This year is no exception.
The 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic takes place Sunday, Nov. 5 at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. The venue is Jadwin Gymnasium, a historic facility that has hosted EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) and NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, as well as the New Jersey high school state wrestling championships.
A couple firsts
The 2017 All-Star Classic can claim to be the "first" in two significant ways.
One, it's the first time the All-Star Classic has been held in the state of New Jersey -- arguably one of the top amateur wrestling hotbeds in the nation -- in the event's 52-year history.
And, it will be the first All-Stars to feature the best men and women college wrestlers in equal numbers.
"We came up with the idea of a gender-equal event," Mark McLaughlin, M.D., F.A.C.S., event chairman, as well as founder and president of the Princeton chapter of the Wrestlers in Business Network which is sponsoring the event -- told InterMat. "We'll be using a two wrestling mats, set side-by-side -- one for women, one for men - with action occurring side-by-side, simultaneously. Ten matches for men, ten matches for women."
As in the past, the 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic will feature match-ups with the top wrestlers in each weight class. Here are the announced match-ups for this year's All-Star Classic:
Men
125: No. 2 Darian Cruz, Sr. (Lehigh) vs. No. 5 Nick Piccininni, So. (Oklahoma State)
133: No. 1 Seth Gross, Jr. (South Dakota State) vs. No. 2 Stevan Micic, So. (Michigan)
141: No. 2 Kevin Jack, Sr. (NC State) vs. No. 3 Bryce Meredith, Sr. (Wyoming)
149: No. 3 Max Thomsen, So. (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 5 Matthew Kolodzik, So. (Princeton)
157: No. 6 Alec Pantaleo, Jr. (Michigan) vs. No. 7 B.J. Clagon, Sr. (Rider)
165: No. 5 Chad Walsh, Sr. (Rider) vs. No. 18 Jonathan Schleifer, Sr. (Princeton)
174: No. 1 Mark Hall, So. (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Zahid Valencia, So. (Arizona State)
184: No. 3 Pete Renda, Sr. (NC State) vs. No. 4 Drew Foster, Jr. (Northern Iowa)
197: No. 1 Kollin Moore, So. (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Jared Haught, Sr. (Virginia Tech)
285: No. 3 Tanner Hall, Jr. (Arizona State) vs. No. 4 Nick Nevills, Jr. (Penn State)
Women
101: Marina Doi, Sr. (King) vs. Hiba Salem, Jr. (Menlo)
109: Maria Vidales, So. (Emmanuel) vs. Charlotte Fowler, So. (Campbellsville)
116: Fayth Woodward, Jr. (Emmanuel) vs. Makayla Bourbon, Sr. (U. of the Cumberlands)
123: Dom Parrish, Jr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Amber Pair, So. (Eastern Oregon)
130: Megan Black, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Shelby Hall, Sr. (Campbellsville)
136: Kayla Miracle, Sr. (Campbellsville) vs. Solin Piearcy, So. (Menlo)
143: Mallory Velte, Sr. (Simon Fraser) vs. Desiree Zavala, So. (Grays Harbor)
155: Niauni Hill, Sr. (Lindenwood-Belleville) vs. Kiera Gabaldon, Jr. (Warner Pacific)
170: Brandy Lowe, Sr. (McKendree) vs. Kacie Moorehouse, So. (Grays Harbor)
191: Paige Baynes, Jr. (Grays Harbor) vs. Alyssa Cantu, Sr. (Missouri Valley)
This groundbreaking event is called "One Sport: HiStory and HerStory." And the timing couldn't be better, according to Mike Moyer, president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA).
"With the push from groups like Wrestle Like A Girl, the NWCA, USA Wrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame to get the application process started to get women's wrestling listed as an NCAA emerging sport, we're going to capitalize on that effort and show everyone the value of what wrestling means for everyone, not just our boys and young men," said Moyer.
It all starts with an all-star wrestling clinic ... and more
The 2017 All-Star Classic is an historic showcase event of twenty matches, featuring the nation's top male and female collegiate mat stars, in a history-making format ... and so much more.
The day starts with a wrestling clinic at 11 a.m., featuring four clinicians with powerful mat credentials. Three are Olympic gold medalists: Ohio State heavyweight champ and 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Snyder ... Helen Maroulis, first U.S. woman to earn an Olympic gold medal (in Rio, 2016) ... and Brandon Slay, USA Wrestling coach who won gold at the 2000 Sydney Games. New Jersey native Joe Dubuque, NCAA champ for Indiana University who's now an assistant coach at Princeton, rounds out the all-star cast of clinicians.
The clinic is open to wrestlers from third grade through high school. It's an unbeatable opportunity to learn from top wrestlers ... and gain inspiration, too. Cost to participate is $40 (which includes an admission ticket to the All-Star Classic wrestling event).
At 1 p.m. there's a pre-event social hour. Attendees will be able to meet dozens of wrestling celebrities in a relaxed setting, just before the All-Star Classic.
Meet Mark McLaughlin: neurosurgeon with mat background
Mark McLaughlinYes, McLaughlin is a respected neurosurgeon at Princeton Brain & Spine, located in Princeton, N.J., specializing in cranial conditions and specific spine disorders. McLaughlin is an international speaker, author and frequent medical media expert for brain and spinal cord injuries. One of his most recent achievements includes being recently selected "Top Doc" in the New York Metro area.
And, yes, McLaughlin has deep roots in wrestling, as athlete, coach and supporter of the sport.
He wrestled at the College of William & Mary, graduating from the Virginia-based school in 1988. For the past 15 years, McLaughlin has coached the Princeton youth wrestling program, as well as coach of the youth program at Trenton, N.J. If that weren't enough, McLaughlin is the founder and president of the Princeton chapter of Wrestlers in Business Network, which is committed to linking wrestlers to wrestlers, especially in their careers, as well as supporting efforts to grow the sport of wrestling, such as funding the youth wrestling program in the inner city of Trenton.
Mark McLaughlin (right of plaque) at College of William & Mary"Wrestling is intense and grueling, just like neurosurgery," said McLaughlin. "Wrestling gave me the tools to succeed in neurosurgery."
In fact, McLaughlin is currently working on a book "Wrestling and Neurosurgery" which he expects to be published next fall.
Get in on this history-making wrestling event
Wrestlers, coaches and wrestling fans won't want to miss a minute of the 2017 NWCA All-Star Classic on Sunday, Nov. 5 at Princeton University's Jadwin Gym.
The day starts with the wrestling clinic at 11 a.m. ET ... followed at 1 p.m. by the pre-event social hour. The actual wrestling competition at the 2017 All-Star Classic begins at 3 p.m.
"What's unique about the All-Star Classic is where else, in one single dual, can you find upwards of 15-16 college All-Americans annually? You can't," said Moyer. "We have NCAA finals previews, but what we're most excited about is doing something else that's never been done before," referring to the "One Sport: HiStory and HerStory" aspect of the event, featuring side-by-side men's and women's competition of the nation's brightest collegiate mat stars.
For tickets and more information, visit the official event website, www.goallstarclassic.com.
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