Thank You, Salisbury!!!!!

In just 36 hours since word went out on SBYNews.com and in today's The Daily Times, we have commitments for ALL 14 weight classes, plus an additional $1,000 from the U.S. Navy Recruiting Office in Ocean City, who will be on-site for the weekend.

Those businesses and groups who stepped up to the plate include:

Common Grounds, a Fair Trade Coffee House opening in March at Mill Pond Village across from Toys-R-Us. They sponsored an incredible FOUR weight classes! Go drink some coffee in March! 

Delmarva Wrestling Club, under the direction of Homer King, will sponsor a weight class.

Harvard Manufacturing has committed to sponsoring two weight classes.

Atlantic Lighting & Sign has committed to sponsoring two weight classes.

Delmarva Auto Glass will sponsor a weight class, as will Tapman's Refrigeration, Capital Choice Financial Group, Fraternal Order of Police Wicomico Lodge 111 and the Wicomico High School Faculty and Staff.

I can't tell you how much this will help local high school wrestling. We're bringing in 17 teams from across two states, including 7 state-ranked wrestlers from MD and another 5 from Delaware. There have been 6 wrestlers who've won states the year they didn't win the Delmarva Classic - that's how tough this tournament can be!

I appreciate all the individuals, organizations and businesses that have come together to help high school wrestling on the Lower Eastern Shore. I do want to thank Wicomico County Tourism and the staff at the Civic Center - they are doing all they can to help, and are making this event's logistics a lot easier to manage. They will be one of the reasons this event will be so successful this year.

And thanks to SBYNews.com and The Daily Times for getting the word out. This would have not been possible without the interest and help of Joe Albero and Daily Times' Sports Editor Shawn Yonker.

Join us at the Civic Center starting at 2:30 on Friday, Jan 16th and again starting at 9:30 Saturday January 17th. Finals should begin at 6 p.m. Saturday. Varsity and junior varsity wrestling will occur through Friday afternoon and evening and just about all day Saturday. Admission is $10 per day or $15 for the weekend.

-Bill Duck
delmarvaclassic@verizon.net