Ihsa Wrestling Dual Team State

There will be a high school state wrestling tournament this season. Just not one sanctioned by the Illinois High School Athletic Association.

When the IHSA made the decision in late January to make wrestling an eight-week season without a postseason, members of the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association went to work to see what they could do about providing a state tournament for the athletes.

The IWCOA is versed in hosting state meets. The group has sponsored a freshman-sophomore state tournament for nine years and a girls state series for the past three seasons.

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The thought of Illinois not having a state finals for the first time in 84 years did not sit well with Naperville Central coach Rob Porter and the other IWCOA board members.

"The idea of having a wrestling season without some sort of culminating event is foreign to everybody," said Porter, the IWCOA secretary/treasurer and state tournament sub committee chair. "Some of the greatest memories high school wrestlers have of their high school experience is what they did at the state level, so we want to make sure, especially the seniors, have those memories,"

A state tournament week has been set for June 21-26 at the Bank of Springfield Center in Springfield.

The girls state finals are set for Monday, June 21. The fresh-soph tournament will be Tuesday and Wednesday that week, followed by Class 1A high school state on Thursday, Class 2A on Friday and Class 3A on Saturday.

"The biggest thing is trying to find sites to host (regionals and sectional), because of COVID restrictions," IWCOA president Roy Snyder said. "Some schools from down south have less restrictions and that's not an issue, but further north we've been able to find some junior colleges or athletic centers that are willing to do it for us. The only thing is we have to get volunteers and coaches to help us out and get mats there, which I don't think will be a problem in the wrestling community."

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The plan is to have 24 "super regional" sites of up to 16 teams each, with the top six individuals in each of the 14 weight classes advancing to 12 sectional sites. The top four in each class from sectionals will move on to state.

A list of regional and sectional sites will be released at a later date as spots are filled.

Snyder realizes many team enrollments are down, due to the pandemic and wrestling competing with the usual spring sports season. And the late June time frame could be an issue.

"It's going to be difficult, but we're going to do it," Snyder said. "We're getting some very good responses. Some of them are still waiting to see what happens in the next couple weeks of the season."

The one-day high school state final in each class will consist of 10-12 mats going at the same time, with wrestlers allowed five matches.

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Illinois Matmen, the premier website for Illinois wrestling, is joining forces to provide broadcasting, streaming and help with promotion.

Fundraisers are underway, and corporate sponsors are getting on board to help offset the cost of the endeavor.

"The biggest thing for me as a coach, I want to look at my kids and say this is how you need to train, and this is what you need to do to be a state-caliber wrestler," Porter said. "Without our efforts at the IWCOA, that just wouldn't be possible. All we'd have is just dual meets. Those things are fun and exciting and kids love those, but wrestling is really built around the postseason.

"Everything is practiced for the postseason. Now we can gear our kids up for that season too. It's all about the kids and we want to make sure they have a great experience and at the same time be safe."

Stan Morris can be reached at smorris@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @stanmorrispjs

Ihsa Wrestling Dual Team State

Source: https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/2021/05/07/illinois-high-school-wrestling-coaches-group-offers-state-tournament/4972572001/

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