Ohio Tournament of Champions - April 21, 2018

[OhioTofC]

January 8, 2017

OHIO TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS - RELEASE

Official Website: www.ohiotofc.com

For Additional Information, contact: Bart Freidenberg bart@ohiotofc.com 614-507-1653

---Date
---Past Participants
---New Means of Qualification
---Club, Team & Region Competition continues
---2018 TofC Honorees
---Special Guests



Columbus, OH.......The Ohio Tournament of Champions will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2018, at the Columbus Convention Center, in Downtown Columbus, OH. Now in its 26th year, the Ohio TofC generally draws between 2500-2800 wrestlers, ages 5-19, (there is also an Open Division for post high school wrestlers), and representing 30+ states.

The Tournament’s past list of competitors reads like a who’s who of wrestling. Names like: Logan Stieber, Kyle Snyder, Kyle Dake, Nathan Tomasello, David Taylor, Myles Martin, Dean Heil, Cade Olivas, Yanni Diakomihalis, Mark Hall, Zahid Valencia, Luke Pletcher, Joey McKenna, Bo Jordan, Dustin Schlatter, Anthony Collica, J. Jaggers, Zeke Moisey, Austin O’Connor, Kaleb Romero, Chance Marsteller, Coleman Scott, Roger Kish, Lance Palmer, Jimmy Gulibon, Vincenzo Joseph, Nico Megaludis, Isaac Jordan, Gabe Dean, Jason Nolf, Cody Brewer, Zach Epperly, Taylor Walsh, Devin Carter, Jason Tsirtsis, James Green, Darion Caldwell and 10X TofC Champion Jonathan Reader are all former participants.

In addition to the regular means of qualification, we have added a new way for wrestlers to qualify. Any Coach of an organized Team or Club, may qualify any wrestler that they feel have met the standards in order to compete in this event. Those coaches that wish to use this means, should contact us at bart@ohiotofc.com and we can e-mail them the flyer that they can distribute to those wrestlers.

We are also continuing our Club & Team Competition, which is all based on wrestler’s individual performance. Entered Teams & Clubs can win gift certificates, anywhere from $500-$1500 from various wrestling suppliers, such as Rudis, 3X Gear and Defense Soap.

Region Competition also continues and Regions will try to unseat defending champion Indiana, which took home the top prize of a $2500 grant, to help wrestling in their Region. Additional grants, from $500-$1500, are scheduled to be given to Regions that place 2nd thru 5th. In all, 37 different Regions scored points last year.

Beginning with the 2018 event, the TofC will honor two individuals each year. This year’s honorees will be Doug Blubaugh, (1960 Olympic Gold Medalist and frequent guest at the TofC), who will receive the “Legend of the Sport” award. Vince Matteucci, (former Head TofC Official, Ohio’s State Rules Interpreter and noted wrestling artist), will receive the “Lifetime Achievement” award.

This year’s awards, which are still being finalized, will incorporate the award winners into them.

Beginning with the 2019 event, we have selected a national wrestling panel, made up of noted wrestlers and wrestling media members, who will annually vote on the these two awards. This panel includes: Russ Hellickson (Olympic Silver Medalist), Wade Schalles (2X NCAA Champion), Lee Roy Smith (Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame), Kyle Klingman (Director of the Dan Gable Wrestling Hall of Fame), Jason Bryant (Mat Talk on Line), Mike Finn (WIN Magazine), Scott Casber (Takedown Wrestling) and Mark Palmer (InterMat).

While we are still working on the Special Guests to appear at the event, we have lined up one one of the biggest names in amateur wrestling. Unfortunately, due to NCAA rules, we cannot announce this individual, until after they have used up their collegiate eligibility, in March. We are also working on trying to get another one of the top collegiate seniors as well.