Dear Eagle:
The Kansas River runs through Lawrence, as well as the Wakarusa River. Lawrence also has Clinton Lake.
Sweazy's statement "East Carolina University is adding men's wrestling as a club team" is somewhat misleading. The University will have absolutely no involvement in the program. The only relationship which will exist between the program and the University is students from the University will be able to participate in the club sport, much like the Chess club.
This particular club will not be provided wrestling mats, or use of any university facilities, and will practice at a local high school.
This sport will be an intramural sport as is club wrestling at both K.U. and K-State.
Students start club wrestling team Students start club wrestling team
Team looks for full schedule this fall
Eric Gilmore, Staff Writer
April 01, 2004
This is no April Fools joke. Students have formed and started a wrestling team at the club level. Equivalent to a j.v. squad, the team will begin a full schedule in the fall semester.
Students Mike Davanco and Warren Gheen founded the team. Davanco was the force behind the team, "We combined forces together, applied, got approval and started a wrestling team."
Mike felt the need for ECU to have a club wrestling team considering ECU is one of the last teams in the state to form a team. However, ECU had a team in the early 70's. The team folded due to lack of participants, but ex-wrestlers are still scattered throughout the community.
The team, which consists of 13 wrestlers, practices three times a week at J.H. Rose High School. Practices take place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5p.m.-7 p.m. Davanco and Gheen both share in coaching and organizing practices.
"We are still looking for people to come out. We would ideally like to have about 20 to 25 wrestlers. We are going to be at freshman orientation [recruiting]. We are throwing out ideas about having a Purple-Gold scrimmage," said Davanco.
"We just got things started in the middle of the semester so we are still trying to get some matches in before school ends. We are looking into playing NC State.
"We want to be competitive and have fun too. It's a lot of work, but its fun to bring [the team] back.
"We are trying to get into the NCWA or National Collegiate Wrestling Association," Davanco said.
The organization would be the governing body for club wrestling teams. The NCWA would organize weigh-ins and hold state and national tournaments. There would be 11 weight classes just like any other college wrestling team.
"We have a bunch of guys who wrestled in high school," Davanco said.
There is really no place for these wrestlers to go after participating in high school.
Davanco and Gheen have both provided opportunities for that passion to continue.
This writer can be contacted at sports@theeastcarolinian.com.