U.S. Beach and Belt Nationals to be held together in Carolina Beach, N.C., May 20

This year, USA Wrestling will be combining two of its Associated Styles national events together, when the U.S. Beach and Belt National Championships will be held in Carolina Beach, N.C., May 20.

This will be the fifth straight year that Carolina Beach has hosted the Beach National Championships. The tournament continues to grow in size and popularity.

For the first-time, USA Wrestling will be hosting an official Belt Wrestling National Championships. Last year, when the U.S. Grappling World Team Trials were in nearby Wilmington, N.C., a Belt wrestling competition was included in the program.

Both of these events offer a variety of age-level competition, from youth age divisions, to the Senior division, and also a Masters division.

These competitions allow wrestlers to combine a highly competitive tournament with a fun day at the beach.

The U.S. Belt Nationals will be held in the sand right alongside the U.S. Beach Nationals. Athletes will have a unique opportunity to compete in both Beach wrestling and Belt wrestling on the same day.

For the Senior-level athletes, the event will be part of the qualifying process for the U.S. World Teams that will compete at the UWW World Championships in the specific style.

In Belt Wrestling, United World Wrestling has two different World events in 2017. The 2017 Belt World Championships for the Alysh style will be held in Wroclaw, Poland, July 26-30. The 2017 Belt World Championships in the Kazakh Kuresh style will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, August 18-21.

Currently, United World Wrestling has not yet announced the date and site for the 2017 Beach World Wrestling Championships.

As has been the tradition at the Beach Nationals, athletes will have the option of weighing in either the night before, on Friday, May 19, or the morning of the competition on Saturday, May 20. The early weigh-in on Friday for both Beach and Belt wrestling will be held at the Lazy Pirate in Carolina Beach from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., followed by a coach and competitor social, where exhibition matches will be available. Those wishing to weigh in on Saturday can do so on Carolina Beach on Saturday morning from 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Click here for UWW Beach Wrestling Rules

Click here for UWW Belt Alysh Wrestling Rules

The USA has been hosting Beach Wrestling Nationals Championships for 12 straight years, since the first Beach Nationals was held in Riviera Beach, Fla. The USA has been represented at most of the UWW Beach World Championships events since their creation. Although the USA has won a number of silver medals and bronze medals at the Beach World Championships, the United States is still seeking its first Beach World Champion.

Among last year’s Senior champions was Jacob Kasper, who placed sixth at the 2017 NCAA Championships competing for Duke University. The other individual Senior Beach National champions from 2016 were Lee Reitzel of Carolina Beach (70 kg), Tucker Guy of Port City Pirates (80 kg), Bradley Metz of Ohio (90 kg), Nicholas Wimmer of Combat WC (Over 90 kg++) and Anna Matteson of North Carolina (Women 70 kg).

Click here to register for the Beach and Belt Nationals

Click here for the Beach and Belt Nationals website

U.S. BEACH AND BELT NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Carolina Beach, N.C.

Friday, May 19

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Early Beach and Belt Wrestling National Championship Registration and Weigh-in: OPTIONAL for all divisions (at the Lazy Pirate)

8:00 p.m. - 10 p.m. - Coach and Competitor's Social at Lazy Pirate Sports Bar (www.driftersreef.com)

Saturday, May 20

9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Beach and Belt Wrestling National Championships Registration and Weigh-in (Carolina Beach Boardwalk Stage)

12:00 p.m. to conclusion - Beach Wrestling National Championships

6:00 p.m. - Post Tournament Social at Good Hops Brewing Co., 811 Harper Ave., Carolina Beach, NC 28428

Note: Sunday will also be an emergency make-up day for competition in case of inclement weather on Saturday. Sessions and schedule subject to change.

2016 U.S. BEACH NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Senior Champions
70 kg/154 lbs. - Lee Reitzel (Carolina Beach - NC)
80 kg/185 lbs. - Tucker Guy (Port City Pirates)
90 kg/198 lbs - - Bradley Metz (Unattached - OH)
Over 90 kg/Over 198 lbs. - Jacob Kasper (Unattached - OH)
Over 90++/Superheavyweight - Nicholas Wimmer (Combat WC - NC)
Women - 70 KG/154 lbs. - Anna Matteson (Unattached - NC)

Junior Champions
112 - Nicholas Daggett of Combat Wrestling Club
129 - Hunter Smith of Combat Wrestling Club
135 - Christopher Kelly of RobCo
141 - Dan Mills of Wolfpack Wrestling
155 - Johnathon Holcomb of Union Pines High School
162 - Hunter Strickland of Combat Wrestling Club
168 - Cole Collins of Wolfpack Wrestling
181 - Troy Cain of RoCo
210 - Luke Blue of RobCo
236 - Kaleb Giles of Ashley HS

Cadet Champion
98 - Michael Cabrera of Sun Valley Wrestling Club
109 - Matthew Barrett of Strong & Courageous
116 - Montgomery Smith of Old School Wrestling
121 - Hunter Holcomb of Copperheads
132 - Spencer Jackson of Strong & Courageous
147 - Patrick McCormick of Copperheads
151 - Jonathon Locklear of RobCo
166 - Caleb Kimpler of Copperheads
171 - Ryan Richardson of WCW
220 - Kevin Caggiano of North Brunswick High School

Schoolboy Champions
101 - Grant Haney of Sun Valley Wrestling Club
124 - Jackson Gannon of Independent
146 - Dominic Kremer of Chain Wrestling

Novice Champions
73 - Samuel Hodge of Great Bridge Wrestling Club
92 - Elijah Harris of Sun Valley Wrestling Club
139 - Conner Zimmerman of Ashley HS

Intermediate Champions
68 - Jayden Morris of Independent
97 - Azrael Simpson of obx elite
112 - Chase Baker of Chain Wrestling

Bantam Champions
57 - Christian Riddick of obx elite
67- Christian Noblett of Compound Wrestling

Pre-Bantam Champions
36 - Nolan Mann of Pinning Pythons
48 - Austin Greene of Jr. Spartans Wrestling Club

Masters Champions
A Lightweight - Patrick Strizki of Team Strizki
A/C Heavyweight- Edwin Hojilla of Unattached
D/E - Lee Reitzel of Carolina Beach