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DeKALB – Northern Illinois University’s Convocation Center in DeKalb will host the 2023 Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) State Wrestling Finals Friday through Saturday.
The event is hosted locally by the DeKalb Wrestling Club, and DeKalb County has been the site of the IESA State Wrestling Finals since 1999, according to a news release from the DeKalb County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.
“The DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau is proud of its strong relationship with the IESA and the State Wrestling Finals, and DeKalb County looks forward to welcoming thousands of fans from across the state to the NIU Convocation Center,” bureau officials wrote in a news release.
The two-day event traditionally attracts 5,000 visitors to the area and contributes an estimated $400,000 to the local economy, the release states.
Admission for spectators at the NIU Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln Highway, opens at 10 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday with competition in both Class A and Class AA starting at 11:30 a.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.
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Daily admission fees for the IESA State Wrestling Finals are $15 for adults, and $10 for senior citizens and K-8 students. Pre-school children are admitted free. Additional information about the IESA State Wrestling Finals can be found on the IESA website, www.iesa.org/activities/bwr.
Wrestlers in fifth through eighth grades from across the state will participate individually and in team competition in a two-class format. This year’s tournament series will feature 278 schools from across the state, the release shows.
The IESA State Wrestling Finals made its DeKalb County debut in 1999 with Chick Evans Field House serving as the host venue. The NIU Convocation Center has hosted the event since 2003.
DeKalb County and Northern Illinois University’s long history of supporting and hosting student-athletes and state tournaments include the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Football Championships, IHSA Boys and Girls Basketball Super-Sectionals and numerous cheerleading and dance competitions.