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USA Wrestling Kids Nationals returns to Utah, with the nation’s top young wrestlers heading to Farmington in 2022 and 2023

by USA Wrestling

USA Wrestling is excited to announce its annual Kids National Championships is returning to Farmington, Utah at the Legacy Event Center in 2022 and 2023. The tournament will be held June 26-28, 2022, and June 25-27, 2023.


This event will showcase the nation's top wrestlers from ages 7 to 14 in the international styles of freestyle and Greco-Roman. USA Wrestling Utah will serve as the local organizing committee.


“Utah is excited and grateful to be chosen as host to USA Wrestling's Kids Nationals! We have confidence that we will provide an excellent experience for the entire country. Many may remember that Utah was instrumental in growing the original Kids Nationals over a decade ago. We have always wanted this event back,” said Craig LaMont, USA Wrestling Utah state chairperson.


In 2021, the USA Wrestling Kids Nationals hosted over 1,000 wrestlers from 42 states. Registration will open soon for the 2022 event, with an entry fee of $55 per style.


“USA Wrestling is pleased to bring one of its most important youth events back to Utah, with the 2022 Kids National Championships being hosted in Farmington this summer. We are excited to once again work with USA Wrestling Utah and the strong wrestling community in the state to present another outstanding national tournament for our youth wrestlers. We expect this to be a well-organized event which will attract a large number of talented athletes from across the nation,” said Pete Isais, USA Wrestling’s National Events Director.


This event will feature the second and third leg of USA Wrestling's prestigious Triple Crown, which is awarded to any wrestler who wins the USA Wrestling Folkstyle National Championship, plus both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the USA Wrestling Kids Nationals. Freestyle Nationals in the same year. The folkstyle national champions will be determined at the USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa in April


The USA Wrestling Kids Triple Crown was created in 1997 and there have been 204 Kids Triple Crown award presented in the 25 years of the program. Among the Triple Crown athletes who have gone on to success are numerous stars on the Senior and college levels, including Olympic and World champion David Taylor, Olympian and World Team member Jesse Thielke, World Team members Brent Metcalf, Angel Escobedo, RaVaughan Perkins and Mason Manville, U23 World champion Bo Nickal, Junior World champions Mark Hall, Amit Elor and Rocky Elam and many others. There were six Kids Triple Crown winners in 2021.


In order to be eligible for Kids Nationals, one must compete in any Regional Championship or obtain a waiver to compete from his/her state chairperson. At the USA Wrestling Kids Nationals, provided a wrestler has qualified for Kids Nationals or been granted a waiver to compete, he/she may not compete lower than the lowest weight weighed in at any regional, minus one weight class.


Farmington becomes only the ninth city to host the Kids National Championships since it was founded in 1997. The event was held in Utah seven previous times, as Orem was the host city from 2008-2014. This will also be the second major USA Wrestling national event held in Farmington this year, which will also host the Western Regionals, May 12-14.


The competition will be broadcast live by FloWrestling.

KIDS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS HOST CITIES

1997 – Waterloo, Iowa

1998 – Waterloo, Iowa

1999 – Waterloo, Iowa

2000 - Waterloo, Iowa

2001 – Fresno, Calif.

2002 – Enid, Okla.

2003 – Enid, Okla.

2004 – Menomonie, Wis.

2005 – Green Bay, Wis.

2006 – Green Bay, Wis.

2007 – Green Bay, Wis.

2008 – Orem, Utah

2009 – Orem, Utah

2010 – Orem, Utah

2011 – Orem, Utah

2012 – Orem, Utah

2013 – Orem, Utah

2014 – Orem, Utah

2015 – Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

2016 – Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

2017 – Atlanta, Ga.

2018 – Atlanta, Ga.

2019 – Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

2021 – Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

2022 – Farmington, Utah

2022 USA Wrestling Regional and National Events for Kids:

March 18-20, 2022

Girls Folkstyle National Championships, Junior Women’s Duals in Colorado Springs, Colo.

8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, & Junior: Folkstyle / HS: Folkstyle Duals

April 1-3, 2022

Folkstyle National Championships in Cedar Falls, Iowa

8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Junior, Masters: Folkstyle

FIRST LEG OF THE KIDS TRIPLE CROWN

May 6-8, 2022

Women’s Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas

8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, U15, UWW Cadets, UWW Juniors, & U23: Freestyle

May 12-14, 2022

Western Regional Championships in Farmington, Utah

8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Juniors: GR/FS/WFS

May 13-15, 2022

Phil Portuese Northeast Regional Championships in Atlantic City, N.J.

8U,10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Junior GR/FS/WFS, U23 Freestyle

May 13-15, 2022

Northern Plains Regional Championships in Rochester, Minn.

8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Junior, Girls FS Born Between (2002-2012)

May 13-15, 2022

Frank E. Rader Southeast Regional Championships in Cherokee, N.C.

6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Junior: GR/FS/ WFS

May 20-22, 2022

Central Regional Championships in Fort Wayne, Ind.

8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Junior: GR/FS, Girls FS

June 3-5, 2022

Southern Plains Regional Championships in Mulvane, Kansas

8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Junior: GR/FS/WFS