This season’s high school wrestling state tournament will have one more full day of action than recent years. For the first time since the winter of 2004, the South Dakota high school wrestling championships will include a duals team championship tournament at the event.
As reported first by The Valley Express in Milbank, to be eligible, teams must compete in no less than eight regular season duals at the varsity level to qualify for duals at the state tournament. Additionally, eight teams from each class will qualify for the state duals event in Sioux Falls (PREMIER Center) at the end of February.
Just because duals wrestling has been added, it won’t change anything as far as the format regarding the traditional individual and team championship. What it will change is when all of the rounds take place – instead of a two-day event, it will now take place over three days.
Here’s the schedule for the 2020 South Dakota high school state wrestling championships.
Thursday February 27 – Day One
10 a.m. – First Round – Individual – All Eight Mats
2:45 p.m. – Grand Entry – All Wrestlers
3 p.m -. Quarterfinals – Individual – All Eight Mats
5 p.m.(approx.) – Quarterfinals – Team Duals – All Eight Mats
Friday February 28 – Day Two
9 a.m. – First and Second Round Consolation – Individual – All Eight Mats
12:30 p.m.(approx.) – Semi Finals – Individual – Four Center Mats
5 p.m. – Semi Finals – Team – Four Center Mats
6:30 p.m. – Third Place Duals – Team – Two Center Mats
8 p.m. – Championship Duals – Team – Two Center Mats
Saturday February 29 – Day Three
11 a.m. Third and Fourth Round Consolation – Individual – All Eight Mats
2 p.m.(approx.) Third/Fifth/Seventh Place – Individual – Six Mats
5 p.m.(approx.) Championship – Individual – Two Center Mats
The schedule lays out that both Friday night and Saturday night will conclude with championship matches – dual championships on Friday and individual tournament champions on Saturday.
To learn more about the event, visit the South Dakota High School Activities Association’s website and see the wrestling handbook.