AURORA | More details about the wrestling postseason — and a little more certainty that there will be one at all — came from the Colorado High School Activities Association Thursday.
The state’s governing body detailed the massive changes from usual forced by the coronavirus pandemic, which has already drastically reduced the length of the regular season.
The three-day state tournament format that brings together multiple classifications at the Pepsi Center (now Ball Arena) has been replaced by one-day state tournaments at sites to be announced later. Classifications will also be separated, as 2A and 3A will contest their tournaments on March 12, followed by 4A and 5A March 13.
Regional tournaments will be held over two days March 5-6 with half of the weight classes (106-145 pounds for boys and 100-127 pounds for girls) contested the first day, with 152-285 pounds for boys and 136-215 pounds for girls going the second day.
While regional brackets will have 16 wrestlers, only two will advance to the state tournament, which will have just eight qualifiers per weight, half the size of the usual bracket. State tournaments will be one-day events and four wrestlers will place instead of the usual six with full consolation brackets in place.
Girls wrestling is in its first sanctioned season and will qualify four wrestlers from each of the 10 weight classes for the state tournament. There will be just two girls regionals, creating 8-wrestler brackets for state.
Courtney Oakes is Sentinel Colorado Sports Editor. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@sentinelcolorado.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports