Faruk Sahin of the U.S. Army competes at the 2010 Curby Cup, where he was named Outstanding Wrestler on the Senior level. Photo courtesy of the Jacob Curby Foundation

The Jacob Curby Foundation has announced that the second annual Curby Cup will be held at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Ill., Saturday, May 21.

The event is held in honor of the late Jacob Curby, a Greco-Roman Team USA member who unexpectedly passed away at the age of 25 in January 2010.

This year, the format has changed to a Greco-Roman dual meet between the United States and an international “Dream Team,” featuring World-class stars from across the globe.

“The Jacob Curby Foundation has, as its mission, the advancement of Olympic-style international wrestling competition in the United States,” said Dr. Dave Curby, Jake’s father and one of the event organizers. “The primary activity will be the annual hosting of an event with the finest wrestlers from around the world in a competition with our American National Team. This showcase competition will help develop our top wrestlers, promote the sport and cultural understanding, and be used as a vehicle to inspire our youngsters through their association with some of the greatest heroes of our sport.”

The Curby Cup will be held in Vaughan Gym at Lyons Township High School, the school which Jacob Curby attended. There will only be advance ticket sales available for the event.

A kids clinic is scheduled for Friday, May 20 and a banquet will be held after the event is completed on Saturday, May 21.

All seven 2010 World Greco-Roman champions were initially invited to compete on the international “Dream Team” at the Curby Cup. At this time, acceptances are being received from these athletes, with other stars also being invited as necessary. The final international “Dream Team” lineup will be announced when available.

The U.S. lineup for the Curby Cup will be announced based upon the results of the 2011 U.S. Open, which is scheduled for Cleveland, Ohio, April 7-10.

The competition is building upon the success of the first Curby Cup, which was held in Plainfield, Ill. on May 22, 2010. Over 2,000 fans attended the event, witnessing top Greco-Roman challenge matches between American wrestlers on the Senior, Junior and Cadet age levels. There was also one freestyle bout featuring top Junior talents.

In 2010, the Outstanding Wrestler on the Senior level was two-time U.S. World Team member Faruk Sahin of the U.S. Army. The Outstanding Wrestler on the Junior/Cadet level was Dillon Cowan of Harvard, Ill.

Proceeds from the 2010 event supported underprivileged wrestlers in Illinois who competed in the ASICS/Vaughan Junior and Cadet National Championships in Fargo, N.D.

For more information on the 2011 Curby Cup, visit:
http://www.curbycup.com/

About the Jacob Curby Foundation

The Jacob Curby Foundation is dedicated to the memory of Jacob, a hard-working U.S. National Greco-Roman wrestling team member from the Chicago area, who passed away at age 25 in January 2010. The foundation annually sponsors a premier international wrestling competition. For information on how you can support the foundation, contact David Curby at: davcurb@gmail.com.