A wrestling tournament is set to begin Friday. College Township wants to shut it down
College Township officials scrambled Friday to shut down a three-day wrestling tournament projected to bring in more than 1,100 people from at least 12 states in violation of state orders and municipal law.
The tournament, which began 5 p.m. Friday, “clearly places this community in danger of future COVID-19 transmissions,” township Manager Adam Brumbaugh wrote in a statement.
The Olympic Club Duals are scheduled to be held at C3 Sports Complex, 200 Ellis Place. The facility is owned by Christ Community Church, which did not respond to a request for comment.
The indoor tournament is set to feature 64 teams, each with multiple coaches and between 12 and 19 wrestlers per team. About 42 security and administrative personnel, along with 33 referees, are also scheduled to attend.
Parents and “numerous Division I” wrestling coaches were also invited, Brumbaugh wrote. The state does not allow more than 25 people to gather indoors or more than 250 people to gather outdoors.
“College Township does not begrudge the young men and women choosing to attend this tournament, the right to compete or display their talents. Nor does College Township begrudge a beleaguered local hotel industry an opportunity to fill rooms. But now is the wrong time and place to be doing so,” Brumbaugh wrote. “It is reckless to risk a super-spreader event, and College Township is deeply concerned for the health and welfare of our residents and the residents of Centre County and disappointed that this event has not been canceled.”
The township became aware of the event Thursday. A citizen reported the tournament to State College police, who later alerted the township.
The township does not have legal authority to quash the event, Brumbaugh wrote. He instead called on Gov. Tom Wolf, the state Health Department and the state attorney general’s office.
“As we know, the Centre Region is currently struggling under the return of 45,000 students to our community and the health and well-being of the Centre Region hangs by a threat,” Brumbaugh wrote.
The state’s top prosecutor would not have authority to intervene without being asked by Wolf’s administration or the DOH, spokesperson Jacklin Rhoads wrote in a statement.
State College police have authority to issue citations and levy fines against tournament organizers, Wolf spokesperson Lyndsay Kensinger wrote in a statement.
“At what point does an event become so egregious that they have to stop it before it happens? I think that’s what a lot of people are asking about this one,” county Commissioner Mike Pipe said. “... There’s not a single person I’ve talked to that is OK with this. It’s very, very alarming.”
Olympic Club Duals Director Curt Krazer pushed back against the township’s efforts Friday, saying organizers are following “every protocol” and turning away those who don’t comply.
The organization plans to conduct temperature checks and require everyone to wear masks. Those who are actively wrestling do not have to wear a mask, Krazer said.
Wrestlers and their families are also expected to be ushered outside when they’re not wrestling. The rotating system should allow for about two-thirds of attendees to be outside, which would still be in violation of the state’s guidelines.
“This ain’t the first tournament done during quarantine,” Krazer said. “We’re being super, super strict.”
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 1:49 PM.