The Van Wert County Courthouse

Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

Wrestling, volleyball back to OSU, WSU

VW independent sports/submitted information

COLUMBUS — Several more state tournament venues, including volleyball and wrestling, have now been set by the Ohio High School Athletic Association for the 2021-22 school year and beyond.

During the 2020-21 school year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced changes to several traditional state tournament venues, including volleyball, football, wrestling and boys basketball.

“We are very excited to announce these state tournament venues because of the experience they will give our student-athletes, schools and communities,” Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said. “We would like to thank all those who operate these venues and have an important part in these partnerships and support of high school sports in Ohio.”

Of particular interest, the OHSAA individual wrestling state tournament will return to the Schottenstein Center at The Ohio State University for the next three years, with an option for a two-year extension. That event utilizes many areas of the arena, including the large warm-up gymnasium, and is one of the few venues in Ohio that is able to accommodate nine mats on the arena floor, which led to the expansion of the state tournament in 2000. More than 15,000 fans have regularly attended the semifinals and championships sessions.

Due to COVID-19, the OHSAA utilized three different high schools as sites for the 2021 individual wrestling tournament – Marengo Highland, Marion Harding and Hilliard Darby.

The wrestling state tournament will start on Friday, March 11, 2022, and conclude that Sunday evening.

Also of note, the volleyball state tournament will return to the Nutter Center at Wright State University in Dayton. The 11,200-seat venue has hosted the volleyball state tournament since 1991, except for last year due to the pandemic. Vandalia Butler was the site of the 2020 state tournament.

The state tournament agreements with the Ohio State University Golf Club in Columbus and NorthStar Golf Club in Sunbury have been extended for the next two years, while the agreement with the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, home of the prestigious Western and Southern Open, has been extended for the next three years to host the OHSAA girls and boys tennis state tournaments.

The 2021 OHSAA field hockey state tournament will remain at Thomas Worthington High School, where it was held in 2020. It previously was held at Upper Arlington.

State tournament sites for track and field and baseball remain up in the air. 2021 track and field was held at Hillard Darby, Pickerington North and Westerville North, while the baseball state tournament was played at Canal Park in Akron.

All OHSAA sports and confirmed state tournament venues are listed below.

Fall Sports

Golf – The Ohio State University Golf Club and NorthStar Golf Club
Girls Tennis – Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason
Field Hockey – Thomas Worthington High School
Cross Country – Fortress Obetz and Memorial Park, Columbus
Soccer – Announcement Coming Soon
Volleyball – Wright State University, Dayton
Football – Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton

Winter Sports

Swimming & Diving – Branin Natatorium, Canton
Gymnastics – Hilliard Bradley High School
Bowling – Wayne Webb’s Columbus Bowl
Ice Hockey – Nationwide Arena, Columbus
Wrestling – Schottenstein Center, The Ohio State University
Girls and Boys Basketball – University of Dayton Arena

Spring Sports

Boys Tennis – Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason
Lacrosse – TBA
Softball – Firestone Stadium, Akron
Track & Field – TBA
Baseball – TBA

POSTED: 08/09/21 at 11:48 am. FILED UNDER: Sports