Dec. 28—The 55th annual Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Association Holiday Tournament will kick off Monday at the Student Activity Center at Butler High School in Vandalia.
The tournament is one of the first major events of the wrestling season, which begins in early December, pitting local teams against each other. Most participating schools are from southwestern Ohio, with 43 teams scheduled to participate.
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Overall, 67 teams will compete in the two-day event this year. The largest 33 students will be placed in the large school division and the remaining 34 students will be placed in the small school division for team scoring. Individual wrestlers from schools of all sizes are placed in the same group by weight class, regardless of school size.
Tournament organizers announced individual wrestler seedings and heavyweight rankings on Sunday.
Games start at 10am on both days. On the first day, six mats were used on the SAC floor and two more were placed in the auxiliary gymnasium. The number of mats was reduced to six at the start of the second day, with only three used in the finals and placement matches.
Nine out-of-state teams will also be in attendance, including seven from Kentucky and one from West Virginia and Georgia. The remaining participating schools represent the Southeast, Central, Northwest and East regions of the OHSAA.
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Match play can also be one of the most important individual metrics to watch late in the season as everyone tries to make it.
Alter led two wrestlers to win titles in their respective weight classes at the 2024 GMVWA and subsequently won the Division II state championship. Junior Bronson Begley won at 126 pounds, and senior Rod Owens also won at 175 pounds. Graham had then-senior Brogan Tucker finish two events at 157 pounds in the D-III meet.
Other state champions competing in last year’s GMVWA event include Legacy Christian senior Nathan Attisano (132) and Lima Central Catholic junior Jordan Neal (144).
Wrestlers who won in 2024 and qualified for this year’s tournament include Graham senior Jack Landis, Covington senior Caleb Lyman, Trotwood-Madison junior Chandler Moore and two Buford, Ga., wrestlers DJ Clark and Cooper McArthur.
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The first day of competition will complete the first quarter-final round of the championship group and the fifth round of the consolation group.
Day two will begin with the sixth consolation round and then progress to the championship semifinals and consolation quarterfinals. The championship finals, which will determine first, third and fifth place, will take place simultaneously on three mats and begin approximately an hour after the consolation semifinals.
All tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Two-day tickets are available through Vandalia Butler’s online ticketing site for $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.
