your top tournaments for az teams to attend (in and out of az)

[chingon76]

based on:
quality of opponents
athlete friendly venue
spectator friendly venue
well run tournament

other criteria?

Please explain your views. Please limit your responses to tournaments you've actually attended (either as a spectator and / or wrestler / coach)

since az has a 5 tournament max for high school teams. You may vote for 5 invites.

If i left out any of your favorite tournaments... please post. I only put one's that I've attended or have close knowledge (and the forum format kept me from adding more to the current list)

 

[chingon76]

my votes: I based my votes on actual tournaments I've attended as a coach with wrestlers actually competing in the event

mile high --
positives: awesome venue with plenty of seating, bathrooms, great competition)
negatives: too many breaks, have they changed the outside food rules?, bag searches --we arent terrorists

flowing wells--
positive: talented competition, interesting trophies!
negatives: dirty restrooms, lack of seating / resting space for wrestlers and spectators, dirty bathrooms, dirty bathrooms, very crowded

verde duals --
positives: real wrestling community, great hospitality room, great finals, great competition
negatives: none

peoria--
positives: recorded and free to watch finals, level of competition,
negatives: cost for patrons, lack of trackwrestling,

las vegas holiday classic--
positives: clean facilities, plenty of room for teams, great competition, hard luck tournament for 2 and outs, great hospitality room when they had food
Negatives: none
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Honorable mentions but not in poll: (it wouldn't let me add more teams to poll)

moon valley:
positives: lots of matches, great level of competition, spot light finals matches negatives: staff is rude to athletes and coaches, long breaks, gym locked even for pre-final athlete warmup (15 minutes before finals is ridiculous), very crowded, unnecessary meeting for unseeded wrestlers (should just be filled at random)

Tim Van Horn Invitational: (payson az)
positives: great hospitality room, great level of competition (mix of all divisions), great trophies, great small town feel, pool wrestling allows for more matches for those that go two-and-out
negatives: none

 

[3boys]

I would say that Mile High and Peoria did give Military and any one who serves in the community such as Police and Firefighters a discount. AIA even gives one, However Flowing Wells did not.

 

[Kevin Giese]

Mile High Challnge
Positives. Great venue, plenty of good seating for spectators. Very nice set-up for the championship round. Also a lot of talent and great teams.

Negative. Food choices in the stadium, lines were long during breaks, and took a while to get orders. Bag searches, the searches were not for weapons, but for food items that were not allowed.

I also liked Doc Wright, large facility nicely run tournament with great people and teams. Just a bit crowded for seating.

 

[AzWildCard]

Best individual tournament:
1. Doc Wright
2. Mile High
3. Salpointe

Best team team/dual tournament:
1. Marana Mountain View Duals
2. Coolidge
3. Show Low Duals

 

[Hillis]

I don't see Window Rock's Veterans Memorial Invitational so that must mean we need to improve.
Let me know what we need to do. I won't be offended. We're trying to make ours better every year.

 

[chingon76]

I don't see Window Rock's Veterans Memorial Invitational so that must mean we need to improve.
Let me know what we need to do. I won't be offended. We're trying to make ours better every year.

Mark, I haven't personally been to the WRVMI. I just listed one's I've personally attended as a coach with wrestlers or as a spectator. Also, the poll feature limited me to 10 tournaments. I didn't mean to leave you out. The summer event we attended was top notch. I'm sure you are doing a great job with your tournament.

 

[bayoubadger]

I don't see Window Rock's Veterans Memorial Invitational so that must mean we need to improve.
Let me know what we need to do. I won't be offended. We're trying to make ours better every year.

I attended VMI this year. It is an awesome venue. The young lady singing the National Anthem in Navajo brought me to tears. I thought it went kind of late for teams that wanted to travel back that night. While many of the schools did not come close to filling a full team, it was nice that you at least put guys out there to wrestle. I think my kid at 195 wrestled 4 kids from Gallup. Also, you need mutton stew in the hospitality room ;-)

 

[chingon76]

I attended VMI this year. It is an awesome venue. The young lady singing the National Anthem in Navajo brought me to tears. I thought it went kind of late for teams that wanted to travel back that night. While many of the schools did not come close to filling a full team, it was nice that you at least put guys out there to wrestle. I think my kid at 195 wrestled 4 kids from Gallup. Also, you need mutton stew in the hospitality room ;-)

Agreed! One of the my team's favorite parts from our visit during the summer ( to Window Rock), was the immersion into Navajo culture. None of my wrestlers had ever been on the Navajo Nation. It was a great experience. I'm jealous we could not attend this year.
And the facility is TOP NOTCH! You did an awesome job and the event we went to was only a summer competition. I'm sure you did a great job.

 

[FamousLie]

Battle for the Belt

Peoria

Flowing Wells

Reno TOC

Las Vegas

Because of scheduling conflicts I don't think you could go to all 5, but anyone who managed to do that would have a pretty battle tested team if they did.

 

[whenndoubtchokemout]

1. Reno TOC- you want elite competition, no other tournament on list is close. Good Venue.
2. Battle for the Belt- Best of the Best from CA. No joke tournament! Good venue
3. Las Vegas- tough competition and “its Vegas!” Great venue
4.Peoria- Toughest tournament in AZ, competition is getting better and better every year. Venue is average; however, Nickle and diming to make a buck is the negative.
5. Mile High- Competition took a dip after 2013, Elite teams left because seeding was one sided. Seems to be corrected and teams are returning. Great venue!

 

[chingon76]

Battle for the Belt

Peoria

Flowing Wells

Reno TOC

Las Vegas

Because of scheduling conflicts I don't think you could go to all 5, but anyone who managed to do that would have a pretty battle tested team if they did.

yeah scheduling is a pain...
we (MDN)did Red Mountain Duals, Moon Valley, Vegas Holiday, Flowing Wells, Payson Tim Van Horn this year. My favorites from this year vary but we definitely were bummed to have missed Mile High. We will scramble back to get that tournament next year.

 

[mvwrestling]

Rockwell Rumble @ Utah Valley State - One tough tournament!

 

[chingon76]

Rockwell Rumble @ Utah Valley State - One tough tournament!

I've heard of it. Those are some tough schools!