New weight classes for wrestling next season

BOONE — New changes are in store for the 2011-12 Iowa High School wrestling season.

Among the changes include a revision of weight classes and modifying the schedule for the state wrestling tournament.

The National Federation of High School (NFHS) Board of Directors approved modifications for new weight classes.

There will be 14 weight classes for the next season, only four will stay at the original weights, which are 145, 152, 160 and 285.

The weight classes approved now are 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 170, 182, 195 and 220.

As for State wrestling, the IAHSAA approved a change in the schedule to have the Dual Team State Meet go before the Traditional State Tournament.

The Dual Team State Meet will take place on Feb. 15, 2012, with the traditional tournament taking place Feb. 16-18. Making the adjustment would keep wrestlers from having to hold their weight for an 18-day period and it saves teams from excess travels from tournament to tournament, according to the IAHSAA.

Originally, the state dual meet was held a couple of weeks following the traditional tournament. By putting it the day before, those on teams that qualify for the state duals, but aren't in the traditional tournament don't have to maintain their wrestling weight for a couple of weeks.

The State Dual Tournament will now be hosted at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, instead of the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

You can see PDF versions of the new schedule format online at www.iahsaa.org.