Florida is among states changing its postseason wrestling location

By Rob Sherill

There have been enough thrills and excitement to last a whole season already and most of the state tournaments haven’t even started yet.

But some have.

From the second weekend of December (Alaska’s Class 3-2-1A state tournament concluded over a month ago) through the second full weekend of March, the 49 states with state-sanctioned wrestling programs — plus the National Prep Championships, the New England Championships and a handful of non-sanctioned independent school state meets — will put it on the line.

Alaska’s 4A state tournament, meanwhile, takes place on the second weekend in February. The first state tournaments of the New Year: the dual state tournaments in Georgia, in mid-January, and in Tennessee, on the final weekend of this month.

The last tournaments come from two states that aren’t used to bringing up the rear: Ohio and Florida. Those two states complete their seasons the second weekend of March. California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey, along with the Wisconsin state duals, take place on the first weekend of March. All but New Jersey extend through Saturday, with the Garden State bringing down the curtain on Sunday.

Starting this year, the Sunshine State is home to one of the final two state tournaments of the year. New Jersey’s Sunday matinée finals will not bring this season to a close.

Ohio’s state tournament is two weeks later than last year. However, it’s just one week later than the state’s traditional season-ending date, the first weekend of March, to which it will return next season.

Meanwhile, in an effort to give football players more time to make the transition to wrestling, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) pushed its wrestling season back three weeks. The FHSAA originally scheduled the state tournament on Mar. 6-7.

But the Lakeland Civic Center, which has hosted the event the past 17 seasons, was not available on those dates, nor was any other facility in the state with the resources to host the event.

So the FHSAA had to extend the season an additional week, with the state tournament scheduled to convene at Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee on Mar. 13-14, a full month later than in past years. The state’s qualifying rounds also were delayed one week. The Florida state tournament is the nation’s only meet not hosted by a high school moving to a brand-new site in 2015.

Though state tournaments elsewhere were virtually unchanged, the trend to later dates was common. Nevada, which shortened its state tournament to one day last year, will return to a two-day event at the Winnemucca Events Center.

More than three-fourths of the nation’s tournaments now take place the final two weekends in February, with the week ending Feb. 21 the leader with 30 state meets.

The roster of dual state meets remained status quo, at 17.

Virginia and Georgia remain the nation’s only states with six classes. Oregon, Utah and Washington follow the two with five each.

Want to know when and where your favorite team — or wrestler — will be competing for a state title? Then you’ve come to the right place. Following is a list of all the state tournaments in the nation, state by state. A single date and site given is for an all-class tournament. Some states split the classes by site or date, which will be listed as applicable.

Alabama: Feb. 12-14 at the Von Braun Center, Huntsville.

Alaska: 4A, Feb. 6-7 at Chugiak HS, Eagle River; A-2A-3A, Dec. 12-13, 2014 at Bartlett HS, Anchorage.

Arizona: Feb. 12-14 at Tims Toyota Center Arena, Prescott Valley.

Arkansas: Feb. 20-21 at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock.

California: Mar. 6-7 at Rabobank Arena, Bakersfield.

Colorado: Feb. 19-21 at the Pepsi Center, Denver.

Connecticut: LL, Feb. 20-21 at Trumbull HS; L, Feb. 20-21 at Bristol Central HS; M, Feb. 20-21 at Jonathan Law HS, Milford; S, Feb. 20-21 at Haddam-Killingworth HS, Higganum; State Open, Feb. 27-28 at Floyd Little Athletic Center, James Hillhouse HS, New Haven.

Delaware: Dual, Feb. 17 at Smyrna HS; Individual, Feb. 27-28 at Cape Henlopen HS, Lewes.

Florida: Mar. 13-14 at Silver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee.

Georgia: Dual, Jan. 15-17 at the Macon Centreplex; Independent, Feb. 13-14 at Georgia Southwestern University, Americus; Individual, Feb. 12-14 at the Gwinnett Center, Duluth.

Hawaii: Mar. 6-7 at Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu.

Idaho: Feb. 27-28 at Holt Arena, Pocatello.

Illinois: Individual, Feb. 19-21 at the University of Illinois, Champaign; Dual, Feb. 28 at U.S. Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington.

Indiana: Feb. 20-21 at Bankers Life Field House, Indianapolis.

Iowa: Feb. 18-21 at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines.

Kansas: 6A and 5A, Feb. 27-28 at Hartman Arena, Wichita; 4A, Feb. 27-28 at the Bicentennial Center, Salina; A-2A-3A, Feb. 27-28 at Fort Hays State University, Hays.

Kentucky: Feb. 20-21 at Alltech Arena, Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington.

Louisiana: Feb. 20-21 at the Ponchartrain Center, Kenner.

Maine: A, Feb. 14 at Mount Ararat HS, Topsham; B, Feb. 14 at Fryeburg Academy; C, Feb. 14 at Bucksport HS; New England Championships qualifier, Feb. 21 at Sanford HS.

Maryland: Independent, Feb. 20-21 at The McDonogh School, Owings Mills; Public Dual, Feb. 14 at North Point HS, Waldorf; Public Individual, Mar. 6-7 at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Massachusetts: Division I, Feb. 20-21 at Weymouth HS; Division II, Feb. 20-21 at site TBA; Division III, Feb. 20-21 at Wakefield HS; All-State, Feb. 27-28 at Salem HS.

Michigan: Dual, Feb. 27-28 at Kellogg Arena, Battle Creek; Individual, Mar. 5-7 at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Minnesota: Feb. 26-28 at the Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul.

Missouri: Feb. 19-21 at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

Montana: Feb. 13-14 at MetraPark Arena, Billings.

National Prep: Feb. 27-28 at Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.

Nebraska: Individual, Feb. 19-21 at CenturyLink Center, Omaha; Dual, Feb. 28 at the University of Nebraska, Kearney.

Nevada: Feb. 13-14 at the Winnemucca Events Center.

New England: Prep Schools, Feb. 20-21 at Tabor Academy, Marion, Mass.; Sanctioned, Mar. 6-7 at North Andover HS, North Andover, Mass.

New Hampshire: Division I, Feb. 21 at Nashua South HS; Division II, Feb. 21 at Con-Val HS. Peterborough; Division III, Feb. 21 at Campbell HS, Litchfield; Meet of Champions, Feb. 28 at Nashua North HS.

New Jersey: Dual, Feb. 8 at Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton; Individual, Mar. 6-8 at the Boardwalk Convention Center, Atlantic City.

New Mexico: Feb. 20-21 at the Santa Ana Star Center, Rio Rancho.

New York: Feb. 27-28 at the Times Union Center, Albany.

North Carolina: Independent, Feb. 20-21 at Charlotte Latin School; Dual, week of Feb. 8 at sites TBA (West Division champion hosts A and 3A finals, East Division champion hosts 2A and 4A finals); Individual, Feb. 19-21 at the Greensboro Coliseum.

North Dakota: Feb. 12-14 at the FargoDome.

Ohio: Dual, Feb. 14 at the Ohio State University (St. John Arena), Columbus; Individual, Mar. 12-14 at the Ohio State University (Schottenstein Center), Columbus.

Oklahoma: Dual, 6A and 5A, Feb. 14 at Firelake Arena, Shawnee; 4A and 3A, Feb. 14 at Cushing HS; Individual, Feb. 27-28 at the Oklahoma City Fairgrounds Arena.

Oregon: Feb. 27-28 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland.

Pennsylvania: Independent, Feb. 20-21 at Mercersburg Academy; Dual, Feb. 5-7 at the Giant Center, Hershey; Individual, Mar. 5-7 at the Giant Center, Hershey.

Rhode Island: Feb. 27-28 at the Providence Career and Technical Academy.

South Carolina: Dual Finals, Feb. 14 at Dreher HS, Columbia; Individual, Feb. 27-28 at the Anderson Civic Center.

South Dakota: A, Feb. 27-28 at the Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls; B, Feb. 27-28 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City.

Tennessee: Dual, Jan. 30-31 at the Williamson County Agricultural Center, Franklin; Individual, Feb. 12-14 at the Williamson County Agricultural Center, Franklin.

Texas: Independent, Feb. 20-21 at Bishop Lynch HS, Dallas; Public, Feb. 20-21 at the Curtis Culwell Center, Garland.

Utah: Feb. 11-14 at Utah Valley State University, Orem.

Vermont: Feb. 27-28 at Middlebury HS.

Virginia: Independent, Feb. 20-21 at Hermitage HS, Henrico; 5A and 6A, Feb. 20-21 at Robinson HS, Fairfax; A, 2A, 3A and 4A, Feb. 20-21 at the Salem Civic Center.

Washington: Feb. 20-21 at the Tacoma Dome.

West Virginia: Feb. 26-28 at the Huntington Civic Center.

Wisconsin: Individual, Feb. 26-28 at the University of Wisconsin (Kohl Center), Madison; Dual, Mar. 6-7 at the University of Wisconsin (UW Field House), Madison.

Wyoming: Feb. 27-28 at the Casper Events Center.  n