SPRINGDALE -- The Northwest Arkansas Duals tournament serves as an early barometer for several of the top wrestling teams in the state, but a couple of area coaches agree there are plenty of early-season issues that won't be sorted out this weekend.
Springdale Har-Ber coach Nika West, whose team will host the 16-team tournament which begins today, expects plenty of good competition. He acknowledges his Wildcats could be among the top teams in the tournament, along with Rogers Heritage, but there are several unknowns since teams from Pittsburg, Kan., and The Colony, Texas, are also entered.
Prep Wrestling
NWA Dual Tournament
WHERE: Wildcat Arena, Springdale Har-Ber
WHEN: Today-Saturday
WHO: Springdale Har-Ber, Bentonville, Little Rock Catholic, Fayetteville, Rogers Heritage, The Colony, Texas, Little Rock Central, Pittsburg, Kan., Gentry, Springdale, Pulaski Academy, Springfield (Mo.) Parkview, Neosho, Mo., JV, Mountain Home, Russellville, Joplin, Mo.
NOTABLE: Action begins at 4 p.m. today with each team wrestling two duals to determine seeding for Saturday’s tournament. Teams will seeded into Navy bracket for the top eight and a Blue bracket for the bottom eight based on points scored from their two Friday matches. Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday with finals in each bracket slated to start at 3:30.
"I don't know much at all about the Texas team, but traveling as far as they are I expect them to have some guns," West said. "I hope we're up near the top, but it will depend on how we wrestle. We have holes like everybody else."
Har-Ber finished second in a 1o-team tournament in Bolivar, Mo., last weekend, but that was an individual tournament. This week's dual format presents a different challenge. Instead of wrestlers from each of the 14 weight classes breaking up into 14 different brackets, the 16 teams will wrestle each other in all 14 weight classes in a dual.
"The difference is you might have a great individual tournament team and only fill like 10 weight classes," West said. "Another downfall in a dual tournament your best kids might not face each other in a particular weight class."
The teams will wrestle two duals today and be seeded into a pair of eight-team brackets based on total points scored in their two Friday duals. The top eight teams will be paired in the Navy bracket, while the bottom eight will compete in the Blue bracket.
Action begins at 4 p.m. today, while tournament wrestling begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday. The finals are scheduled for approximately 3:30 on Saturday.
Heritage coach Doug Freeman said he couldn't pick a pre-tournament favorite, but also admitted several lineups, including his own, will likely look different in a month or so.
"Fayetteville and Bentonville are just getting out of football," Freeman said. "We've got some kids who won't get to the weight this weekend that they will wrestle later on."
Sports on 12/12/2014