2024 Bergen County wrestling tournament will have a new venue and a revised format
The Bergen County wrestling tournament is moving back to its roots.
The annual two-day championships will return to a traditional format and a central location this year with Garfield Middle School hosting the event on Jan. 20-21. Public and non-public school wrestlers will once again be mixed into the same bracket from the opening rounds and compete down to eight medalists.
Tournament director Brad DiRupo said coaches voted by a "pretty significant margin" to bring back the traditional format after a one-year pilot program in which public schools were broken down by enrollment on Day 1.
This will be the tournament's third location in three seasons after trips to Rockland Community College (2023) and Hackensack High School (2022). The BCCA moved the event back in the calendar in 2022, and to widespread approval.
"It's too big of a tournament and too competitive of a tournament to have it early in the year," DiRupo said. "And now the seeding is not skewed. Now you have head-to-heads during the season as opposed to a Christmas tournament where you don't have as many head-to-heads. So the seeding tends to be a little bit better."
St. Joseph is the returning team champion after winning a tournament-record eight weight classes last winter.
What is the schedule?
The first day starts with out-bracket matches at 10 a.m. and culminates with quarterfinals and consolation quarters at 5 p.m.
The second day starts with 10 a.m. semifinals and finishes with all medal matches around 4 p.m.
"It's the same thing we've always done where after the first round, it's double-elimination but you can only wrestle back to fifth place," DiRupo said. "If you lose in the semis, you wrestle for third/fourth."
This year's tournament will have 41 teams, including North Bergen. Every Bergen County wrestling team is participating except two: Cresskill and Dwight-Morrow.
How many mats are in use?
Garfield Middle School will have six mats in total, including four in the main gym and two in the cafeteria. A wrestler could be assigned to either room, unlike in Hackensack where the heaviest weight classes were all downstairs. All medal matches will take place in the main gym.
The BCCA is planning to bring in temporary bleachers and expects to have seating for about 1,250 people.
Will the event be streamed?
Yes, the BCCA will stream the matches through FloWrestling. Wrestlers and fans can also see upcoming bouts and mat assignments through FloWrestling.
Live results will be available on NorthJersey.com.
Are there still county group champions?
Yes, there will be six county group titles on the line on top of the overall team championship.
The 36 public schools (and St. Mary) will compete in the standings in Groups A through E based on their enrollment. Bergen Catholic, Don Bosco, Paramus Catholic and St. Joseph will vie for the county non-public title.
Group A: North Bergen, Hackensack, Ridgewood, Cliffside Park/Ridgefield, Fair Lawn, Lyndhurst/North Arlington, Leonia/Palisades Park, Northern Highlands
Group B: Bogota/Ridgefield Park, Teaneck, Tenafly, Ramapo, Bergenfield, Garfield, Fort Lee, Becton/Wood-Ridge
Group C: Paramus, Old Tappan, River Dell, Pascack Valley, Demarest, Lodi, Mahwah
Group D: Westwood, Pascack Hills, Indian Hills, Ramsey, Elmwood Park, Dumont, Rutherford
Group E: Glen Rock, Emerson/Park Ridge, Waldwick/Midland Park, New Milford, Hasbrouck Heights, Saddle Brook, St. Mary
Is the tournament running concurrently with the BCWCA?
No. The BCWCA girls wrestling invitational is scheduled for Jan. 14 at Elmwood Park High School.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen County wrestling tournament will have new venue and format
