High School Pre-Season Wrestling State Championships
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November 8, 2008
Marion Veterans Memorial Coliseum
220 East Fairground Street
Marion, OH 43302
In the beginning, Ohio hosted a single division state tournament event where only one State Champion was crowned per weight class, thus clearly defining whom the best wrestler at each weight class was here in Ohio. Through time and the increased popularity of our great sport (at least here in Ohio), the event has evolved to a three-division celebration of talent held at the end of the OHSAA season.
In 1999 the Ohio Athletic Committee began a tournament series that gave Junior High School wrestlers the opportunity to compete on a statewide level against the best the state had to offer in one non-divisional tournament event. This event has witnessed performances of the absolute best talent available throughout the Great State of Ohio over the past ten years.
It is now our objective to combine these two efforts and host the most anticipated event in Ohio wrestling ever; Ohio Athletic Committee High School Pre-Season Wrestling State Championships! The event will invite all Ohio wrestlers in all divisions to compete on November 8, 2008.
With the expense of travel and entry fees to national events, it is becoming increasingly difficult for our youth to travel to Fargo or events similar to Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior Nationals. This event will be very affordable to the wrestlers themselves and their coaches. It is our intent to create an environment that promotes Ohio wrestling and more importantly, our Ohio raised talent by giving our youth a "sporting chance".
In the past two years the Ohio Athletic Committee has awarded $20,000.00 in college scholarships to Ohio senior wrestlers. We will once again be awarding $10,000.00 in college scholarships for 2009 and funds raised from this event will help to assist us with our scholarship fund.
The 2008 recipients
Matt Stoll (Dublin Coffman HS)
Mark Stoll (Dublin Coffman HS)
Andrew Johnson (Otsego HS)
Chad Teague (Cambridge HS)
Kyle King (Madison HS)
Lee Winfield (Riverside HS)
Casady Willford (Meigs HS)