THE FOLLOWING IS A NEWS-GAZETTE STORY BY JENNIFER BAILEY
DANVILLE — Danville Area Community College, which has been rolling out the red carpet for county basketball and volleyball tournaments the last few years, will roll out something new Thursday.
Wrestling mats.
For the first time, the Vermilion Valley Conference Wrestling Meet will play out at DACC, adding to the school’s growing list of prep events.
DACC doesn’t have a wrestling program, but Salt Fork and Hoopeston Area offered to bring their wrestling mats to Mary Miller Gym for Thursday’s tournament.
The atmosphere will be great, Salt Fork Principal Darin Chambliss said, adding that, “DACC puts on a great show.”
Chambliss is a member of the Vermilion County High School Principal’s Association, which has been putting on county basketball tournaments for more than 50 years.
The group has been pleased with the decision to move the event to DACC in 2023.
Association President Kevin Thomas, principal at Georgetown-Ridge Farm, said attendance has been strong during pool play.
On championship nights, it’s standing room only for the cheering fans, he said.
“It’s been well attended and a great tradition …,” he said.
“It’s a tradition for us, and all the county schools enjoy being a part of it.”
DACC athletic director Tim Bunton said they’re ready for the one-day wrestling tournament that starts at 4 p.m.
“This is new for us. They asked. We enjoy hosting the county,” Bunton said.
Bunton said DACC provides the locker rooms, officials and media, video board, and the DACC softball team runs concessions.
“It’s a normal game day for us,” Bunton said.
He said a big night for DACC also is when rival Parkland College teams visit, which will be tonight before the wrestling tournament, for DACC’s women’s and men’s basketball teams.
Everyone enjoys seeing the DACC gym’s bleachers filled with spectators.
Bunton said, “the more, the merrier,” about attendance at the county tournaments.
He, too, said DACC benefits from hosting the tournaments by bringing families to campus.
“It’s great to bring schools and kids and families that may not come to our campus,” Bunton said.
Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin wrestling head coach Phil Benjamin said they’ll have 11 male wrestlers at the tournament. Their lone female wrestler will not be competing because she’s injured, Benjamin reported.
Benjamin said they’re looking forward to the tournament being at DACC. He said it’s a good venue, good atmosphere and has more bleachers.
He too said DACC makes the individuals and teams feel special, putting them up on the big video scoreboard.
The Vermilion County basketball tournaments run Jan. 17-25, with the boys’ and girls’ teams alternating nights.
The Vermilion County Cheerleading Competition is Jan. 18.
Thomas and Chambliss said the facilities team at DACC also has been great to work with, and “they do a great job” with their experience with the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament that DACC has hosted for 31 years.
Thomas, who played in the county basketball tournament and then coached in the tournament for about nine years, now gets to see it from a different perspective.
The principal’s association asked DACC to also host the wrestling tournament this year due to the successes of the county basketball and volleyball tournaments there.
Previously, the wrestling tournament would take place at a host high school.
“It’s a great neutral site, and fans and the kids enjoy being out there and for the festivities,” Thomas said about the DACC complex.
“It’s a win for everyone.”
He said DACC has media day for the county and conference kids, taking photos and video of the athletes for the video board.
“DACC kind of rolls out the red carpet and exceeded our expectations to make the kids feel important,” Chambliss said, adding that smaller schools can’t do that.
“It’s more of a production than individual high schools may do.”
Chambliss added that when they moved the basketball tournaments from the David S. Palmer Arena, it’s a little more intimate than the arena, and they had such a positive experience at DACC and with the DACC leadership.
He said the principals asked, why not piggyback the wrestling tournament too at DACC, with basketball and volleyball.
“It worked out nice …,” he said.
For information on tournament tickets, contact the DACC Jaguar Box Office through https://danvillejaguars.com/sports/2022/6/29/jaguar-box-office.aspx. Tickets also will be available at the door.
Vermilion County Basketball Tournament t-shirt sales also are taking place.
FOR COMPLETE ACCESS TO NEWS-GAZETTE STORY PLEASE GO TO https://www.news-gazette.com/news/dacc-opens-its-doors-for-county-wrestlers/article_dc25baf6-cd10-11ef-8dd8-5b905f42fa94.html
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