Wrestling Boosters Host Junior High And Elementary Odd Age Novice Tournament (02/08/15)

The Clarion Wrestling Boosters hosted their Odd Age Novice Open on Saturday, January 31st. The meet which is the biggest fundraiser of the year featured elementary and junior high age wrestlers.

According to Meet Co-Director and Elementary Coach, Dave Smail there were more than 330 wrestlers from over 25 schools and clubs, in the tournament.

Smail said, “There (were more than 500 in the stands) in the morning session. The afternoon session is a little bit smaller because it’s 9-under novice and 9-under open and 13-under open. So there’s a lot less kids, but the morning brackets were packed with kids, well over 500 people.”

He said, “Lee Weber (Co-Meet Director and Junior High Coach), who does a phenomenal job organizing this, makes it happen. And there are several of us parents and coaches that just ride on his coat tails. We keep it going.

“This is our biggest fundraiser for Clarion Area Wrestling Boosters.”

Meets of this size require a lot of volunteer help. Weber said, “This is our biggest tournament of the year. This year, we’re a little shorthanded because the Varsity was at Dubois for the Dual Tournament (earlier in the day) and I’m just glad to see some of the elementary parents and junior high parents pick up the slack for us… covering for where the varsity is usually there.”

Weber continued, “Jayme Dehner has been my right hand woman for the last five or six years, running these tournaments. She is a big, big help, as far as the bracketing is concerned.

“And this year, Dave Smail really stepped it up for us, assisting me with anywhere from getting the mats and the tables ready, to also helping out with bout sheets and so forth. And our coaching staff, from elementary to junior high to varsity, helped out last night with bracketing and writing out the bout sheets. So we need a lot of manpower the day before. There’s probably about 500, so there is quite a bit of writing.”

The mats had to be put down, when the Girls’ basketball game was over, on Friday night. Weber said “Everything has to be well timed. It can’t be done in an hour. So we have to do a little bit the day before, from the physical set up of the mats, to the write-up of the brackets, so we can get started by 9:00.”

(Congratulations to the Bobcat Boosters on a great Meet!!!!)