HAMPTON, Va. — "I call it the granddaddy of them all," Apprentice School head coach Micah Amrozowicz uses classic sports poetry when describing the Virginia Duals. "As long as I can remember I've been competing at the Virginia Duals. Whether I was in high school or in college, and now as a coach, I've been at Virginia Duals every year."
Even the Rose Bowl, however, cannot lay claim to the uniqueness of the annual wrestling showcase at the Hampton Coliseum. "This is by far my favorite event of the year," says Poquoson coach Eric Decker. "This is the only event in the state, quite possibly in the country, where you have high school wrestlers being given the opportunity to wrestle alongside Division 1 wrestlers."
High school wrestlers and college wrestlers, all at one venue all at one time. Decker sees an opportunity not only for his wrestlers to be seen by college programs, but to learn from the college wrestlers they'll share a venue with. "Watch the preparation, the mentality as they're getting ready to compete, as well as just how hard they compete during their competition."
Forty high schools and 20 colleges will be in attendance. The University of Virginia, the University of Oklahoma, the Naval Academy and the University of Maryland are among the colleges competing, while the high school level features many of the top teams and wrestlers in the state of Virginia.
The action kicks off Friday, January 13th, and is open to the public.