Division III wrestling championships set for Xtream Arena

MANHEIM, Pa. - The National Wrestling Coaches Association is bringing the Division III championships to Iowa.

After the NCAA announced Feb. 3 it was canceling all Division III winter championships, the NWCA said it would hold some kind of tournament for those athletes who also lost their 2020 tournament because of the pandemic.

On Thursday, it announced the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Wrestling Championships will be held March 12-13 at the Xtream Arena in Coralville.

'It is an honor to be part of the leadership group that helped create this opportunity for our student-athletes,” NWCA Division III Leadership Group Chairman Lonnie Morris, the head coach at Johnson & Wales, said in a news release.

There will be no team scores kept, but wrestlers will compete for individual honors. The top eight wrestlers at each weight will earn NWCA All-America honors. How the qualifiers will be picked was not announced, but 'athletes competing must be on their school's official roster and entered into the OPC, the NCAA's weight management program.” according to the release.

'The Division III Coaches Association stepped up tremendously and is providing their student-athletes an exciting season-ending opportunity when less than a month ago none existed,” NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer said in the release. 'This group of highly dedicated coaches has spent long hours to make this event a possibility,

'We couldn't have put all the pieces together without so many stakeholders pitching in and joining forces.”

Although sponsorships were secured, interested individuals can help offset the estimated $100,000 cost of hosting the event by donating to a crowdfunding page set up by the NWCA.

Spectators will be allowed at the two-day meet and tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. through the Xtream Arena Box Office and at xtreamarena.com. All-session and single-day tickets will be available for $41 and $24, respectively.

Fans not able to attend will be able to watch each match live on FloWrestling.

Masks will be required to be worn at all times throughout this event and guests are asked to adhere to all health and safety guidelines while inside Xtream Arena.