USS Midway plays host to the third-annual Battle on the Midway featuring Wisconsin, Navy, Army West Point and Fresno State
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by Battle on the Midway
Collegiate wrestling will make its return to San Diego when the USS Midway Museum plays host to the third-annual Battle on the Midway on Friday, Nov. 1 atop the flight deck of the famed aircraft carrier. Twin duals are scheduled for the first time in the event’s brief history as Fresno State and Army West Point will kick off the 2019 collegiate wrestling season in the opening match (approx. 6:30 p.m. PT), followed immediately thereafter by the University of Wisconsin facing the Naval Academy.
“For nearly 50 years, the USS Midway’s flight deck not only launched jets in defense of freedom, it served as a haven for the crew’s off-duty recreation and sports when ship’s operations permitted,” said USS Midway Museum Marketing Director Scott McGaugh. “It’s fitting the same holds today for collegiate wrestling.”
Presented by Left Coast Wrestling and the San Diego Imperial Kids Wrestling Association (SDIKWA), 2019 will mark the second consecutive year that the Battle on the Midway will air on national television. CBS Sports Network will deliver the action to a nationwide audience on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 12 noon ET, and again on Veteran’s Day (Monday, Nov. 11) in prime-time at 8 p.m. ET.
The Battle on the Midway is a limited-capacity event and as such a limited number of general admission tickets are available at $25 apiece. They can be purchased at www.BattleOnTheMidway.com or https://botm2019.eventbrite.com. Gates are set to open at 6 p.m.
This will mark Fresno State’s third appearance in the Battle on the Midway, while Wisconsin, Army and Navy are all making their first-ever appearance aboard the USS Midway. Each of the coaches shared their thoughts about competing in this one-of-a-kind event.
“We are extremely excited to participate in the Battle on the Midway,” said Wisconsin Head Coach Chris Bono. “When we talk about the student-athlete experience, this is one of the best! Our team, coaches and administration are fired up to get to San Diego to open our season.”
“It’s exciting to be part of such a unique event that showcases our sport, and showcases our wrestling program on a national stage,” added Army West Point Head Coach Kevin Ward. “This is the premier event in college wrestling to open our season and we look forward to the opportunity to compete and put on a show in an absolutely incredible venue.”
“I am very excited to kick off the 2019-20 season with a trip to the West Coast to compete on the historic USS Midway,” said Navy Head Coach Joel Sharratt. “It’s an honor for everyone in the field to be a part of this event, but no one more than us here at NAVY. The Academy and our program have such strong ties to San Diego, Coronado Island and Camp Pendleton. We put 85% of our programs graduates in the "TEAMS" or the Marine Corps so we expect to have a great crowd in NAVY BLUE and GOLD Nov. 1st.”
“This is such a boost for the entire sport of wrestling to be able to have such a unique event like this on one of the most famous aircraft carriers ever commissioned,” added Fresno State Head Coach Troy Steiner. “We’re honored to have been invited to compete in the first two Battles on the Midway and we’re looking forward facing Army at this year’s event.”
Wisconsin comes into the 2019-20 season off a 9-6 campaign in 2018-19 when they finished the year ranked 17th in the nation. Army West Point went 8-3 and ranked 23rd, while Navy (6-4) and Fresno State (9-8) both finished the season unranked.
Several Southern Californians dot rosters of the teams who will compete in the Battle on the Midway. They include Wisconsin’s Evan Wick (Murrieta), Navy’s Jacob Allen (Poway), Shane Finney (Carlsbad) and Jonathan Miranda (Poway), and Army West Point’s Nigel Ruiz (La Puente) and Jed Smith (Orange).
Several other sporting events have been staged on the deck of the Midway, however the Battle on the Midway is the only wrestling event that has been staged aboard the famed aircraft-carrier that was used by U.S. Troops during the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.
In addition to the Battle on the Midway, several matches will be staged earlier in the day on the Broadway Pier, adjacent to the USS Midway. Those matches include Fresno State-Wisconsin at 9 a.m. PT and Fresno State-Navy and Wisconsin-Army West Point at 11 a.m. PT. Those matches will be broadcast live online by FloSports.
“For nearly 50 years, the USS Midway’s flight deck not only launched jets in defense of freedom, it served as a haven for the crew’s off-duty recreation and sports when ship’s operations permitted,” said USS Midway Museum Marketing Director Scott McGaugh. “It’s fitting the same holds today for collegiate wrestling.”
Presented by Left Coast Wrestling and the San Diego Imperial Kids Wrestling Association (SDIKWA), 2019 will mark the second consecutive year that the Battle on the Midway will air on national television. CBS Sports Network will deliver the action to a nationwide audience on Sunday, Nov. 3 at 12 noon ET, and again on Veteran’s Day (Monday, Nov. 11) in prime-time at 8 p.m. ET.
The Battle on the Midway is a limited-capacity event and as such a limited number of general admission tickets are available at $25 apiece. They can be purchased at www.BattleOnTheMidway.com or https://botm2019.eventbrite.com. Gates are set to open at 6 p.m.
This will mark Fresno State’s third appearance in the Battle on the Midway, while Wisconsin, Army and Navy are all making their first-ever appearance aboard the USS Midway. Each of the coaches shared their thoughts about competing in this one-of-a-kind event.
“We are extremely excited to participate in the Battle on the Midway,” said Wisconsin Head Coach Chris Bono. “When we talk about the student-athlete experience, this is one of the best! Our team, coaches and administration are fired up to get to San Diego to open our season.”
“It’s exciting to be part of such a unique event that showcases our sport, and showcases our wrestling program on a national stage,” added Army West Point Head Coach Kevin Ward. “This is the premier event in college wrestling to open our season and we look forward to the opportunity to compete and put on a show in an absolutely incredible venue.”
“I am very excited to kick off the 2019-20 season with a trip to the West Coast to compete on the historic USS Midway,” said Navy Head Coach Joel Sharratt. “It’s an honor for everyone in the field to be a part of this event, but no one more than us here at NAVY. The Academy and our program have such strong ties to San Diego, Coronado Island and Camp Pendleton. We put 85% of our programs graduates in the "TEAMS" or the Marine Corps so we expect to have a great crowd in NAVY BLUE and GOLD Nov. 1st.”
“This is such a boost for the entire sport of wrestling to be able to have such a unique event like this on one of the most famous aircraft carriers ever commissioned,” added Fresno State Head Coach Troy Steiner. “We’re honored to have been invited to compete in the first two Battles on the Midway and we’re looking forward facing Army at this year’s event.”
Wisconsin comes into the 2019-20 season off a 9-6 campaign in 2018-19 when they finished the year ranked 17th in the nation. Army West Point went 8-3 and ranked 23rd, while Navy (6-4) and Fresno State (9-8) both finished the season unranked.
Several Southern Californians dot rosters of the teams who will compete in the Battle on the Midway. They include Wisconsin’s Evan Wick (Murrieta), Navy’s Jacob Allen (Poway), Shane Finney (Carlsbad) and Jonathan Miranda (Poway), and Army West Point’s Nigel Ruiz (La Puente) and Jed Smith (Orange).
Several other sporting events have been staged on the deck of the Midway, however the Battle on the Midway is the only wrestling event that has been staged aboard the famed aircraft-carrier that was used by U.S. Troops during the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm.
In addition to the Battle on the Midway, several matches will be staged earlier in the day on the Broadway Pier, adjacent to the USS Midway. Those matches include Fresno State-Wisconsin at 9 a.m. PT and Fresno State-Navy and Wisconsin-Army West Point at 11 a.m. PT. Those matches will be broadcast live online by FloSports.
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