From the End of the Bench...

Updates from PIAA staff.

It's PIAA Championship Time!!

2/7/13

It's here. It's PIAA Championship time! Last weekend, we had approximately 5200 people at Hersheypark Arena for the first ever PIAA Competitive Cheer Championships. It was a fabulous day. Congratulations to our three champions; Butler; New Oxford; Cumberland Valley and the three runner-ups; Pine Richland; North Allegheny; and Pennridge. Their skills, performances and sportsmanship highlighted our championship and set the foundation for an even better competition next year.

This weekend we have 32 teams in the GIANT Center competing for the 15th PIAA Team Wrestling Championships and both returning AA and AAA champions are here to defend their crown. Bethlehem Catholic and Canon McMillan will face many exceptional opponents who are very willing to challenge them for this year's laurels.

This bracket is based upon a proportional representation of schools sponsoring wrestling in that class. The larger number of schools the more qualifiers and those who have multiple qualifiers may have to wrestle an entry round to get into the round of 16. Folks, this is a great tournament and a far cry from the time 15 years ago when there were charges of heresy that dual team wrestling would never work.

A strange thing happened. This tournament has grown and been received so well that there is debate among the wrestling community to try and further expand the tournament. Now, there's a discussion that is good for wrestling; common discourse to promote a sport and their athletes. We can agree to differ on the format, but the tournament is wildly successful and is here to stay.

Many thanks to my friends Rod Frisco and Tom Elling that would not let this concept die on the drawing board (it was first suggested to happen over President's weekend). No matter how many roadblocks we hit through the development process we would continue to advance the concept and tweak the format. That is diligence, determination and dedication. All to promote a great sport and give it another avenue to highlight great teams and athletes.

Finally, we are starting to see the end of the regular season in swimming and basketball. Conferences and leagues are hosting their championships; district qualifiers are on the horizon and districts are preparing to start the process of advancing to a PIAA champion.

It's PIAA Championship time!

High school athletics; where champions are made every day.