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National Open Wrestling Championships to provide Elite Competition

More than 1,500 competitors in four age divisions are expected to convene at the water's edge to compete in the 14th annual NHSCA National Open Wrestling Championships and the fifth annual National Beach Wrestling Championships, which will be held July 2-4 at the Wicomico Youth Civic Center in Salisbury, Md.

This picturesque location is located just 30 minutes from scenic Ocean City and the beautiful beaches of the Atlantic Ocean.

The scholastic-style event will be contested for wrestlers in three youth age groups: the High School Division (grades 9-12), the Middle School Division (grades 7-9) and the Elementary Division (grades 4-6), as well as the Open Division.

The National Beach Wrestling Championships kicks off the holiday weekend festivities, beginning at 3 p.m. on July 2 and continuing through its conclusion. The National Open Championships begin July 3.

Keyed by a strong overall performance, Pennsylvania won its fifth consecutive National Open all-division state team championship, taking home a combined 21 individual championships in the four divisions and adding 15 crowns in the National Beach Wrestling Championships. New Jersey claimed seven champions in the four divisions, and New Hampshire took home five titles. Other states claiming multiple titlists: New York and North Carolina (four each), host Virginia (three) and Florida, Maryland and Ohio (two each).

"The wrestling was great in every division," NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro Jr. said. "Pennsylvania won the tournament, but the New England states were outstanding, too. That's what makes the National Open Championships so special and such an important event for wrestlers from across the nation. In just a decade, this event has developed an outstanding tradition."