AMES, Iowa - Iowa State Athletics Director Jamie Pollard announced Thursday that the Cyclones have worked out an agreement with the National Wrestling Coaches Association to host one of four 2012 Cliff Keen Division I National Dual Meet regionals, Feb. 12, in Hilton Coliseum.

Regional 1 in Ames will feature three schools that placed among the top eight wrestling squads at the 2011 National Duals in Iowa State (eighth), Wisconsin (third) and Virginia Tech (second). Iowa, which did not compete in the 2011 National Duals and placed third as a team at the NCAA meet, will compete in Ames. Northern Iowa and Oregon State round out the field. The Region 1 winner will advance to the National Dual Meet Championships, to be held Feb. 19.

Ticket information and further details will be announced soon. 

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches and fans to be part of hosting the national wrestling dual championships,” Pollard said. “I really appreciate the Big 12 Conference working with us on our men’s and women’s basketball schedules to make Hilton Coliseum available to host this prestigious event.  That support demonstrates how important wrestling is to the Big 12 Conference and to our institution.”

The 2011-12 wrestling season will showcase an exciting new format for the NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I National Dual Meet Championships that will feature four regional locations and a culminating championship for the final four teams that advance out of each region.   The 24 participating teams for the 2012 event were selected based primarily off the final 2010-11 NWCA Team Rankings as determined by the NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll. 

 
Region 1 -  Iowa State (host), Iowa, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and Northern Iowa.
Region 2 - Cornell (host), Central Michigan, Oklahoma, Purdue, Illinois and American.
Region 3 - Rutgers (host), Minnesota, Kent State, Michigan, Missouri and Cal Poly.
Region 4- Oklahoma State (host), Boise State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Wyoming and Tennessee-Chattanooga. 


“I really appreciate that the Big 12 Conference and our administration were willing to work with the NWCA to make hosting this year’s event in Hilton Coliseum possible,” Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson said. “I’m really excited that our student-athletes will get to wrestle in the National Duals in Hilton Coliseum”.

“On behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to Iowa State University for its willingness to host this new concept,” NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer said.  “We are also forever grateful to the man who founded the first D-I National Duals in 1989, John Graham, for his visionary role in this initiative.  An event like this would never be possible without the incredibly generous and ongoing support of our title sponsor, Cliff Keen Athletics.  At the request of Cliff Keen Athletics, the National Duals will carry the name of Cliff Keen, the original founder of the NWCA and Cliff Keen Athletics.”

The full Iowa State wrestling schedule will be released soon.