Hatcher ready for first AAA-sanctioned State Wrestling Meet

A dream has become reality for Little Rock businessman Greg Hatcher. For three years he's fought to introduce wrestling to Arkansas high schools. The sport takes a giant leap when the first Arkansas Activities Association sanctioned state meet convenes Friday at the Jack Stephens Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Wrestling was a club sport for two years before last summer when AAA members voted to sanction it. "I love picking up the paper and seeing some wrestling results," said Hatcher after a news conference Monday at the Jack Stephens Center. "It's a great feeling seeing it take off. I would hire wrestlers because wrestlers have to go out one-on-one in combat with no one to bail them out. That takes a different kind of kid that knows he could get embarrassed in front of his buddies. What I like about wrestling is you have to give a great effort, but you won't win them all. There's only one guy here that may go undefeated. "It's a great sport, and I'm glad the kids in Arkansas are getting to experience it." Hatcher, an Arkansas businessman and former college wrestler, has run the past two state tournaments. Former Oklahoma State four-time champion NCAA Champion Pat Smith helped last season after moving to Little Rock to teach at Hatcher's Arkansas Wrestling Academy. However, Hatcher and Smith are turning the event over to a host school next year. The AAA will decide where the event is held. Hatcher said rotating the venue would allow Northwest Arkansas schools to play host, but said, "You can't improve on the Stephens Center for a high school state wrestling meet." "The AAA will be here and get to see it, and they make the decision to bring it back here," he said. "We've spent a lot of time getting things ready. But, next year all of our efforts will be helping new schools get wrestling." What AAA officials will see is a meet patterned after the Big 12 and NCAA meets. "We went to both of them and took things from each of them and added our own twists," Hatcher said. The meet features six mats with scorer's tables covered with colorful cloths. A.L. Haizlip announces the meet for the second straight year. Haizlip has announced the Big 12 Conference meets and NAIA National Wrestling Championships. He's also announced Oklahoma meets since 1991. Hatcher said the competition on the mat will match the accommodations. The number of wrestlers doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 the past year making competition fiercer. "The first year if a kind ran into an accomplished wrestler he'd get murdered," Hatcher said. "That's why a lot of the matches ended in pints because somebody would make a mistake, and they would pay for it. The second year got better and better. We had some kids that were accomplished wrestlers that moved in the state and had a huge advantage, but now there are no gimmes because we have better coaches and better wrestlers and much better athletes coming out for the sport. Whenever you have 100 wrestlers competing for 14 starting spots, you are going to have good wrestlers." Wrestlers will compete in two classes — 6A-7A and 1A-5A. Last year the divisions were 7A-5A and 1A-4A. SCHEDULE Friday, Feb. 13 Afternoon/Evening Session: 5 to 10 p.m. (Session I)