News

Friday, July 30, 2010

January 20, 2009

Arena scores winning bid for wrestling

Pa. youth mat tourney in 2010, 2011 expected to be good for tourism.

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

WILKES-BARRE TWP. – The Wyoming Valley will get a significant boost in tourism in the spring of 2010 and 2011, when hundreds of wrestlers and their families and fans arrive for a statewide tournament.

Wachovia Arena won a bid to host the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling State Championship Tournament for the next two years, arena manager Rebecca Bonnevier announced last week.

“It should be really good for tourism. People will be coming here from all over the state,” Bonnevier told the board of the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority.

About 6,000 people packed the Louis J. Tullio Arena in Erie each day of the two-day tournament last year, and the tournament was among the most-crowded events in Erie County in 2008, according to a story published in the Erie Times-News in December.

Tullio Arena will host the tournament again this year on March 20 and 21.

Schuyler Frey, PJW District X Chairman, said committees from his district and two others put in bids to the state association to have arenas in their districts host the 2010 and 2011 tournaments. Wachovia Arena in District X had competition from Hershey Park Arena in District IX and Tullio Arena in District VIII.

At the PJW board of directors meeting last fall, Frey’s committee tried to convince 10 other district chairmen that make up the state board that Wachovia Arena deserved to play host to 1,200 junior wrestlers (age 14 and younger), their families, fans and coaches.

The committee gave an oral presentation, provided materials from the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, and showed a video of the arena too.

“We tried to highlight the Wachovia center, how nice it is, a state-of-the-art facility, and the fact that there are lots of hotels, parking and restaurants close by for the convenience of the families, and how easy it is to access. You get off Interstate 81 and you’re virtually there. Where they put that arena is just beautiful,” Frey said.

Frey said 10 of the 11 district chairmen showed up for the vote at the winter meeting on Jan. 11, and it was a 5-5 tie between the Wachovia and Tullio arenas. PJW Board President Larry Newcomer cast the deciding vote in favor of Wachovia, Frey said.

Newcomer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Frey said next year’s tournament will have a couple of “firsts.”

It will mark the first time since the PJW started in 1963 that state championships will be in Eastern Pennsylvania in a location other than Hershey Park Arena. It will also be the first time the competition will have an 8-and-under division, he said.

Any child age 14 and younger can apply to compete at section qualifiers in their respective districts. The top four wrestlers in each of 55 weight and age classes will advance to area championships; the top two area champions in each class will advance to the state championships.

Frey said the PJW “mimics the PIAA” when it comes to helping kids work toward the same types of goals.