Covelli expects 1,200 youth wrestlers

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Ohio Athletic Committee’s grade-school wrestling state championships will be contested this weekend at the Covelli Centre.

More than 1,200 students (sixth-grade and under) in four divisions will compete over two days on 10 mats to earn the title of state champion or state placer.

This weekend’s competitors are the product of qualifying tournaments from eight districts around Ohio.

“They can’t just show up this weekend and want to wrestle,” said Dave Crawford, coach of the Canfield Wrestling Club.

Youth from districts such as Cincinnati, Columbus, Canton, Steubenville, Cleveland and Akron are sending their top four from each weight class into 32-man brackets.

Crawford said that the North Akron Wrestling Club will bring a squad of 22.

The 11- & 12-year-old division, for example, has 13 weight classes.

Some other area groups participating are the Austintown Wrestling Club and the Brookfield Wrestling Club.

The Canfield club qualified 13 for this weekend’s tournament.

“This has been a good year for the club. We have a great group of sixth graders who have worked very hard over the past few years,” said Crawford, whose sixth-grade son, David, was a sixth-place finisher in 2011. He will compete at 100 pounds.

Qualifiers as young as 5 are entered.

Crawford said that this is the ninth year for the sixth grade and under state tournament, which has been in Marion, Steubenville and Bowling Green.

This is the second straight year in Youngstown.

“They like the Covelli venue that seats people comfortably,” Crawford said.

Wrestling begins Saturday at 9 a.m. and concludes with the finals on Sunday evening.

Tickets cost $15 at the door.

Last week at the Covelli Centre, also under the Ohio Athletic Committee umbrella, a separate state tournament for junior high students was held.

The Ohio Athletic Committee is a private group based out of Sandusky that also conducts flag football and cheerleading state championships for youth, separate from the jurisdiction of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

For more, visit www.ohioathletics.com.