Har-Ber Wrestlers To Hosts NWA Duals

Team scoring will be the priority when Springdale Har-Ber hosts the Northwest Arkansas Duals Wrestling Tournament today and Saturday at Wildcat Arena.

Sixteen teams are expected to participate, including Har-Ber, the defending Class 6-7A state champions. State-runner Little Rock Central, third-place Bentonville, and fourth-place Rogers High are also in the field.

“The state tournament is an individual-based event with team’s points, whereas this is mostly about the team,” Har-Ber coach Nika West said. “The thing I like about duals early on is that you can plug people in and out to figure out a balance for your team. You want to see where certain guys fit and how they’re going to help you get points at tournaments later on.”

Today’s Ticket

Northwest Arkansas Duals Tournament

WHEN: Begins at 4 p.m. today and 9 a.m. Saturday

WHERE: Wildcat Arena, Springdale Har-Ber

FORMAT: 16 teams placed in two eight-team brackets.

ADMISSION: $5 for adults, $3 for students per day. Or two-day passes of $8 for adults, $4 for students.

The competition begins at 4 p.m. today, when teams are placed in two eight-team brackets. The action will continue on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. and the tournament should be concluded by 6 p.m. on Saturday. Each dual will last about 1 1/2 hours and four mats will be used simultaneously to complete 40 dual meets.

There are 14 weight classes, starting at 106 pounds. Besides the top four from last year’s state tournament, other teams competing in the Northwest Arkansas Duals include Little Rock Catholic, Fort Smith Northside, Conway, Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers Heritage, Greenwood, Russellville, Gentry, Springfield (Mo.) Parkview and Senecca, Mo.

Har-Ber is off to a fast start despite losing 10 of its top 14 wrestlers from last year’s state championship team. The Wildcats defeated Van Buren 78-3 and Gentry 78-0 before placing second in a tournament at Little Rock last weekend. Ty Harrison won the heavyweight division while Douglas Matthews finished second for the Wildcats at 170 pounds.

Little Rock Catholic won the tournament with 229 points while Har-Ber was second with 179.

“I was very pleased with our performance in Little Rock,” West said. “Losing 10 out of 14 (wrestlers), people may think it’s a rebuilding year for us, but we’ve got some young guys who have stepped it up and are starting to make a name for themselves.”

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