Staff writer
Wrestlers from 16 schools will compete in the seventh annual Marion County Dual tournament Friday at Marion and Hillsboro High School facilities.
Tyler McMichael, the Warriors’ new head coach, said he is looking forward to the tournament for several reasons, including seeing his team wrestle teams he never competed against.
“I am excited,” he said, “This dual tournament has a healthy mix of schools our size and 4A schools that we won’t really get to see very often.”
Marion and Hillsboro will be joined by Burlington, Clay Center, Clearwater, Douglass, Fredonia, Hoyt-Royal Valley, Howard-West Elk, Leon-Bluestem, Minneapolis-Bennington, Republic County, Riley County, Rock Creek, Wabaunsee, and Wellington, Hillsboro head coach Scott O’Hare said.
“For me, the biggest benefit is simply mat time,” O’Hare said. “Rather than just getting 2 or 3 matches in, some could get as many as 5 matches in one evening.”
He said eight teams would compete in two 4-team pools, wrestling in a round-robin format within their pools.
The top team in each pool will go into a 4-team bracket to wrestle for first through fourth place, with the rest placed in consolation brackets.
Wrestling gets under at 3 p.m. at USD 408 Sports and Aquatic Center in Marion and Brown Gymnasium in Hillsboro.