LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Little Rock wrestling schedule has officially been announced by head coach
Neil Erisman, with the Trojans preparing for another loaded slate of competition after seeing depth and growth in their third season the last year.
View the full schedule here.
"This is probably the best schedule we have put together since the inception of our program," said Coach Erisman. "It is still extremely tough and competitive, plus it is going to give a great chance to compete at a high level and win at a high level. We are really excited to compete this year and can't wait to see our fans come out!"
Little Rock wrestling kicks off season four at home, hosting in-state DII Ouachita Baptist at the Jack Stephens Center on Tuesday, November 1. This will be the first dual between the Trojans and the Tigers, but the second time Ouachita Baptist visits Little Rock, as the team participated in last year's Trojan Open tournament at the Jack.
"Starting off our season against another Arkansas team is great for us," added Coach Erisman. "It is also great for our state as we hope to see a lot of Arkansas kids competing."
The Trojans will go right into wrestling with the heavy hitters that weekend, traveling to Jacksonville, Florida for the inaugural Battle in the River City event on Saturday, November 5. Little Rock will take on Iowa State, Campbell and Chattanooga in a one-day round robin dual match where each team will wrestle against three other Division I teams. Buffalo and Wisconsin will also be in attendance, and the entire event will be streamed on Rokfin.
"Our Florida event is really unique, and we're going to have great competition," said Coach Erisman. "Bringing Division I wrestling to a state that does not have a program is awesome. It brings awareness, visibility and will show the passion for the sport. I hope to see a lot of Little Rock Trojan fans in Jacksonville."
Two additional tournaments will give the Trojans some competition variety in November, as Little Rock will wrestle in the Tiger Style Tournament and the Lindenwood Open on November 12 and 19, respectively. The Mizzou-hosted Tiger Style Tournament will take place at Staley High School in Kansas City, Missouri, while newly-elevated Division I Lindenwood will host their annual tournament on their campus.
The lone Division I dual in November will be on the road, with the Trojans returning to Norman, Oklahoma on Friday, November 18. It will be another chance for Little Rock to test their starting lineup ahead of a packed dual season as well as the first chance to avenge an opponent that Little Rock has taken on twice before.
December will begin with the annual Cougar Clash, an invitational hosted by SIUE. Last year, Little Rock finished fourth out of six teams, only half a point behind third place Brown.
The next opportunity to see the Trojans at home will be on Sunday, December 18, as North Dakota State will visit the Jack Stephens Center for the first time. It should be one last chance for the team to have ample rest before Little Rock begins a heavy stretch of competition in January.
The Trojans will return to the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee to launch the new year on January 1 and 2, earning one weekend off before spending the next five weekends wrestling at least one dual per weekend.
Fans of Little Rock wrestling will get four chances to see the team at home in January, so mark your calendars now. Friday, January 13 will see the Lindenwood Lions travel to Little Rock for a dual before the Trojans begin their conference schedule on Sunday, January 15 against familiar Pac-12 foes Oregon State. The following weekend, Little Rock will host Northern Colorado on Sunday, January 22, a Big 12 team that sent three wrestlers to Nationals last season. The month of home duals will end on Saturday, January 28 with Stanford making the trip to the Jack Stephens Center for another Pac-12 match.
February will be flipped, as the Trojans will be on the road for five away duals. Kicking off the stretch are a weekend of Pac-12 competition, beginning at Arizona State on Friday, February 3. Little Rock will quickly travel to California for a pair of duals on Sunday, February 5, facing Cal Poly before driving over to CSU-Bakersfield. The final back-to-back dual day of the month will take place on Saturday, February 11 in Edwardsville, Illinois, as the Trojans will compete against both SIUE, a familiar opponent, and Ohio, a new rival for the team.
The team will have a few weeks to gear up for the Pac-12 Championships, with the tournament returning to Stanford on March 4. It will be the second time that the championship event will be hosted by the Cardinal during Little Rock's tenure, as the Trojans participated in the first-ever Pac-12 conference tournament at Stanford during their inaugural sesason. Postseason will continue for select wrestlers at the NCAA Championships, held in nearby Tulsa, Oklahoma from March 16-18.
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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