Changes for wrestling post-season announced

DES MOINES - In a major shakeup to start in 2022-23, wrestling will drop Sectional tournaments in Class 2A and Class 1A and move the annual State Dual Team Tournament to that previously occupied date. Crestwood competes in Class 2A.

As a result of those changes, all three classes will now compete solely in District tournaments to determine individual qualifiers for the State Traditional Tournament.

An additional recommendation for 24 qualifiers per weight class at the State Traditional Tournament also received approval Wednesday.

“Dropping the Class 1A and 2A Sectional tournaments addresses the extremely low numbers in some weight classes leading to incomplete Sectional brackets,” IHSAA Executive Director Tom Keating said. “It also frees up a Saturday to schedule the State Dual Team Tournament, something our coaches have been interested in for several years.  

“The increase to 24 qualifiers at the State Traditional Tournament will allow more of our wrestlers to experience the excitement of competing at the state level,” Keating said.

The advisory committee had three other recommendations out of its March 23 meeting approved by the board on April 27:

• Regional Duals qualifiers (24 per class) will be determined by IWCOA Dual Team Rankings.

• Seeding criteria for State Traditional Tournament qualifiers will remove the additional point previously received for head-to-head wins over fellow qualifiers.

• IHSAA will continue to use 14 weight classes after NFHS provided states an option to adopt 12, 13, or 14 weight classes for state competition in 2023-24.

The State Dual Team Tournament was moved to Wells Fargo Arena and the day before the start of the State Traditional Tournament in 2012. The tournament’s first year as an IHSAA championship was 1987 and it was held in Cedar Falls, Marshalltown, and then Cedar Rapids until its move to Des Moines.

A new location for the State Dual Team Tournament has not yet been determined. The State Traditional Tournament will continue to run over four days on its previously scheduled week.

2023 Wrestling Postseason dates:

Jan. 31-Feb. 1 – Regional Duals, Host Schools

Feb. 4 – State Dual Team Tournament, TBD

Feb. 11 – District Tournaments, Host Schools

Feb. 15-18 – State Traditional Tournament, Wells Fargo Arena