Bid in for wrestling trials

IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa Athletics Department and Iowa City-Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau have submitted a bid to host the 2012 United States Olympic Wrestling Team Trials at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The event is scheduled April 20-21, 2012, for men's freestyle and Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. The Weightlifting Team Trials are part of the proposal.

The event will determine the U.S. Olympic team members for the 2012 Games in London.

“It's a pretty important event,” Hawkeye wrestling coach Tom Brands said. “The next highest level is the Olympic Games. It's a big deal.”

Other bidders are Council Bluffs, Oklahoma City, Columbus, Ohio; Greensboro, N.C.; Hampton, Va.; and Pontiac, Mich. The field will be narrowed to three or four finalists Dec. 20. Finalists will travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., in mid-January to make presentations to a selection panel. A decision is expected by Jan. 17.

Brands said former Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Club Coach and current Cornell College head coach Mike Duroe has vast experience with international wrestling and was instrumental in proceeding with the bid.

“He was the energy that made us go for it,” Brands said. “Without him saying let's do it, there's no way I'd put my energy into it.”

The ICCACVB has created a Facebook page to help champion the cause. The “Bring the 2012 USA Wrestling Olympic Trials to Iowa City” page has 1,173 fans. The bureau has used Facebook as a promotional tool over the last year with some success.

“We thought it would be a great way to show USA Wrestling how proud we are of the wrestling and show them we support it and want it to come here,” Vice President Laurie Haman said. “It's taken off really well. It's pretty fun to watch.”