Registration for the USA Wrestling Grappling qualifying series now open

Registration for each of the 12 events in the Grappling Qualifying Series is now open on Track Wrestling. These events will determine the field for the 2008 USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials.

Athletes can pre-register and pay their $50 entry fee for these Qualifying events at www.TrackWrestling.com. On-site late registration will cost $75, so all are encouraged to pre-register.

All athletes must have a USA Wrestling membership and be U.S. citizens to be eligible to compete in the Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series, as well as the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials. USA Wrestling memberships can be purchased on www.themat.com.

These USA Wrestling sanctioned qualifiers will identify the best Grapplers in the United States, and give them an opportunity to try out for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team, which will compete at the Grappling World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland on December 20-21.

To register for a qualifying event follow the corresponding link below.

USA Wrestling's Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series

Saturday, May 10
Southern California Regional Qualifier, No Limits MMA, Irvine, Calif.
Contact: Chris Carlino at (714) 334-9257, chriscarlino@mac.com
Click here to register for the Southern California Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, May 17
Rocky Mountain Regional Qualifier, Massari Arena, Pueblo, Colo.
Contact: Troy Rutz at (303) 815-2306, troy.rutz@dcsdk12.org
Click here to register for the Rocky Mountain Regional Qualifier.

Sunday, May 18
Mason Dixon Regional Qualifier, Rising Sun High School, North East, Md.
Contact: Will Townsend at (757)450-7469, vausagrappling@yahoo.com
Click here to register for the Mason Dixon Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, May 31
Southern Plains Regional Qualifier, Dollamur Sport Surfaces, Fort Worth, Texas
Contact: Scott Templeton at (888) 628-7655, scott@dollamur.com
Click here to register for the Southern Plains Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, May 31
Northeast Regional Qualifier, Phoenix High School, Phoenix, N.Y.
Contact: Gene Mills at 315 652-7922, pin2win@genemills.com
Click here to register for the Northeast Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, June 7
Middle Atlantic Regional Qualifier, Phoebus High School, Hampton, Va.
Contact: Will Townsend at (757) 450-7469, vausagrappling@yahoo.com
Click here to register for the Middle Atlantic Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, June 21
Midwest Regional Qualifier, Wright College, Chicago, Ill.
Contact: Joe Manzello at (630) 495-9717, jmanzello@theolympiancentre.com
Click here to register for the Midwest Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, June 28
Southeast Regional Qualifier, River Ridge Middle School, New Port Richey, Fla.
Contact: Russ Schenk at (727) 992-7229, rschenk@pasco.k12.fl.us
Click here to register for the Southeast Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, June 28
Southwest Regional Qualifier, Throwdown Training Facility, Las Vegas, Nev.
Contact: Scott Bieri at (702) 340-0484, scott@ckjj.com
Click here to register for the Southwest Regional Qualifier.

Sunday, July 13
Hawaiian Islands Regional Qualifier, Neal S. Blaisdell Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
Contact: Bryan Sanders at (808) 688-3962, bdshawaii@hotmail.com
Click here to register for the Hawaiian Islands Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, July 19
Northwest Regional Qualifier, Parkrose High School, Portland, Ore.
Contact: Scott McKendry at (503) 661-4134, scottm@tqmma.com
Click here to register for the Northwest Regional Qualifier.

Saturday, August 23
Last Chance Qualifier, No Limits MMA, Irvine, Calif.
Contact: Chris Carlino at (714) 334-9257, chriscarlino@mac.com
Click here to register for the Last Chance Qualifier.

About the USA Wrestling Grappling Qualifying Series

The USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series will run from May through August, and will be placed in strategic locations around the country. The series has been designed to increase the participation level from last year, and encourage the nation's best athletes to try out for the U.S. Team.

USA Wrestling has yet to determine the site and date for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, but it is expected to be held in September 2008. Visit TheMat.com and read the next issue of USA Wrestler for the final details on the date and location for the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials.

In order to qualify for the 2008 U.S. Grappling World Team Trials, which is for Senior-level athletes, men must place in the top four in their weight class and women must place in the top three of their weight class. Returning 2007 U.S. World Team Trials champions automatically qualify for the 2008 U.S. World Team Trials.

FILA has announced that the Grappling World Championships will be held separately from other styles of wrestling, in a historic event set for Dec. 20-21 in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Several of the nation's top Grappling teams have already committed to taking part in the process of entering the Grappling World Team Trials Qualifying Series.

Events will be held in California, Colorado, Maryland, Texas, New York, Virginia, Illinois, Florida, Nevada, Hawaii and Oregon. The first and the final qualifying events will be hosted at No Limits MMA, USA Wrestling's National Training Center for Grappling and Sombo.

For more information on the 2008 World Team Trials Qualifying Series contact Jason Townsend at (719) 598-8181 or jtownsend@usawrestling.org.