Beast of the East brings country's top high school wrestlers to Newark this weekend
Organizers tout this weekend’s Beast of the East as the nation’s No. 1 high school wrestling tournament.
The president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Mike Moyer calls it “the gold standard" of such events.
Close to 900 wrestlers from about 165 teams in more than 20 states will step on one of the 14 mats rolled out inside the University of Delaware’s Bob Carpenter Center on Saturday, when the action begins at 8:30 a.m.
Those who emerge as champions of the 14 weight classes during Sunday’s 3:15 p.m. finals will immediately brand themselves as big-time college prospects.
Tickets are available for all events through the tournament’s website, beastwrestling.com.
What makes the Beast unique?
The competition, the facility and the beneficiaries.
The Carpenter Center’s size allows more than 3,000 fans to come inside, with both days already nearly sold out, and room for those 14 mats during the early rounds.
The brackets will feature 200-plus state and national prep place-winners and 58 nationally ranked wrestlers.
And while the event is expensive to put on, starting with the UD $70,000 rental fee, according to tournament organizers, a slew of sponsors led by Labware help cover the costs.
A Delaware Sports Commission study once determined the Beast provides a $1 million annual boost to the local economy, as visitors fill area hotels and dine at nearby restaurants.
Most importantly, proceeds have allowed the Delaware Wrestling Alliance to present $1.2 million in scholarships to First State wrestlers over the past 30 years while also funding summer programs.
“It’s a professional atmosphere that we have here,” tournament director Lorne Peterson said. “I’ve been to a lot of tournaments around the country and I can honestly say this is No. 1, and all of our money is going back to the student-athletes.”
Girls event starts Friday
The second annual Best of the East girls tournament will actually kick things off Friday with matches starting at 12:30 p.m. leading to the finals at 5.
It will have 160 entrants, roughly 100 more than last year, including a dozen Delaware girls led by returning champ from Caravel Natalie Radecki.
“Girls wrestling is coming on big-time now,” said Vic Leonard, the Beast founder who now oversees the girls event.
Leonard is attempting to add Delaware to the list of 44 states that have official high school girls competition. To earn DIAA certification, the sport needs at least 12 teams with at least three wrestlers each. Delaware presently has 95 girls at 11 schools.
AGRESTI A RARITY For first time in 10 years Delaware has Beast of the East wrestling champ
Who are Delaware’s top competitors
Salesianum 215-pound senior Max Agresti became Delaware’s first Beast of the East champ in 10 years last season. Agresti is now wrestling at 197 pounds for Harvard as a freshman.
Agresti was one of four top-eight place-finishers from Delaware. Among them was sixth-place 106-pound finisher Malachi Stratton. The Sussex Central junior is now up at 120 pounds, after winning state titles at 106 as a freshman and 113 last year.
Among other Delaware wrestlers with a shot at top-eight podium finishes are Caravel’s Eddie Radecki, a three-time state champ and 2022 Beast quarterfinalist now at 138 pounds; Dominic Lucien, the state 106 champ as an 8th-grader at Tower Hill last year now wrestling for Salesianum at 113; Delaware Military Academy 285-pound state champ Cael DeNigris; and Salesianum 215-pounder James Miller.
Many Governor’s Cup candidates
The top finisher among Delaware teams earns the Governor’s Cup and that should be hotly contested this year.
Defending champion Salesianum, the state’s two top-ranked Division I teams Sussex Central and Cape Henlopen, and Division II top two DMA and Saint Mark’s will have an eye on that prize.
Beast competition will be fueled this year by the return of Blair Academy, which won 19 straight team titles but could not take part last year. Delbarton School of New Jersey returns after winning the 2022 title along with runner-up Bethlehem Catholic of Pennsylvania.
New award this year
The Sayer Rhys Evans Award will be given this year to male and female wrestlers nominated by coaches who have demonstrated a strong resiliency and courage to compete.
Evans was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves and on the city of Wilmington police force when he took his life last year at age 23. He spent some time on the wrestling team at Newark Charter.
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Beast of the East brings top high school wrestlers to Delaware
