First PA vs USA All-Star women’s match at Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic on March 15

Photo of Vayle Baker of Wyoming Seminary (PA), competing at the Cadet World Championships, by Richard Immel.


Pittsburgh, PA – Vayle Baker will face Gabrielle Skidmore in the first PA versus USA women’s match at the 45th Annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic on Friday, March 15, 2019, at the University of Pittsburgh Fitzgerald Field House.


Baker, from Benton, PA, and wrestling at Wyoming Seminar, will represent the PA All-Star team as the #1 ranked wrestler at 117 lbs. Skidmore, from Spooner, WI, and wrestling for Cumberland High School will represent the USA All-Stars as the #2 ranked wrestler at 117 lbs.


“The Wrestling Classic committee is excited to showcase two of the best female high school wrestlers in the country” said Co-Director Kraig Nellis. A female competition has been on our agenda for several years and it’s finally coming to fruition. The local fans will enjoy seeing two of the country’s top tier female high school seniors and the entire wrestling community can watch through the live broadcast by Flowrestling.


Baker won her 5th National Women’s Freestyle title in Fargo, ND, and was the PAWF Women’s Freestyle State Champion in 2018, and placed 7th in the World’s Women’s Freestyle Championships in 2017.


Skidmore is a 3X National Women’s Freestyle All-American, placing 3rd last year in Fargo. Her only loss was to Baker in a very close match that was 4 – 4 decided on criteria. Skidmore competed in Japan last summer as a member of the Wisconsin Women’s Freestyle National Team.


The Baker versus Skidmore bout will be a Freestyle match. This female bout coincides with the girls and boys Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Championships being held on the University of Pittsburgh’s campus the following two days. We’re encouraging all the PJW competitors to take the opportunity to watch the competition on Friday night while they’re in the area, said Nellis.


Baker and Skidmore will become part of the rich Wrestling Classic history. This isn’t the first female match in the Wrestling Classic’s 44-year history. Baker’s coach, Erin (Tomeo) Vandiver, wrestled Lisa Biser, in the first women’s match in 2001. We had two of the countries best female high school seniors here in our own back yard and we wanted to use it as an opportunity to help promote women’s wrestling, said Nellis. The wrestling fans appreciated their performance and both wrestlers had a positive experience.


The Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic is the most prestigious high school all-star wrestling meet in the United States because it attracts the best high school seniors in the country. This year the preliminary meet pits the best wrestlers from Western Pennsylvania, or WPIAL, against the New York All-Stars at 6:00 PM. The feature match showcases the best-of-the-best high school wrestlers from across the United States challenging the reigning Pennsylvania state champs at 8:00 PM.


Proceeds from the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic benefit the youth wrestling programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania. Tickets can be purchased at three ticket outlets in the Pittsburgh area and online at www.wrestlingclassic.com.