2014 Senior Dual Team for the ORCA Duals
Open to High School Seniors only
March 15, 2014
Welcome Washington Wrestling Supporters!
Nine pound weight allowance!
We are very excited to announce that Washington State has its own team specifically for High School Seniors to travel and compete against other state teams. The inaugural event for the team was in March of 2011 when they competed, and won, against California and Oregon in the ORCA Duals at Redding, CA. Last year we beat California and then the Wasington vs Oregon dual went down to the last match before Oregon won the battle and the ORCA 2012 title. In 2013 it again went down to the last match in the Washington vs. Oregon Dual before Oregon was able to secure the title. This year we want that title back!
This event…
- will take place three weeks after the Mat Classic on March 15, 2014
- will be held in Ashland, OR at Southern Oregon University
- We will also be spending two evenings/night at Southern Oregon University(SOU)
- will help prepare our wrestlers for national tournaments including the NHSCA Senior Nationals which occur later
- will showcase our wrestlers to scouts and college coaches
- will provide a positive atmosphere that includes team building and sportsmanship
A selection committee will be responsible for choosing a high school Senior wrestler from any size classification for every weight class. A runner-up and alternate wrestler will also be chosen. The wrestler’s respective High School Coach, Club Coach or parent may accompany their athlete to this event and be in their corner although they will be on their own for getting there and covering their costs. Each chosen wrestler is responsible for their own training and weight management. There may also be meetings or practices prior to the event. The team will wrestle a dual with both California and Oregon.
We are accepting donations and are looking for continued sponsorship to help with the many costs but each wrestler will be financially responsible for their food, lodging and fuel. What ever funds we can raise will be used to reduce the costs of the wrestlers. Our goal it to have a relatively inexpensive trip that will allow the best wrestles we have to go. Last year the trip cost each wrestler $50 and this year the cast will stay the same.
We have secured donated singlets to be used annually by the team and event T-shirts are supplied each year. We will plan on leaving Friday morning (March 14, 2014) in personal vehicles and are heading to Ashland, OR where we will stay on Friday night. The next day we will compete in two duals and will stay over night in that town again. The return date is Sunday March 16, 2013. Last year we had six vehicles drive down from various location in Western and Eastern Washington and pick up wrestlers on the way. We will be arranging host homes or staying with the coaches the night before leaving so we know we are ready to go in the early morning. We also will have one Southern pick up point on I-5 for those that are south of Olympia.
What we need now is for coaches/parents/wrestlers to get an email sent to Dave Gilbertson with there intent to wrestle for the team. We will put together our list of applicants and chose the team shortly after the Mat Classic. Email Dave Gilbertson
What I am asking for now if for people to help us fund this with individual donations. I have set up a PayPal online payment service that will allow people to donate to the team by credit card. We will need to cover the insurance costs, gas costs, housing costs and other incidentals. We have the opportunity to compete at a high level event with only minimal costs to the wrestlers and they will only have to miss one day of school. The more funds we can raise through the PayPal link, or direct payments by check, the less we will have to charge the wrestlers. We would like to keep the costs to the wrestlers to $50 but to do that we will need to raise about $1500 dollars to make sure everything is covered. This is where we are asking the wrestling community to step up and help us out. Each of the three committee members will be volunteering their time to arrange and get the team to the event. We need to cover the rooming expenses for the entire team and coaches. All individuals will buy their own food on the trip. There are three ways you can help:
1. Donate $10-49 (or more) by using the following PayPal service. Just press the button and it will take you to a spot where you can enter your name and credit card information to make a secure donation to help offset the team expenses.
2. Buy an advertisement for your company that will be listed specifically on this particular page. The paid adv will list our commercial sponsors and will be a legitimate business expense to those that purchase an advertisement. Contact me directly to ask about how to do the advertisement.
3. Apply to be a coach/driver for the team. We will be needing 4-6 SUV type vehicles to carry the wrestlers and coaches to Ashland. Volunteering to drive your vehicle with 4 wrestlers is a big help and all the gas is paid for by the team. Contact Dave Gilbertson if you would like to apply for that activity.
All help is appreciated and needed. I also need interested wrestlers to send in their contact information to me as soon as soon as possible. My contact info is listed below. I have a number of wrestlers that have already expressed an interest and we will be needing to put together our team by mid February. We will be selecting our 14 wrestlers after Mat Classic and then asking them to make a payment to secure their spot. We will also be selecting a first and second alternate that will need to be ready to go on short notice if something happens to the first or second choice. This is a great opportunity to wrestle the top wrestlers from Oregon and California in a prestigious event. It will also serve as a great warm-up for those planning on competing at Senior Nationals three weeks later.
We will continue to update this site as more info becomes available. We would love to hear any ideas or suggestions that would help promote this amazing opportunity. Please contact us directly at: Dave Gilbertson email
Here is the link to the OR vs CA Duals web site from last year: Link
The selection committee is currently comprised of Manny Brown, Dave Gilbertson and Greg Michalski .
Wrestlers apply directly to me by my email listed above.