members.
Here are some results from the Bearcats over the years:
2014 NWCA National Duals - 8th place
2014 WCWA National Tournament - 11th place
2015 NWCA National Duals - 3rd place
2015 WCWA National Tournament - 6th place ,
7 All-Americans
2016 NWCA National Duals - 5th place
2016 WCWA National Tournament - 6th place ,
9 All-Americans
2016 US Olympic Trials - 5 Qualifiers
2017 NWCA National Duals - Runner-up
2017 NCWA National Tournament - 5th place,
5 All-Americans
2018 NCWA National Duals - Runner-up
2018 WCWA National Tournament - 3rd place,
9 All-Americans
2019 WCWA National Duals -
National Champions
2019 WCWA National Tournament - 3rd place,
11 All-Americans
2020 NWCA National Dual -
National Champions
2020 NCWWC -
National Champions, 13 All-Americans
2020 US Olympic Team Trials - 2 Qualifiers
2021 NCWWC -
National Champions, 14 All-American, Coach fo the Year, Coach of the NCWWC Tournament
2021 US Olympic Team Trials - 8 Qualifiers
2022 NCWWC - National Champions, 12 All-Americans, 2 Individual National Champions (Guerin 130, Kimber 191), 2022 Southwest Regional Champions
Schmitz has served on several trips for USA Wrestling. The 2014 World Team Training Camp played host to America's top female wrestlers at the Cadet, Junior and Senior level. He has traveled as coach for USA Wrestling, once to Kazan, Russia, for the University World Games in 2013. Then again in 2015, he traveled as one of the Junior World Team coaches that traveled to the Junior World Championship in Salvador, Brazil. He served as one of the coaches for the UWW Cadet World Championships in the past two summers. In 2019, he was assigned to the UWW Cadet Pan American Championship in Morelia, Mexico.
“Coach Schmitz is highly regarded in the sport of wrestling and achieved a lot of success as a competitor,” said Brueggemann. “We were impressed by his enthusiasm and passion for the sport and we expect that to come through and help him make a big impression on the student-athletes he coaches.”
“We are tremendously excited about the opportunity we have to help our kids grow on and off the mat. We want to make sure they are prepared for life when they leave McKendree.”
Prior to coaching, Schmitz posted a 123-41 record as a collegiate wrestler and was a 4x All- American. He placed 3rd at 149lbs in the 2001 NJCAA National Tournament as a freshman for Clackamas Community College. He then transferred to Lindenwood University - Bellville and earned three more All-American honors in the NAIA. He individually placed 8th as a sophomore, national finalist as a junior, and 6th in his senior campaign, all at 149 lbs.
While coaching, Schmitz one again became an All-American. He placed 8th at 66kg in the 2011 University Freestyle National Championship in Akron, Ohio.
The McKendree University men's wrestling team has had success with Schmitz as the assistant coach, and since competing at the NCAA level. Most recently, the men's team finished in first in the NCAA DII Super Region IV Wrestling Championship, with four regional champions.
Coach Schmitz was born and raised in the state of Oregon, but now resides in Lebanon, with his wife, Michaela, and daughter, Maverly Renee.
