Fairfield fills weekend wrestling slate

A JV tournament Friday and the Stars and Stripes Wrestling Club youth tournament Sunday are just the undercards around Saturday?s main event ? the Southeast Iowa Classic ? that will make wrestling fans feel at home in Fairfield this weekend.

Just one week before sectional tournaments commence, a Fairfield Invite title will be up for grabs amonst a field of 13 teams including the host Trojans. Fairfield?s trio of seniors Dakota Simmons (125, No. 8), Jeff Guttry (171, No. 5) and Michael Smithburg (285, No. 7) found their way into the individual rankings early this season and will duke it out with a deep field for a title all their own.

Those three, along with the rest of the Fairfield squad, will enter into a field that includes a total of 15 additional ranked wrestlers. Eddyville-Blakesburg took home the team crown a year ago, and the seventh-ranked (1A) Rockets figure to be in the mix near the top the standings once again. Albia enters with a No. 5 (2A) team ranking helped by top-ranked 130-pounder Matt White.

125 may be the most competitive division as only one victor can be named between Simmons, Albia freshman Dalton Fokerts (2A No. 6) and Burlington?s 10th-ranked Damone Manning. Clashes between ranked wrestlers are also expected at 119, 130, 171 and 285.

The late-season tournament may also serve as a Southeast Conference tournament of sorts with all five teams ? Fairfield, Fort Madison, Keokuk, Mount Pleasant and Washington ? in attendance. The Trojans hope for revenge on Fort Madison and Mount Pleasant after dual meets that turned into losses earlier this month

Saturday?s action is set to get underway at 10 a.m.

Stars and Stripes youth tournament slated for Sunday

Registration may be completed the day of Sunday?s Stars and Stripes Wrestling Club youth tournament for wrestlers in pre-kindergarten to eighth-grade. Medals will be awarded to those finishing in places 1-4 in each of the four divisions as well as team trophies going to the top three teams.

Weigh-ins will begin at 7 a.m. Sunday. Cost for meet-day registration is $15.