HITTING THE MAT: Dual meets get revival in Ohio

Created on Friday, 07 December 2012 Written by THE BELLEFONTAINE EXAMINER STAFF

In a scene far removed from reality, the wrestling movie Vision Quest depicts a gymnasium overflowing with cheering fans, a wrestling mat lined with cheerleaders, a pep band playing music and two rival teams on the brink of a heated battle.

That is the type of atmosphere high school dual meets are supposed to have and once did. Since then, dual meets have faded into the background of the current wrestling scene.

Two years ago, though, the Ohio High School Athletic Association announced there would be a new statewide dual meet tournament starting this season. That change has single-handedly helped revive the dual meet format in Ohio wrestling.

“In the 1970s and early 1980s, dual meets were the primary events,” said Ben Logan head coach Tony Grant. “Most teams only wrestled a couple tournaments a year. With the state tournament and international wrestling being contested in a tournament format, most programs began to migrate towards this format.

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