11-30-11/Bethlehem, PA- Former Drexel Dragon light-weight wrestling standout Steve Mytych said he works best when he has a full plate of opportunities. He proved that again by being named the newest addition to the LVAC coaching staff, confirmed by Coach Pat Santoro this Fall. He’s already been a big help to other Lehigh Valley lightweights in private training sessions including, among others, Lehigh University’s lightweight wrestlers.

He manages this while serving as a high school head coach and substitute teacher, while training in freestyle for the Olympics and also training and competing in mixed martial arts.

The all-time Drexel U leader in career wins (137), Mytych placed eighth at the June, 2011 U.S. World Team Freestyle Trials in Oklahoma City, competing at the 60 kg (132 lb) weight class.  In the finals, he beat Iowa’s Ty Clark, a former Iowa State starter. Steve has also placed third in Greco-Roman at University Nationals and three in Freestyle at the Northeast Regional tournament.

Mytych was a four-time NCAA qualifier for Drexel, whose best season came as a fifth-year senior. He was 36-8 in 2009-10 and won the Outstanding Wrestler Award at the Wilkes Open by delivering the sole season defeat for Division II National champion, Shane Valko, Pitt-Johnstown. Steve won a CAA title - the first for Drexel in five years – to become just the third wrestler in Drexel history to earn a spot in four national championships.  He was granted that fifth season after receiving a medical hardship due to injury in his fourth year. In that abbreviated season, Steve was 9-2, placing second at the Cornell Body Bar and fifth at The Binghamton Bearcat Open.
As a junior, he set Drexel’s single-season record for wins (38-8), won both the Bearcat Open and Wilkes Open, was undefeated at the Virginia Duals and CAA Duals and placed in the top five nationally in major decisions (15). As a 28-11 sophomore in Round 1 at the ’07 NCAAs, Steve upset #12 seed, Matt Eveleth, Penn, who earned the EIWA’s Outstanding Wrestler by beating 4-time All-American, Troy Nickerson, Cornell.

In 2005-06, Mytych (26-12)  was named CAA Rookie of the Year and  Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Team at 125, compiling Drexel’s second-highest freshman win total in school history. He placed second at Cornell Body Bar, beating 2 ranked men.       Mytych studied sport management at Drexel, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Special Education. (Drexel U photo, right)

Mytych, whose hometown was Wyoming, PA, wrestled most of his career at Drexel at 125, after competing as a Konkrete Kid at Northampton HS. He placed eighth and fourth at the PIAA Championships (AAA) at 103 and 112 pounds, was a 2-time District 11 champion, NE Regional champion as senior.

Among his other interests, Steve has competed in three mixed martial arts matches, the last one in July at the inaugural Martial Arts Super Sport event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes Barre. He trains at the Northeastern Ju-Jitsu Martial Arts Academy in Northampton, after starting his ju-jitsu training and his MMA career while wrestling at Drexel in 2008. He won his first two fights in Atlantic City, including a split-decision victory in July, 2010, almost two years after his first fight. (photo by Mike Moran, left)

"It's a really easy transition, honestly," says Mytych. "A lot of it is takedowns and then submissions. The thing that I really need is good stand up (striking). My coaches are helping me out and they're going to get me with somebody who is a striking coach." Rather than take away from his wrestling future, Steve feels MMA has helped his wrestling career.
"Believe it or not, MMA has helped me win big matches on the Olympic circuit," Mytych said. "I still have Olympic aspirations, but this fits well with my makeup with wrestling."  Mytych's wrestling career has benefited from working in ju-jitsu with local MMA standout Jim Hettes. "I'm all-in. I just like to compete," Mytych said. "It's worked out well for me."

This past summer, Wyoming Area High School named Mytych its head wrestling coach for the 2011-12 season. He former Hofstra standout, Joe Rovelli, as his assistant.
Mytych most recently worked as a volunteer coach at Bloomsburg during the 2010-11 season after finishing college. Steve, who will work at Wyoming Area as a substitute teacher, said he's young enough to balance coaching, teaching and training for MMA and wrestling.