Record number of entrants set to battle at NHSCA National Wrestling Championships

by Jeff Fisher

Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

Follow @NHSCARadioShow

The 25^th annual NHSCA High School National Wrestling Championships will break a record for number of entrants with 3,367 wrestlers from 47 states and Germany entered for the competition that will take place this weekend in Virginia Beach, Virginia.  This size of this year’s field shatters the old record of 2,800 that was set in 2013.

This year’s field in the five divisions (Senior, Junior, Sophomore, Freshmen and Middle School) features the following: 618 seniors with 374 state champions; 983 juniors with 254 state champions; 806 sophomores with 89 state champions; 604 freshmen with 39 state titles; and 357 Middle School wrestlers.

The Senior Nationals enter their Silver Anniversary with an incredible ten four-time state champs, 19 three-time champs and 72 two-time state champs with 494 state place winners.  Two wrestlers: Ryan Millhof of Collins High School in Georgia and Clay Walker of Eastside High School in South Carolina will try to make history by becoming four-time NHSCA National Champions.  Only three wrestlers have ever won four consecutive NHSCA titles.

The NHSCA High School National Wrestling championships are known as a Who’s Who in the sport of high school wrestling with three former champs – Cael Sanderson, Jake Varner and Jordan Burroughs - going on to win Olympic gold medals. 

In the recently complete 2014 NCAA Division 1 National Championships, 17 of the 20 finalists competed in the NHSCA National Champions while in high school.

In addition to the 3,367 wrestlers that will be competing at the NHSCA National Championships in the Virginia Beach Convention Center, over 1,200 high school coaches are expected to be in attendance along with 200-plus college coaches.

36 mats will be used to handle the record number wrestlers that will be competing for NHSCA All-American status that goes to the top eight finishers in each weight class in each division.

The NHSCA High School National Wrestling Championships will be carried LIVE on FloWrestling.com.