Athletes and fans at the Nebraska Folkstyle State Tournament show their support in the effort to Keep Wrestling in the Olympics.

Nebraska USA Wrestling has donated $1,000 to support the Committee for the Preservation of Olympic Wrestling (CPOW) and help fund the effort to keep wrestling as an Olympic sport in 2020 and beyond. 

A crowd of young wrestlers, coaches and fans gathered at the Nebraska State Folkstyle Tournament March 16-17 to pose with a Keep Olympic Wrestling banner, giving a visual representation of the support wrestlers in Nebraska have for Olympic wrestling.

Nebraska USA Wrestling had a successful folkstyle tournament with around 1,200 wrestlers participating, making it the largest state tournament in Nebraska.

This event was the first leg of the Nebraska State Triple Crown, and also served as a qualifier for the Middle School National Dual teams and the Elementary National Dual teams. 

In the 2011-12 school year, Nebraska had 4,478 high school boys and girls wrestling.

The Folkstyle State Tournament has been growing in size every year for the last decade.

“The Nebraska USA State Folkstyle Tournament is one of the fastest growing tournaments in the state and possibly the country,” said State Chairman Alan Pokorny. “We have grown over 300 percent in the past five years.”

Team award winners at the folkstyle state tournament were MWC Wrestling Academy, Meneely School of Wrestling and O’Neill Leprechauns. All three teams took the title in both elementary and junior high divisions in their respective classes.

Another major kids tournament, the freestyle and Greco-Roman state tournament, took place this weekend on Saturday, May 4. 

Year-to-date, Nebraska USA Wrestling had 2,966 members and a complete program of events and opportunities for wrestlers of all levels in the state.

Nebraska is also active in college wrestling, with NCAA Div. I college program University of Nebraska, NCAA Div. II programs Chadron State College and University of Nebraska - Kearney and NAIA programs Concordia University, Hastings College, Midland Lutheran University and York College.

With the help of state associations and wrestling supporters around the U.S., CPOW has raised more than $1.2 million toward its $2.5 million goal. 

For more information about CPOW and the marketing campaign, 2020 Vision: Keep the Dream Alive, visit KeepWrestlingInTheOlympics.com.