HAMPTON, VA (WTKR)- It's an event that started the trend of dual wrestling tournaments across the country and it's still going strong after more than four decades.
The 43rd annual Virginia Duals get underway at the Hampton Coliseum on Friday, an event that will feature high school and college programs from throughout the nation. In 1981, the meet was the first dual meet tournament in the sport and started the trend in the United States.
"We need to see the team advance, rather than just wrestlers at a regular tournament, so it was a new concept," said Frank Lipoli of Virginia Challenge Wrestling. "John Graham said 'do it and make it happen,' and here we are 44 years later."
"It was the first and only dual meet advancement tournament in the country," Virginia Duals director Mike McCormick added. "It kind of originated right here in Hampton Roads and now there are events like this all over the country."
The duals are a true festival of wrestling. College teams from all divisions will be competing, as well as high school programs from throughout the East Coast. At any given time, competition will be taking place on ten mats across the coliseum floor, featuring both college and high school bouts. Area squads will get to face off against each other and out-of-state competition, making this a weekend they circle on their calendars each and every year.
"We travel out of state constantly to chase these teams," noted New Kent head coach Joe Salientro. "They're always ready for this and this is a fun event, obviously. It's in front of a bunch of people. You get to showcase your skills in front of the entire state and across the country."
"You have the colleges competing at the same time, which adds to the flavor," Great Bridge head coach Steve Martin added. "There are so many schools going at the same time. It's very exciting for our kids and for our program. We're honored to be able to compete in this event every year."
Martin pointed out that even many people who are not wrestling fans have heard of the Virginia Duals. Most members of the wrestling community seem to agree that fans who attend are in for a treat this weekend.
"They can expect to see a lot of fireworks," Salientro said. "You're going to see some great match-ups, not just in-state match-ups, but out-of-state match-ups and nationally-ranked kids. You're going to see just the best wrestling you can get in Virginia."
"It's lots of action, almost sometimes overwhelming because there are ten mats," explained McCormick. "If you're here to watch a specific team, you need to pay attention to that team because there will be lots of yelling and screaming, but you'll see a bunch of young men and women getting after it this weekend."
The Virginia Duals begin Friday and run through Saturday at the Hampton Coliseum. For more on the event, including schedules, brackets and competing teams, click here.
