Location – Palmer, AK – The Best Wrestler

The Best Wrestler — Palmer, AK

Olympian-led system. Certified local coaching. A family that builds champions.

Parents want the best for their kids. But where do you start?

It’s hard to know which club will truly invest in your child’s growth. Some rooms are overcrowded. Some only care about wins. Too many kids get burned out before they even reach high school.

At The Best Wrestler — Palmer, we believe your child deserves more.

Meet your Coaches

Olympians, world team members, state champions — more importantly, they are committed to developing your child with discipline, toughness, and character.

Vincent Cramer

Vincent is a long-time Alaskan resident driven by a belief in hard work, discipline, and giving the next generation every opportunity to succeed. With over 20 years of experience coaching youth sports and a background in judo, wrestling, football, and baseball, Vincent has dedicated his life to developing both athletes and character.

An entrepreneur since the age of 18, Vincent spent more than three decades building businesses in the construction trades, carrying that same work ethic into athletics. In 2014, seeing a need where none existed, he founded Pioneer Grappling Academy to give his son and local athletes a place to train when school mats were no longer available. What began as a solution for a small group of kids became Alaska’s first year-round grappling gym offering both wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Vincent has poured his heart and life into Pioneer Grappling Academy, expanding it three times into an 8,500-square-foot facility. Today, the gym stands as a testament to perseverance, community, and the belief that when you build something with purpose, it can change lives far beyond its walls.

Hollan Gravley

Hollan is the Head Coach at Pioneer Grappling Academy x The Best Wrestler. Hollan is a respected Alaska wrestling coach and athletic administrator with deep roots in the state’s wrestling community. A four-time Alaska high school state champion, Junior Greco All-American, Fila Junior Greco all American, Fila Junior Freestyle all-American. After High School Holan went on to compete at the collegiate level at Western State Colorado University before transitioning into coaching and leadership. He has played a key role in developing successful high and middle school wrestling programs in the Mat-Su Valley, earning a reputation for building disciplined, technically sound athletes and competitive teams.

In addition to coaching, Gravley serves as the Activities Director at Palmer High School, where he oversees athletic programming and major events while continuing to support wrestling at the local and regional levels. His commitment to student-athlete development, program growth, and the sport of wrestling has made him a trusted leader within Alaska’s wrestling community.

Vinnie Cramer

Vinnie is the Head Assistant Coach at Pioneer Grappling Academy x The Best Wrestler. Born and raised in Alaska, Vinnie achieved a 2016 and 2019 regional championship. He also is a 4 time state placer, one being a state champion in 2019. He continued his wrestling and academics by getting accepted at Eastern Oregon University. Wrestling for 5 years at the college and achieving Academic All-Conference award. With that, he graduated college with a Bachelors degree of Science in History and a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree.

Vinnie now returned to Alaska and coaches to share his experiences, what he has learned, and help others grow to the best they can be.

Dan Pruski

Started wrestling in middle school 2003, and wrestled through high school graduating in 2010. 2x state qualifier, 4 time state championship team. Wrestled club freestyle seasons 2007-2008. Qualified Modern Army Combatives level 2.

Son wanted to get into wrestling in 2023 so I volunteered to help with coaching the youth-elementary classes. Which led to getting my daughter involved as well.

The discipline, teamwork, mental determination I learned through wrestling built a solid foundation for my 16+ year ongoing US Army service. I look forward to coaching and teaching youth what I have learned so see their success on the mat and in life.

Robert Yundt

Coach Robert Yundt brings more than two decades of experience developing athletes and leaders in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley. With 21 years of youth coaching, he has guided countless young competitors on and off the mat, emphasizing discipline, work ethic, and character.

As a high-level competitor, Coach Yundt was a two-time #1 seed at the Alaska State Championships, placed 5th at Tulsa Nationals as a sophomore, 3rd at Folkstyle Nationals as a junior, and later competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He also captured a gold medal at the 2009 Pan-American Games in Jiu-Jitsu, highlighting his well rounded grappling credentials.

Beyond athletics, Coach Yundt is a current Alaska State Senator and previously served as President of the Alaska State Homebuilders Association, bringing real-world leadership into the academy. His mission at Pioneer Grappling Academy is to help athletes build a strong foundation for work ethic and accountability that will carry them through life.

Colten Gage Mullins

With a strong foundation as a Captain for Space Coast Jr/Sr High School wrestling program in Florida, I bring years of hands-on experience and a passion for the sport to my coaching. For eight years, I coached submission wrestling and jiu-jitsu at Cocoa Beach Fight Club, working under the renowned Marcelo Cohen Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. During this time, I developed and led training programs for athletes of all skill levels, helping them improve their technique, confidence, and performance both on and off the mat.

My coaching journey extends internationally, having spent a year in Djibouti, Africa, where I taught submission wrestling and jiu-jitsu to members of the US, Australian, and Japanese military. This unique experience allowed me to adapt my coaching approach to diverse groups and cultivate discipline, teamwork, and resilience in demanding environments.

Since 2019, I have also volunteered as a wrestling coach for the Pioneer Grappling Academy’s children’s wrestling program, fostering a supportive, fun environment for young athletes. My commitment is to foster growth, sportsmanship, and technical excellence in every athlete I work with, while sharing my love for wrestling and martial arts.

Charlie Johnson

Born In Alaska and raised on Kodiak Island Charlie excelled in wrestling with a 2011 Regional and state placements,a 2012 Regional Championship and was a 2012 State Finalist finishing with a 36-3 record on the year. He went on to win the Men’s Open Greco-Roman State Championship and place as Men’s Open Finalist in Folkstyle.

In professional MMA, he holds a 7-2 record with all wins by finish capturing the AFC Welterweight Championship along the way.

Today, he balances life as a devoted husband, father, and coach, while working as an automotive technician—passing on the discipline, resilience, and heart that defined his own journey in combat sports.

Georgi Ivanov

Ivan Delchev Ivanov

Simple Steps to get started

Book a Tour or Assessment

Visit our facility and meet your coach.

Train in the Olympic System

Proven methods that build wrestlers and people.

Watch them grow

See your child gain confidence. skill, and grit.

Programs Offered at Council Bluffs

Future Olympians

High School Group

World Team Members

9 — 14 Years Old

Little Champs

4 — 8 Years Old

Private 1-1 Sessions

Find a coach

Hear from families in council bluffs

"I can’t express the appreciation I have for Georgie and Ivan. They are passionate about developing youth wrestling and they have a way of transforming a kids mind set from liking the sport, to loving the sport. I have a 12 year old daughter that I would have never thought would get into a sport like wrestling. We are now in our third year being at The Best Wrestler and my daughter has dreams of becoming a National Champion and going on to wrestle collegiately. Georgie and Ivan have a way of communicating to the youth to dream big and work hard. They make every kid in the room feel as if they are important to them and they are on their way to being a champion."

My son, Rylan, has been with The Best Wrestler for just over a year, and the progress he’s made has been incredible. A year ago, he didn’t place at the AAU state tournament in folkstyle—now he’s taken 6th at AAU state and become both the USA Freestyle and Greco state champion. Physically, he’s stronger and more technical, but the biggest changes have been in his mindset. His confidence, discipline, and mental toughness have grown tremendously. The coaches here are second to none—they push the athletes to reach their full potential while building them up every step of the way. Their dedication, knowledge, and belief in these kids make all the difference. We’re proud to be part of this program and highly recommend it to anyone serious about wrestling development. Be The Best!

We would highly recommend Coach Ivan and Coach Georgi at The Best Wrestler. They are amazing coaches and people! They have distinguished backgrounds and experience in coaching and wrestling both domestically and internationally. They have had a tremendous influence on our son Joel. They were instrumental in helping him win his first two Fargo titles and the success has continued on from there. They were also extremely helpful during the college recruiting process. I would encourage you to bring your son or daughter in to meet with Coach Georgi and Coach Ivan to see how they can help them develop their skills as they have many others. The lessons they teach will not only help your son or daughter become a better wrestler, but also a better person on and off the mat. Also if you are wanting your son or daughter to jump levels in their wrestling abilities, I would highly recommend you get them to the morning workouts. They are a game changer! To your success- Joshua and Akemi Adams Parents of Joel Adams 2024 US Open U20 Greco National Champion 2022 U17 World Champion Greco 2022 U17 Pan Am Champion Freestyle and Greco 2022 US Open U17 Greco Champion Freestyle Runner-Up 3 time Greco World Team member U15, U17, U20 Super 32 Finalist 3 time Fargo Champion 3 time Nebraska High School Class A Folkstyle State Champion. Oregon State University Athlete

More than Wrestling

Your child won’t just learn takedowns. They’ll gain resilience, humility, and the courage to lead. Wrestling ends someday, but the lessons here last forever.