15th Annual
NHSCA Seniors National Wrestling Championship

CLEVELAND, OH - At this week's National High School Coaches Association Seniors Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, an expected 800 wrestlers from 48 states will compete for what has become the greatest folkstyle wrestling prize in
existence at the high school level.

"The continued growth of this tournament and the record numbers that we see every year just emphasizes how greatly an event like this was needed," said NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro. "From the wrestlers and their families, from the fans who travel from so far, to the college coaches who support this event, the NHSCA Seniors Wrestling Championship and this entire week has become a reunion of sorts and a celebration for the entire high school wrestling community nationwide.

"Registration to the national event remains open to walk-ins, so the final entry tallies will not be made until tournament time. Yet there are some things about this 15th annual field that is already known. Taking to the mats at historic Public Hall on Friday will be at least 19 four-time state champions, 47 three-time champions, over 100 two-timers and over 200 others who have captured at least one state wrestling championship. The tournament will also include at least three wrestlers who are undefeated for their entire prep career: Michael Sutton, a 251-0 Weaver High (Ala.) 135-pounder; Alex Tsirtsis, a 236-0 Griffith High (Ind.) 140-pounder and Chris Oliver, a 128-0 Creighton Prep (Neb.) 152-pounder. The remainder of the 2004 field contains state placers and wildcards from states widely regarded as the strongest wrestling states in the country, including dozens of participants from Ohio, California, New Jersey, New York, Iowa and Pennsylvania. In addition to the record number of participants, hundreds of college coaches from all levels of the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA competition will be on hand to sneak a peak at tomorrow's collegiate and even international stars.

When the first NHSCA Seniors Championship was held in 1990, it was considered a grand success as 262 competitors from 39 states, and more than 200 college coaches attended. Now, 14 years and 15 championships later, the success of the event is nearly too great to measure. A glance at the names of the participants over the years is a who's who of wrestling giants, as NCAA champions and United States World Team members clutter the list - the likes of: Cael Sanderson, Stephen Abas, Keith Sieracki, Eric Guerrero, Teague Moore, Steve Mocco, Tommy Rowlands, Eric Larkin, Joe Heskett, Adam Tirapelle, Jeff McGinness, Aaron Holker, Garrett Lowney, Robbie Waller, Don Pritzlaff, Jake Rosholt, Ryan Bertin, Jared Lawrence, Lee Fullhart, Jesse Jantzen and many more. In fact, in order to note the competitiveness of this tournament, one need not go much further than glancing at a single weight class, say the top three finishers at the 140-pound weight class in 1992, which reads First Place - Cary Kolat, Second Place - Roger Chandler and Third Place - Chris Bono. Indeed, this is not a tournament for the meek. And the only question that remains for the 2004 NHSCA Seniors Championship is which future American wrestling legends will be revealed this weekend in Cleveland.

This year's tournament will begin on Friday at 9 a.m. with wrestling in championship rounds only, all the way to the round of 16. At 9 a.m. on Saturday, the round of 16 will be followed by the quarterfinals, multiple rounds of consolation and the semifinals. Wrestling will again begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday with more consolations and placement matches. The championship finals for first place will follow a parade of All-Americans slated for 6 p.m. Sunday evening.

The NHSCA selects Coaches and Senior Athletes of the Year in 20 boys' and girls' sports, and sponsors 11 national championship events in the sports of wrestling, golf, and soccer. The 14th annual National High School Seniors Wrestling Championships attracted 798 entries from 46 states to Cleveland, Ohio in April 2003. The NHSCA also sponsors the National Open High School Golf Championships for Men and Women and the National Open High Soccer Championships, held in Orlando, Fla. in June, and the National Open High School Wrestling Championships in July at Norfolk, Va. For a complete list of this year's events, visit the NHSCA's web site at www.nhsca.com. The National High School Coaches Association is a not-for-profit 501c3 service organization founded in 1988 to provide support and leadership programs for the nation's 500,000 high school coaches.