La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has been approved by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships Committee as the host for the 2012 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. The competition will take place at the La Crosse Center March 9-10, 2012. UW-L is also set to host the wrestling championships March 11-12, 2011 at the La Crosse Center.
"We are excited to have the championships for two years in a row," said UW-L head coach
Dave Malecek. "Our committee has been working hard to put on the best tournament possible. Our team is extremely excited to get the opportunity to wrestle at home and in front of our family, fans and alumni for a national championship."
Hosting the 2011 championships will mark the first time UW-La Crosse has hosted the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships and the second time in Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) history. UW-Stevens Point hosted the meet in 1994.
The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC), Coe College (Iowa) and Cornell College (Iowa) hosted the 2008, 2009 and 2010 championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa at the U.S. Cellular Center.
A total of 10 weight class brackets will be held with the top-eight finishers in each earning All-America honors.
The two-day meet begins Friday morning with session one on six mats with preliminary rounds one and two as well as the consolation first and second rounds. Session two is held Friday night with six mats for the championship quarterfinals and consolation third and fourth rounds.
Action continues Saturday morning with session three with the championship semifinals, consolation quarterfinals and semifinals on four mats. The third, fifth and seventh-place matches are also held in session three. The parade of All-America wrestlers is held Saturday night at the start of session four and the finals begin immediately after on one mat.
The La Crosse Center is located in downtown La Crosse nested on the banks of the Mississippi River. The convention hall and arena were originally built in 1980. In the spring of 2000, the La Crosse Center nearly doubled in size with a $14 million expansion. The new project features two grand halls that combine for 36,000 square feet. The second floor hosts a 6,000 square foot ballroom with a spectacular view of the Mississippi River. Adjacent to the ballroom are three boardrooms and a conference room. The entire complex provides nearly 100,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. The La Crosse Center has become a premier facility in the Midwest as a convention site and an entertainment destination.
UW-L placed second at the 2010 NCAA III Wrestling Championships, its 10th top-four finish in school history. Malecek was named the D3wrestle.com Coach of the Year while
Bebeto Yewah (133-pounds),
Mike Schmitz (174) and
Dan Laurent (285) each captured individual national titles.
The second-place showing in 2010 equals the best finish in school history as UW-L was also second in 2001, 2006 and 2008. The Eagles have had 16 top-10 finishes at the national meet since joining the NCAA III in 1992.
UW-L has hosted several other national competitions, including the 1995 NCAA III Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships and 1986 and 1997 NCAA III Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Championships. The university has also served as the host of the 1989, 1997 and 2005 National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championships and the 1973, 1976 and 1981 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Gymnastics Championships. UW-L hosted the 1965 and 1970 NAIA Men's Swimming Championships. UW-L has also hosted numerous games in the NCAA III Football Playoffs and matches for the NCAA III Volleyball Tournament.
