By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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LOVES PARK — More than 1,200 athletes from 26 states will come to the Indoor Sports Center at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two this week for a national youth wrestling championship event.
The Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Rockford Park District will host the 2023 USA Wrestling 16U National Dual Championships from Tuesday through Saturday at ISC, 8800 E. Riverside Blvd.
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The region has hosted state title matches for roughly two decades, but this is the second time that USA Wrestling will host a national event in the Rockford region, according to the visitors bureau.
“We are, of course, ecstatic to help deliver a memorable experience for thousands of visitors to the Indoor Sports Center at Mercyhealth Sportscore Two. Because of IKWF’s decades-long commitment to Rockford, RACVB can position the region as a destination for prestigious national events,” Lindsay Arellano, RACVB vice president of sales and service, said in a news release. “We appreciate IKWF’s loyalty to Rockford and know they will do an outstanding job as the 16U Nationals operations lead.”
The visitors bureau estimates that $3.1 million will be pumped into the region’s economy thanks to visitor spending in transportation, retail, food and beverage, lodging, recreation, business services and space rental. That will generate approximately $133,847 in local tax revenue.
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The event will feature competition in the two Olympic styles of wrestling: freestyle and Greco-Roman. It is expected to draw more than 4,000 total visitors to the region with athletes, coaches and families combined.
This competition, which was previously called the Cadet National Duals, was created in 2000 in
Pueblo, Colorado. Illinois is only the seventh state to host the event, and Loves Park is the 10th host city.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas