USA WOMEN’S FREESTYLE COACHES
TERRY STEINER National Women’s
Coach Terry Steiner was named USA
Wrestling’s full-time National Women’s Coach in April 2002, the first and only to serve in this position in USA Wrestling history. Steiner helped lead the 2004 Olympic team, the first in history to one silver and one bronze medal in that inaugural appearance. The U.S. added a bronze medal at the
2008 Beijing Games, and a bronze medal at the 2012 London Games under Steiner. At the 2003 World Championships in New York City, all seven U.S. women’s competitors won medals, including gold medalist Kristie Marano, as the team tied with Japan for the team title, taking the second place trophy on tiebreaker. The USA placed third and won a trophy at the World Championships in 2005, 2012, 2014 and 2015. In his tenure, the team boasts 39 World medals, including nine golds, nine silvers and 21 bronzes. Steiner also led the U.S. women to first place at the 2003 World Cup, where the U.S. defeated host Japan in the finals. Steiner worked as a college assistant, with six years at Wisconsin and two seasons at Oregon State. He was also a coach with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. Steiner claimed second in the 1998 U.S. Nationals and placed at the U.S. National Championships eight times. He was 1993 NCAA champion for Univ. of Iowa, and three-time All-American.
AFSOON JOHNSTON
Olympic Coach Johnston served as an official coach of the 2014 U.S. Women’s World Team Coach in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The United States placed third in the team standings, led by World champion Adeline Gray, World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova and World bronze medalist Helen Maroulis. Johnston has coached many U.S. Senior teams in the last four years. She was a coach at the FILA Golden Grand Prix Finals in Azerbaijan in 2013 and 2014. She coached Senior teams at the Poland Open and Grand Prix of Spain, as well as the 2013 Battle at the Falls in Niagara Falls, Canada. Johnston was named 2014 Women's Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. Johnston was a coach at the 2001 Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where the team won four of the six gold medals. She also coached the U.S. team at the 2001 Junior World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, where the USA won two medals. Competing under her maiden name Afsoon Roshanzamir, she was a true pioneer of women’s wrestling. At the 1989 World Championships in Martigny, Switzerland, she was the first American woman to win a World medal when she captured a bronze medal. In 1990, she was a World silver medalist. She made four U.S. World teams. She competed on the men’s team at UC-Davis and Independence High School in San Jose, Calif.
ERIN VANDIVER Assistant National
Women’s Coach Erin Vandiver has been on the
USA Wrestling coaching staff since 2009, assisting national coach Terry Steiner in a number of different roles. She has coached Senior and age-group athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. Since joining the staff, the USA has won 17 Senior World medals, including five golds, plus adding an Olympic bronze medal in 2012. Her focus has also been on USA Wrestling age-group pro- grams, which have become a world leader on the Cadet, Junior and University levels.
Competing under her maiden name Erin Tomeo, she was a member of the 2001 and 2006 World Team. She was a 2008 U.S. Open champion, and placed second in the U.S. Open five times.
She also boasted a University National title and a UWW Junior National title on the age-group level. She won two UWW Cadet World medals and also competed on the UWW Junior World Team. Tomeo was a member of the men’s varsity wrestling team at Lock Haven University. Her older brother Tom was an All-American at Clarion University, and was also a coach on the USA Wrestling national staff before Erin became a coach. Her husband Chad Vandiver was a nationally-ranked Greco-Roman wrestler for years.
VALENTIN KALIKA Olympic Coach
Kalika over 35 years of profes- sional coaching experience in Ukraine, Israel and the United States. Kalika is the personal coach of two women’s freestyle athletes on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, 2015 World champion and three- time World medalist Helen Maroulis at 53 kg and 2012 World champion and four-time World medalist Elena Pirozhkova at 63 kg.
Kalika is also the personal coach for 2014 Cadet World Champion and two-time Junior World medalist Aaron Pico in men’s freestyle.
He currently works as Coaches Education Coordinator for Beat the Streets Los Angeles and also works as a coach for the internationally-respected Titan Mercury Wrestling Club which is located in San Marino, Calif.
He has been one of the most active coaches from the USA coaching top American athletes at international events in men’s and women’s freestyle, coaching on tours to more than 13 nations. As a volunteer, Kalika has been very active in wrestling in California at many levels. A native of Kiev, Ukraine, Kalika was Ukrainian national champion and a Soviet Union University champion in Greco- Roman. Kalika earned a Master’s Degree in Professional Coaching and Sports Education from Kiev Sports University. He served as Head Coach of the Ukrainian Junior National Team.
25 USA Wrestling Rio Media Guide
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