The 5th Toughest Tournament in the USA according to 
WrestlingReport.com 

No one could argue about the strength of the annual Powerade Christmas Wrestling Tournament.

The numbers overwhelmingly suggest how tough a tournament it is. The participating teams and wrestlers are as good as anywhere in the country for an in-season tournament.

It seems Powerade just gets better and better and stronger and stronger.

"I think we’re as strong as we ever have been," said Frank Vulcano Jr., tournament director since 1985. "It continues to be one of the top tournaments in the country."

The 36th annual Powerade Christmas Wrestling tournament will be held December 27-28, 2002 at Trinity High School. The tournament will feature 26 teams from all over Pennsylvania, and a handful of teams from the states of California, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

New teams entered this year include Cedar Cliff (Pa.) of District 3; Oxford (Pa.) of District 1; Clovis (Calif.); Ft. Leboeuf (Pa.) of District 10; Penn-Trafford of the WPIAL; and Warren County (Va.)

Teams returning to the field are Albert Gallatin, Burrell, Canon-McMillan, Chartiers-Houston, Chartiers Valley, Connellsville, Freedom, Mt. Pleasant, North Allegheny, Seneca Valley, Trinity, Waynesburg and West Allegheny of the WPIAL. Others are Colonial Forge (Va.), Dubois (Pa.) of District 9, Mt. St. Joseph (Md.), Parkersburg (W.Va.), Solon (Ohio), State College (Pa.) of District 6 and Walsh Jesuit (Ohio).

The Powerade Tournament has produced a PIAA champion the last 25 straight years.

The tournament, founded in 1967 by Frank Vulcano Sr., is respected throughout the state and country and is held between Christmas and New Year’s each December. When the tournament was known as the California University (PA.) Christmas Wrestling Tournament, it was held on the campus of the California Vulcans. 

Vulcano Sr., enjoyed a coaching tenure at California that spanned three decades. He compiled a 181-95-3 dual meet record as the Vulcans’ head coach from 1968 through 1984. He was an assistant at California in 1966 and 1967. 

As the tournament grew in size it also grew in stature. Vulcano, who directed the tournament from its inception, turned the reins over to his son, Frank Jr.
In 1995, the tournament’s name was changed after receiving a corporate sponsorship from Powerade and the Cameron Coca-Cola Co. in Washington. The venue has changed as the tournament was moved from California to Trinity. 

The tournament has hosted a number of great teams and outstanding individuals. A dozen wrestlers who participated in Powerade went on to capture NCAA or NAIA championships. In addition to Kosheck, a Waynesburg Area graduate, the list includes Bill DePaoli, California University (Pa.), a two-time NAIA champion; Nate Carr, a three-time NCAA Division I champion from Iowa State; Ken Hackman, a two-time NCAA Division II champion from California University (Pa.); Scott Collins, West Virginia University’s first NCAA division I champion; Oklahoma State’s Alan Fried, a 1994 NCAA Division I champion; two-time NCAA Division I and four-time PIAA champion and 2000 U.S. Olympian Cary Kolat of Lock Haven University; Iowa’s three-time NCAA Division I champion Joe Williams; Pitt-Johnstown’s Lee Schickel, a NCAA Division II champion; Teague Moore of Oklahoma State, a NCAA Division I champion in 1998; T.J. Williams, a two-time NCAA Division I champion from Iowa University, and Tony Davis, a national champion for Northern Iowa in 2000.

The tournament has produced a state champion every year since 1977. "The tournament is probably one of the oldest in the country," Vulcano, Jr. said. "And we think it is one of the premier tournaments in the country. This is something I wanted to continue and maintain the rich tradition it has.

"It’s an impressive list of state champions and NCAA champions who have participated in this tournament. Some have even gone beyond that and are on a world class level."

Ty Moore of North Allegheny is the only four-time Christmas tournament champion, but 10 others have captured three individual crowns.

Two of the most noteworthy championships in the tournament’s history came 10 years apart. In 1978, Nate Carr of Erie Tech captured the 155-pound title and in 1988, Cary Kolat of Jefferson-Morgan burst onto the scholastic scene by ripping through a series of accomplished wrestlers to claim the 119-pound title.

"To have a wrestler like Cary start his career in this tournament was very special," Vulcano, Jr. said. "There have been so many good ones, certainly Cary and Nate are two of the tops."

Some of the top wrestling programs in the country have participated in this tournament. Chartiers-Houston, which captured seven Christmas tournament championships, was also Pennsylvania state champions in 1982 and has participated since its inception. State championship teams who have participated were: Mt. Carmel, Illinois (3 Christmas tournament titles), North Allegheny, Pennsylvania (2 Christmas tournament titles), Clearfield, Pennsylvania (1 Christmas tournament title), St. Edwards, Ohio ( 1 Christmas tournament title), Brandon, Florida, Danville, Pennsylvania, Parkersburg, West Virginia, Poquoson, Virginia, Walsh Jesuit, Ohio.

The 2000 tournament’s corporate sponsor is Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Eastern Great Lakes, a Coca-Cola Enterprises company located in Houston, PA.

The championship finals will be held at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 29.

By John E. Sacco
Senior Writer
Pittsburgh Sports Report, pghsports.com