From Friday, December 7 to Saturday, December 8, the Council Bluffs Wrestling Classic will host its sixth year of competition. This year’s event will see five states represented with competitors from schools across the Midwest.
Tournament director Trevor Carritt helps coordinate the set-up, the volunteers, the workers, and the teams for the two-day event.
“Second only to the Iowa State High School Wrestling Tournament in size, the Classic boasts the best local (Council Bluffs, Omaha, and surrounding communities) wrestlers and teams, as well as several nationally ranked programs from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Minnesota,” Carritt said.
This year, 40 high school teams will compete in almost 1,500 matches in the course of two days. Each participating school had to receive an invitation to join the competition.
“When we initially started this tournament, we wanted to bring back a large, competitive high school tournament to Southwest Iowa,” Carritt explained. “We managed to bring in 28 teams from five states that first year and have grown in numbers and in competition each year.”
Six years later, the Classic is now at capacity with 40 competing teams. The competition even has schools on a waiting list.
Despite the size of the event, Council Bluffs’ teams have fared well in the Classic in the past.
“We’ve had several champions and several more place winners over the last five years, as well as schools who have placed in the top ten in team standings,” Carritt said.
Spectators at the competition will get to see some of wrestling’s rising stars in action—many competitors go on to compete at the college level, the national level, and some even on an international scale.
“This is a great opportunity to see these kids in the early stages of their career, as well as support local athletes and a great event,” Carritt encouraged.
Carritt’s respect for the sport is obvious not only by his role in the competition but in how he speaks about it.
“There is no other sport that I know of that is more of a confidence builder and, at the same time, the best teacher of humility,” Carritt shared. “It’s just you and the guy across the mat—there’s no one but yourself to feel the triumph of winning and no one but yourself to blame for failure.”
Come see the sport in action at the Mid-America Center on December 7 and 8. Spectators can buy a one-day pass for $16 (student/senior/military passes are discounted to $12) or a two-day pass for $27 (student/senior/military passes are discounted to $20).
Visit our website for more details. Spectators can also watch online at trackwrestling.com for a $10 fee.
