Midlands Wrestling Tournament Cancelled

No. 12 Rutgers Wrestling was due to compete at the 58th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Tournament beginning on December 29th, but the COVID-19 pandemic is once again impacting the wrestling season, as the tournament has now been cancelled.

The representatives that sponsor the tournament have said it won’t be rescheduled for this year and they anticipate holding the tournament again in 2022.

For Rutgers, who have been off from competition since a December 10th dual against Army, will now stretch that break into 2022 as the next scheduled competition is slated for January 7th at 7pm against Indiana at Jersey Mike’s Arena in Piscataway.

That dual also represents the genesis of the Big Ten portion of Rutgers’ schedule, so here’s hoping things get under control quickly with regards to this latest COVID-19 situation.

In positive news around the team, the Scarlet Knight Wrestling Club (SKWC), which provides training opportunities for NJ athletes and is attached to the Rutgers Program, has hired legendary head coach Jeff Buxton to lead the club going forward.

Buxton was the head coach at prep powerhouse Blair Academy for 30 years, winning a prep title each year. Coach Buxton also coached the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club since 2012 and has coached at the Senior World Championships.