IESA State Wrestling Finals return to DeKalb after 2-year absence

DeKALB – The DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Northern Illinois University will welcome the Illinois Elementary School Association State Wrestling Finals to the NIU Convocation Center March 11-12.

This marks the 23rd year DeKalb County has hosted the event, which was not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two-day tournament is expected to attract an anticipated 5,000 visitors to the area and contribute an estimated $400,000 to the local economy.

Wrestlers in grades 5-8 from across the state will participate individually and in team competition in a two-class format. A total of 250 schools will participate in this year’s IESA state tournament, which made its DeKalb County debut in 1999 at NIU’s Chick Evans Field House. The Convocation Center has hosted the event since 2003.

Doors open for spectators at 10 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday. Daily admission fees are $12 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Advanced ticket sales are available through Ticketmaster. Information about the tournament can be found at iesa.org or on the NIU Convocation Center website, convocenter.niu.edu.