Honorable Mention
Bethlehem Holiday Wrestling Classic
Dec. 28 and 29, 2012 (Friday and Saturday); Bethlehem Liberty High School, Bethlehem, Pa.
Brecksville Holiday Invitational Tournament
Dec. 28 and 29, 2012 (Friday and Saturday); Brecksville High School, Brecksville, Ohio
Clinch Gear Battle for the Belt
Jan. 18 and 19 (Friday and Saturday); Temecula Valley High School, Temecula, Calif.
Ed Winger Invitational
Jan. 19, 2013 (Saturday); Urbandale High School, Urbandale, Iowa
King of the Mountain
Dec. 14 and 15, 2012 (Friday and Saturday); Central Mountain High School, Lock Haven, Pa.
Minnesota Christmas Tournament
Dec. 14 and 15, 2012 (Friday and Saturday); University Center Rochester Field House, Rochester, Minn.
Medina Invitational Tournament
Dec. 28 and 29, 2012 (Friday and Saturday); Medina High School, Medina, Ohio
Tri-State Tournament
Dec. 21 and 22, 2012; North Idaho College, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Tulsa Mid-America Nationals
Dec. 7 and 8, 2012 (Friday and Saturday); Tulsa Union High School, Tulsa, Okla.
Virginia Duals
Jan. 11 and 12, 2013 (Friday and Saturday); Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Va.
10. Geary Invitational Wrestling Tournament
Date: Jan. 4 and 5, 2013 (Friday and Saturday)
Venue: Stegall-Long Fieldhouse, Geary, Okla.
Key Teams: Broken Arrow (Okla.), Tulsa Union (Okla.), and Tuttle (Okla.)
History: Over the years, many a Sooner State wrestling star has appeared in this event -- going all the way to its inception and names such as Hugh Perry and Danny Hodge, through the Smith brothers (John, Lee Roy, and Pat), and all the way to names of recent lore like Johny Hendricks. With all these stars, it is staggering that only two wrestlers have ever won this tournament four times -- Brandon Tucker and Matt Bryan, both from Broken Arrow.
The tournament, which debuted in 1944, has maintained much of the old time tradition. The small, yet distinctive, Geary medal is awarded to placewinners; visiting schools are hosted in local homes; the entire community flocks to support the tournament; and the tournament has a (what is in modern times) unique format with no seeding or advancement points, but does allow challenge matches for true second place. The tournament was hosted in the high school gymnasium through 1977, but for the last 35 years has been hosted in the Stegall-Long Field House (originally Bison Field House) two blocks to the west.
Last Year: An extremely tight team race occurred between Oklahoma big school stalwarts Broken Arrow and Tulsa Union, which Broken Arrow won by 5.5 points (like they did later on at the state tournament). The 24-team field (22 from Oklahoma, one from New Mexico, and one from Texas) featured 17 wrestlers that stood on top of the podium at their respective state tournaments (15 from Oklahoma, one each in New Mexico and Texas). Nine of the eventual tournament champions went on to win state titles, while there was one championship match featuring a pair of eventual state champions. The 120-pound weight class featured four wrestlers that won state titles (Gunner Laffoon, Calib Freeman, Josh Walker, and Braun Marquez), but it was Jake Goodwin -- who finished third at National Preps -- that took home the weight class title.
Comment: "Tradition is a big word in Geary, just as Geary is a big word in the world of wrestling. This is the oldest tournament in Oklahoma as well as the entire nation. Because of this tournament, Geary has become known through Oklahoma and the country. We'd like to thank the fans and community for their support and enthusiasm of this wonderful tournament." -- GearySchools.org website
9. Al Dvorak Memorial Invitational Tournament
Date: Dec. 22 and 23, 2012 (Saturday and Sunday)
Venue: Machesney Park Harlem High School, Rockford, Ill.
Key Teams: Montini Catholic (Ill.), Marist (Ill.), Glenbard North (Ill.), Oak Park River Forest (Ill.), and Iowa City West (Iowa)
Newcomer for 12-13: Lake Highland Prep (Fla.)
History: The event started in the early 1970s as the Rockford (West) Christmas Tournament. For a time in the mid-1970s, the event was actually two mini 16-team tournaments (Class 2A, Class 1A) with a grand final between the two champions. The event subsequently moved to Glenbard East, and was renamed the Al Dvorak Memorial Invitational in 1988 in memory of a Glenbard East wrestler that was tragically killed when hit by a truck. It moved temporarily in the early 2000s to Dundee-Crown High School, before taking its current home at Machesney Park Harlem in Rockford Ill., in 2006. Over the years, it has always had about a thirty-team field featuring many of the best individuals and teams from across the state of Illinois. In addition, a live webcast of the semifinals and finals hosted by IllinoisMatmen.com has helped to bolster the national profile of the event in recent years. As did the 2004 edition of the event when sophomores Mike Benefiel and Albert White, both off of state titles as freshmen were upset by their semifinal opponents. It relegated these future four-time state champions to the third-place match, one that Benefiel won by a 5-2 decision.
Last Year: Montini Catholic won the event for a fourth time in six seasons. Perennial contender Iowa City West finished in third place, their fifth top-three finish in the same six seasons -- including a championship in 2007. The schools in the tournament field combined for fifteen state champion wrestlers in the Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin championships. During the event, three matches featured would-be state champions against one another -- Jordan Northrup vs. Phillip Laux in the 113-pound semifinal, Eddie Klimara vs. Jack Hathaway in the final at 126 pounds, and Brad Johnson vs. Gage Harrah in the 195-pound final.
Comment: "The tournament is unique in that it still brings together the top teams from across the state in both the top two divisions, where seeing a Class 2A state champ and a Class 3A state champ get the chance to face each other can take place." -- Mick Torres, tournament manager
8. Kansas City Wrestling Classic
Date: Dec. 14 and 15, 2012 (Friday and Saturday)
Venue: Hale Arena, Kansas City, Mo.
Key Teams: Bettendorf (Iowa), Collins Hill (Ga.), Blue Springs, Tuttle (Okla.), Allen (Texas), Christian Brothers (TN), Kearney, Park Hill, and Collinsville (Okla.)
History: In a relatively short time, the Kansas City Wrestling Classic presented by USA Wrestling and Dollamur, has grown into an early season showcase event. The tournament came about in response to significant restrictions placed on Missouri high school wrestling programs' ability to seek out elite competition. Since top teams and wrestlers in Missouri couldn't go out to find the competition, tournament organizers sought to bring the competition to them. In its initial year, the event started out with 24 teams, and now has grown into a field of 40 teams from ten states. The event has always had the format of a preliminary pool followed by a bracket of wrestlers finishing in similar pool positions. Currently, there are eight five-person pools on Friday evening. Wrestling continues on Saturday with a 16-person bracket for first and second place pool finishers, as well as a 16-person bracket for third and fourth-place finishers. At the end of the tournament, wrestlers leave with 4-9 matches against credible competition.
Last Year: The tournament was won by newcomer Bettendorf, derailing the attempt of Collins Hill to three-peat in the event. However, the Eagles ended up in second, their fifth consecutive appearance in the top three at this tournament. Out of 28 tournament finalists, 23 of them appeared in their respective state tournament finals match. This included four matches that had eventual state champions battling it out for a KCWC title -- among them was the 120-pound weight class that featured six state champions among its top seven finishers.
Comment: "We try to give each competitor the most matches we possibly can, and come Saturday afternoon, almost every wrestler is competing against others at their skill level. By keeping a solid base of long-standing quality programs, our field always has quality individuals on a year-to-year basis." -- Tom Taulbee, KCWC Competition Committee Chairman
7. Doc Buchanan Invitational
Date: Jan. 4 and 5, 2013 (Friday and Saturday)
Venue: Clovis High School, Clovis, Calif.
Key Teams: Bakersfield (Calif.), Clovis (Calif.), Clovis West (Calif.), Gilroy (Calif.), Poway (Calif.), Roseburg (Ore.), and St. John Bosco (Calif.)
Newcomer for 12-13: Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)
Doc Buchanan (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)In recent years, the tournament has been able to maintain the same field capacity, while gaining a significant boost in quality through the inclusion of partial entries. The last few tournament fields have featured wrestlers from just over 90 schools throughout California, and also from other "West Coast" states. One of the unique features that has helped increase the visibility of the tournament is the live web streams offered through the ClovisWrestling.com website for competition in the tournament.
Last Year: The 2012 event featured 12 of 14 California state champions, as well as 22 of the 28 finalists. An additional ten state champions from three other states (Nevada, New Mexico, and Oregon) were also in the field. Two championship matches at the Doc Buchanan featured eventual state titlists against one another -- Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco) vs. Paul Mascarenas (Cleveland, N.M.) at 106, and Joey Davis (Santa Fe, Calif.) vs. Zach Nevills (Clovis) at 170. In fact, Davis had to beat another state champion -- Steven Elicegui (Wooster, Nev.) -- in the semis, just to reach the championship.
Comment: "This is hands down the toughest individual tournament in California, 70 to 80 percent of the state's toughest kids will participate, and probably anywhere west of the Mississippi River. It is the California version of the Walsh Ironman -- a truly first-class tournament in all aspects, and has started to get more attention in recent years." -- Adam Tirapelle, Clovis assistant coach
6. Reno Tournament of Champions
Date: Dec. 14 and 15, 2012 (Friday and Saturday)
Venue: Reno Events Center, Reno Nev.
Key Teams: Bakersfield (Calif.), Easton (Pa.), Maple Mountain (Utah), Poway (Calif.), Roseburg (Ore.), and Tulsa Union (Okla.)
Newcomers for 12-13: Broken Arrow (Okla.) and Canon-McMillan (Pa.)
History: During the summer of 1994, a group of wrestling enthusiasts came together seeking to establish a tournament like no other, which would bring together the best of the best to raise funds for youth sports program. After close to 18 months of planning, the first tournament came to be in January 1996, and featured 32 of the best high school teams from coast-to-coast throughout the United States. It is claimed by some that this initial Reno TOC was the best high school wrestling tournament ever.
Reno Medals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Last Year: Despite having just one champion in Connor King, and four other top four placers, Poway (Calif.) dominated the tournament on the basis of quantity -- twelve wrestlers finishing in the top seven of their respective weight classes. The Titans won the title for the second time in three seasons. Finishing as runner-up for the second straight year was Tulsa Union (Okla.) with a pair of champions and another pair of runner-up wrestlers. Perennial contender and 2010 champion Easton (Pa.) took third in the standings. Sixteen wrestlers who went on to win state titles made the championship match at the Reno TOC, and five of the fourteen championship matches featured a pair of wrestlers that would go onto stand atop their state tournament podiums at season's end.
Comment: "Over the years we've had many great athletes compete in our tournament. These athletes have gone on to become NCAA champions, Olympic medalists, and then thrive in MMA and/or UFC. Because of the success the tournament has had over the years, it has continued to attract teams from all across the nation." -- Ryan Teubner, RTOC media relations coordinator
5. Cheesehead Invitational
Date: Jan. 4 and 5, 2013 (Friday and Saturday)
Venue: Kaukauna High School, Kaukauna, Wis.
Key Teams: Apple Valley (Minn.), Bettendorf (Iowa), Montini Catholic (Ill.), Simley (Minn.), and Southeast Polk (Iowa)
Newcomers for 12-13: Davenport Assumption (Iowa), Glenbard North (Ill.), and West Fargo (N.D.)
Cheesehead logoThe 2004 expansion enabled the tournament to include more strong teams from Wisconsin, as well as the addition of Illinois power Montini Catholic. The next major growth event for the tournament was in 2009, with Brandon (Fla.) making an appearance in the tournament. It led coaches away from their confusion about the tournament's format (preliminary pool leading into a bracket or cross-over matches) and scoring, and focused their attention towards the competition and benefit of getting kids many matches against like competition. With a date opposite of The Clash, and the return of Apple Valley to the tournament, it is in these last three years the Cheesehead has reached the standing it has in the national tournament landscape. The pinnacle for the tournament was in December 2010 when it can be argued that the national title race between Apple Valley and Blair Academy (N.J.) came to a head in this event that also featured six other nationally ranked teams.
Last Year: Apple Valley made it a three-peat in the tournament, as they won the championship by four points over Bettendorf with Simley and Southeast Polk close behind. The January 2012 edition saw the appearance of Iowa teams in the event for the first time, as well as the inclusion of emerging national power Allen (Texas) in the field. Out of 28 tournament finalists, half were state champions, and only two did not finish in the top three of their respective state tournaments. This included a pair of finals matches that were previews of eventual state championship matches, as well as four title matches that featured a pair of state champions against one another.
Comment: "It's been a great ride. We are thankful for the support of TrackWrestling, corporate sponsors such as ATC and J Robinson Intensive Camps, and Fox Sports Wisconsin that have enabled the event to expand and be covered across the media spectrum. It has become a point of pride to be on the cutting edge in terms of promoting the sport of wrestling." -- Scott Kluever, Tournament Director
4. POWERade Christmas Wrestling Tournament
Date: Dec. 28 and 29, 2012 (Friday and Saturday)
Venue: Canon McMillan High School, Canonsburg, Pa.
Key Teams: Benton (Pa.), Blair Academy (N.J.), Canon McMillan, (Pa.), and Franklin Regional (Pa.)
Newcomers for 12-13: Cincinnati Moeller (Ohio), Clovis (Calif.), Erie McDowell (Pa.), and Hermiston (Ore.)
History: Ever since its inception in 1967 as the California University Christmas Wrestling Tournament, the quality and legacy of the event befit the location of the tournament in Western Pennsylvania. The tournament gained a corporate sponsorship for the 1995 edition from the Cameron Coca-Cola Co. in Washington Township, moved to Trinity High School, and was given its present name. It moved to its present home at Canon-McMillan High School in 2003. Many stars of wrestling have made their initial dent on the high school landscape on the mats of this tournament, including Nate Carr, Cary Kolat, and most recently Chance Marsteller. Over the years, 19 NCAA Division I champions have participated in this event, including Frank Molinaro (Southern Regional, N.J./Penn State) and Steve Bosak (State College/Cornell) from this past year.
2011 POWERade champions (Photo/Rob Preston)Comment: "This tournament is one of the premier tournaments in the country. The list of state champions and NCAA champions to have participated in this event is impressive, and some have even gone beyond that and are on a world-class level (like 2012 Olympians Coleman Scott and Jake Herbert). This legacy is something that we want to continue on a year-to-year basis." -- Frank Vulcano, Jr., tournament director
3. The Clash XI, National High School Wrestling Duals
Date: Dec. 28 and 29, 2012 (Friday and Saturday)
Venue: University Center Rochester Field House, Rochester, Minn.
Key Teams: Apple Valley, Carl Sandburg (Ill.), Marist (Ill.), Simley (Minn.), and St. Michael-Albertville
Newcomers for 12-13: Blue Springs (Mo.), Collins Hill (Ga.), Kearney (Mo.), Montini Catholic (Ill.), and Oak Park River Forest (Ill.)
The Clash is held at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)As a result, the field expanded to 32 teams -- as well as the present format of three dual meets in a bracket on Day 1, and then dual meets against the three teams placing in the same position of the other brackets on Day 2 the next year. Over the event's history, the goal has been to have a diverse field featuring in-state teams, bordering state teams, and those from across the country. In ten editions, there have been 130 teams from 29 different states represented in the event. The field has also grown in competitiveness each year, culminating in last year's field that featured five of the top eight teams from the end of season Fab 50 rankings and three others in the top 18.
Last Year: Last year, St. Edward (Ohio) ended Apple Valley's three-year reign as champions of the event with their title in The Clash X. Additionally, Apple Valley has made the Day 2 championship bracket eight times in event history, including each of the last six years, and have an event-leading four championships. The only other team with even two titles is Carl Sandburg, who has been in the day two championship bracket on two other occasions. Glenbard North (Ill.) joins Carl Sandburg with four championship bracket appearances, while Simley and Montini Catholic (Ill.) have three appearances each.
Comment: "Even though we've had the privilege of watching some of the best high school wrestlers in the country compete at The Clash, the tournament's chief appeal is the unique dual team format. Every wrestler and team gets to compete in six matches, and every one of them counts. Beside a few inevitable early round mismatches, most dual meets are very tight and lead to an electric competitive environment." -- Steve Patton, tournament director.
2. Beast of the East
Date: Dec. 22 and 23, 2012 (Saturday and Sunday)
Venue: University of Delaware, Newark, Del.
Key Teams: Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.), Blair Academy (N.J.), Central Dauphin (Pa.), Christiansburg (Va.), Colonial Forge (Va.), McDonogh (Md.), St. Peter's Prep (N.J.), and Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)
Newcomers for 12-13: Benton (Pa.), Cincinnati Moeller (Ohio), and Massillon Perry (Ohio)
History: The tournament started in January of 1994 as the Delaware Mid-Atlantic Classic at St. Mark's High School, where it remained for two years before moving to its present mid-to-late December. It moved locations to Newark High School in December 1995, and then Delaware State in 1996, before switching to its present home at the Bob Carpenter Center on the University of Delaware campus in 1997. Starting in 2000, which happens to mark the beginning of Blair Academy's consecutive tournament title streak (the Buccaneers have won 16 of 19 previous tournaments), the event was rebranded the "Beast of the East."
The Beast of the East is held at the University of Delaware in mid-to-late December (Photo/Rob Preston)Last Year: For a twelfth straight year, Blair Academy emerged as the champion with yet another dominating tournament having five of its wrestlers stand on top of their respective weight class podiums. Among the 28 finalists from the December 2011 tournament, 20 of them went on to win state or National Prep championships and another five finished in second place. Seven weight class finals had state or National Prep champions wrestling against one another, while another pair served as previews of the eventual National Prep championship match.
Comment: "The tournament is always an exciting event, with some of the nation's best high school wrestling teams and individuals present. We try to provide a first-class event every year, and it would not be possible without our great sponsors and awesome volunteers." -- Bob Shaw, tournament director
1. Walsh Jesuit Ironman Wrestling Tournament
Date: Dec. 7 and 8, 2012 (Friday and Saturday)
Venue: Walsh Jesuit High School, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Key Teams: Blair Academy (N.J.), Broken Arrow (Okla.), Christiansburg (Va.), Cincinnati Moeller (Ohio), Massillon Perry (Ohio), McDonogh (Md.), Montini Catholic (Ill.), St. Edward (Ohio), St. Paris Graham (Ohio), and Wyoming Seminary (Pa.)
Newcomers for 12-13: Canon-McMillan (Pa.), Clovis (Calif.), Colonial Forge (Va.), and Kearney (Mo.)
History: Coming up is the 18th year of the Walsh Ironman, the initial event being a 15-team event held in December 1994. Key teams in the initial event were the host Walsh Jesuit Warriors, St. Edward, and the three perennial Lehigh Valley stalwarts of Easton, Nazareth, and Northampton. That initial tournament was won by the host school, and marks the only time the Warriors have came home with the title. It was in the 1995 edition of the Ironman that Blair Academy made its debut trip, and the Buccaneers came home with their first of ten tournament championships.
The Walsh Ironman is hosted by Walsh Jesuit High School in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (Photo/Rob Preston)Last Year: As expected, the tournament ended up being a showdown between the nation's two best teams, Blair Academy and St. Edward. The Buccaneers came out with a third title in four tournaments by twelve points over the Eagles on the strength of championships from Dylan Milonas, Frank Mattiace, and Brooks Black -- as well as 13 placers in all. All but one of the 28 finalists won their state or National Prep championships weight class title, or took second place (Greg Kuhar, second at 285 pounds, was injured). In fact, a full half of the finals matches featured state and/or National Prep champions battling it out against one another, with an additional match being a preview of the National Prep final for that weight class. Additionally, seven of the fourteen end-of-season No. 1-ranked wrestlers in the nation competed in this tournament, with two of them not coming home champions.
Comment: "This tournament is eye-opening reality. The nation is up, and the nation is here. The Ironman is not a state tournament, it's a national tournament." -- Bill Barger, former Walsh Jesuit head coach and Walsh Ironman founder
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