Blair Academy is proud to announce the appointment of two new head coaches, both of whom had stellar athletic careers as Buccaneers. Beginning in July 2021, Ross Gitomer ’05 will take the helm of Blair’s top-ranked wrestling program, and Batouly Camara ’15 will become head coach of Blair’s championship-winning girls’ varsity basketball team.
Mr. Gitomer returns to Blair after serving as head wrestling coach at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, Virginia, for 10 years. During his tenure, he led the Saints to their first-ever #1 ranking in the state of Virginia, and he has coached 19 All-Americans, 29 state champions and 3 national champions. An ACC champion wrestler at the University of Virginia, Mr. Gitomer won a national prep championship for Blair in 2005 at 119 lbs.
“I am thrilled to be returning to Blair, a place that shaped me in so many ways,” said Mr. Gitomer. “Not only did Blair launch my wrestling career, but it also enabled me to expand my horizons academically and culturally. I look forward to working with the current and future Blair students and athletes to support them as they embark on their own journeys.”
Mr. Gitomer takes the reins of Blair’s storied wrestling program from head varsity wrestling coach Brian Antonelli ’93, whose outstanding leadership and commitment to student-athletes throughout his seven-year tenure embody the Buccaneer wrestling “standard of excellence” for which the program is nationally known. Mr. Gitomer will build upon Blair’s wrestling tradition as he succeeds Coach Antonelli, who will continue to work with Blair athletes and the School’s business office.
Ms. Camara graduated from Blair in 2015, having won four Mid-Atlantic Prep League and four NJISAA prep “A” state championships with the Bucs. She played for the University of Kentucky and the University of Connecticut as a college athlete, making three trips to the NCAA women’s basketball Final Four with the Huskies. She is the founder of Women and Kids Empowerment (WAKE), a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower girls through education, sport and social entrepreneurship. In 2020, Ms. Camara was one of seven recipients nationwide of the prestigious Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award, an honor that recognizes her work using sport to improve her community. Ms. Camara’s accomplishments also caught the attention of Forbes magazine: In December 2020, she was included in its 10th annual 30 Under 30 in sports, a list that honors “young innovators on the verge of making it big.”
“I came to Blair when I was 14 years old, and it was such a transformational experience for me,” said Ms. Camara, who succeeds her mentor, veteran coach Quinten “Q” Clarke ’87, at the helm of the girls’ basketball program as he retires from this role after 10 years of exceptional dedication. “I am so excited to carry on the tradition and culture of excellence that Coach Q and all the outstanding student-athletes have established.”