WASHINGTON – With the addition of Joey Dance as an assistant coach and the announcement of Ganbayar Sanjaa staying on as a volunteer assistant, the staff of first-year American University wrestling head coach Jason Borrelli is now complete.
Dance comes to American after three years as an assistant coach at Davidson, while Sanjaa, a two-time All-American for the Eagles in 2011 and 2012, returns for his third season with the program as a volunteer.
“We are thrilled to be adding Joey to our coaching staff and to the AU family,” said Borrelli. “He did a tremendous job at Davidson over the past three seasons, helping to elevate their program and playing a key role in their recruiting efforts. Joey is one the best young coaches in the business and his positive energy is contagious. Growing up in Virginia and competing for rising wrestling power Virginia Tech, he has strong ties to the area and those connections will aid in our effort to attract the top local and national talent to American University.”
As a two-time All-American at Virginia Tech, Dance posted a career mark of 114-20 and lost just a single ACC bout in four seasons. He was a three-time ACC Champion and qualified for the NCAA Championships all four years of his career.
Dance graduated from Virginia Tech in 2017 and went on to compete at the Chicago Regional Training Center (CRTC) in national and international competitions. He also helped instruct fellow CRTC athletes by demonstrating technique and prepping them for competition. Dance started Push Wrestling to help organize and market clinics for local elementary, middle and high school-aged kids.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to coach at American University,” said Dance. The mixture of the academic and athletic excellence that the University is known for is something that excites me. Jason Borrelli and Alex Tirapelle both share my same passion for the sport and have an amazing track record of success with their system in place. This is a program that has had success in the past, and I am excited to be part of their success in the future. I can’t wait to get on campus to start building relationships with the wrestlers and athletics staff. I’m looking forward to this opportunity to coach and grow wrestling in the DC area. Go Eagles! ”
Sanjaa remains on staff with the Eagles for a third season, and had previously served in similar roles at the University of Maryland and the University of Oklahoma, helping the Sooners to a top-10 team finish at the NCAA Championships where they produced three All-Americans.
“Ganbayar might be the best kept secret in collegiate coaching,” said Borrelli. “One of the most successful to ever don the AU singlet, he is a tireless worker and a person of the highest integrity. Simply put, Ganbayar epitomizes what we look for in our student-athletes and we are thrilled that he will be mentoring members of our program moving forward.”
Sanjaa placed sixth at the NCAA Championships for AU in 2012 after a season that saw him go 25-6 at 157 pounds. In 2011, Sanjaa took fourth in the NCAA Championships after a 26-8 mark. He is also a four-time Mongolian Junior National Champion and Cadet National Champion who has wrestled for the Mongolian National Team. He received a bachelor’s degree in health promotion from American in 2012.
“I love the sport of wrestling and I love coaching wrestling,” said Sanjaa. “I am very glad to have the opportunity to continue coaching at American University. I have had great experiences and coaches throughout my wrestling career. That is why I love to share and teach my wrestling experience with student-athletes. Go Eagles!”
