1,600 wrestlers headed to Edmonds

The Wrestling Rhinos are about to lock horns with a host of friendly rivals.

The youth wrestling club, based in the Edmonds-Lynnwood area, is the host for the Washington State Folkstyle Championships, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Edmonds-Woodway High School.

Admission is free and the general public is invited to attend.

The two-day event – the culmination of the fall-winter youth wrestling season in Washington – is expected to draw more than 1,600 competitors from throughout the state.

There are eight age classifications: pee-wee (ages 4-5), bantam (6-8), midget (8-10), novice (10-12), schoolboy/schoolgirl (12-14), cadet (14-16), junior (16-18) and open (18-plus).

The pee-wees, bantams, midgets and novices wrestle on Saturday. The older groups compete on Sunday.

The rules for folkstyle wrestling are similar to those used at the high school level. One key difference, though, is the length of a round. High school wrestling has three, two-minute rounds. At the folkstyle championships, the rounds vary from one to two minutes depending on the classification.

Meet director Kirk Calkins spent much of the past year making preparations, including contacting Chamber of Commerce and other officials in Edmonds and Lynnwood, seeking community support and sponsorships.

The response of civic officials and the business community have been gratifying, Calkins said.

“A lot of people didn’t even know about youth wrestling,” Calkins said. “They had no idea, but after they heard the numbers, they were very excited.”

Following Friday’s Edmonds-Woodway High School basketball game, volunteers from the Wrestling Rhinos will spring into action, working past midnight to get the gymnasium ready for wrestling.

Registration opens at 6:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by weigh-ins at eight stations starting at 7 a.m. Nearly 1,000 kids will be registered and weighed within a tightly choreographed one-hour period.

“We run ‘em through pretty quickly,” Calkins said.

Bouts will be held on four mats, with up to 16 matches occurring simultaneously when the pee-wees and bantams wrestle.

“When people walk in and see all those little kids going at it … they might be overwhelmed by the excitement,” Calkins said with a laugh.

Many sports fans may be surprised to learn of the growing strength of youth wrestling in Washington.

“A lot of people thought wrestling was a dying sport,” Calkins said. “But, it’s not.”

Indeed, Snohomish County is in the heart of Region I, which is considered one of the state’s hotbeds for youth wrestling. But, there are numerous outstanding programs in communities all around the state, including Walla Walla, Spokane and Tri-Cities.

“They’ll bring big numbers too,” Calkins said. “Depending on the (mountain pass) weather.”

Lee Miracle, head coach of the Oak Harbor King of the Rock Wrestling Club, expects to send up to 50 wrestlers to the championships.

“I think we’ll have record numbers this year,” Miracle said. “Wrestling is really regaining its popularity in Washington.”

The King of the Rock club started up four years ago with just 15 kids and has grown to nearly 90 active members. That number includes Miracle’s daughter Kayla, who, although just 8-years old, already has three folkstyle and one freestyle state championship to her credit.

“She’s something special to watch out for,” Calkins said.

Joel Grafe, head coach of the Lake Stevens Berserkers Wrestling Club which plans to send about 50 youths to the championships, said fans who attend are in for a treat.

“Some of the little kids … they are really fast and things happen real quick,” Grafe said.

In a sport where honor is everything, there is a strong sense of camaraderie, not only among coaches, but among the athletes as well.

“They compete against each other out on the mat,” Grafe said. “Then they’re all outside playing catch with the football.”

Calkins agreed wrestlers are a close-knit group.

“You develop a family feeling among the clubs,” Calkins said. “We’re all doing things to benefit kids and wrestling.”