Oxford-Greene’s Christian Paden (graduated) and Sherburne-Earlville’s Nick Miller go head-to-head in a match for Chenango County in the 2022 Clyde Cole Tournament. Miller returns as a sophomore and will join several other local wrestlers in the tournament’s 60th year this weekend. (Photo by Claudia Tefft)

OXFORD –  The 60th annual Clyde Cole wrestling tournament, cosponsored by the Oxford Rotary Club and Oxford Academy schools, will be held at the high school gym on Friday, Dec. 1st and wrap up on Saturday the 2nd.

The idea for the tournament came about in 1963, named after rotarian Clyde Cole, who guided the Oxford Academy wrestling team throughout the 1930s and 1940s and made a great impact on the sport during his time.

This year’s tournament welcomes 18 teams, including local Oxford-Greene, Norwich, Sherburne-Earlville, Bainbridge-Guilford/Afton/Harpursville, and Sidney, along with Chenango Forks and Vestal. Other powerhouses outside the area include Carthage, Queensbury, and Shenendehowa. The tournament is also can be expected once again as one of the strongest in the area and provide tough competition early to start the 2023 season.

The tournament officially begins with preliminary matches at 5 p.m. after weigh-ins starting at 3:30 on Friday before quarterfinals from around 7:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday’s semi-finals begin at 9:30 a.m. followed by consolation matches. Finals should take place around 6 p.m. with the awards to follow by 9 p.m. Saturday’s schedule may change and start earlier in the day if time allows.

Special awards this year include a team championship trophy, a runner-up team trophy, Olympic style medals and jackets for all first-place finishers and medals for second and third place finishers. Additional awards include an Outstanding wrestler plaque (voted by coaches and referees), a Pin plaque (most pins in the shortest time), the Director’s plaque (champion with least amount of points scored against), and the Sportsmanship plaque, which is awarded to the wrestler who displays the best sportsmanship qualities.

The Oxford Rotary will also provide concessions, featuring candy, beverages, and food including pizza, chili, and hot dogs. All the tournament proceeds will go to the club to support Community service projects, especially projects for the youth of the community, including the Rotary International Student Exchange program, student scholarships, and even the Oxford-Greene wrestling team itself.

Admission will be charged both days of the tournament per session (Friday, Saturday’s semis, and Saturday’s finals) with adults charged $4 and students $3. Fans attending both days are advised to purchase a tournament pass, which includes all sessions as well as a tournament program. The tournament pass is $10 for adults and $6 for students and can be purchased at the door Friday night.

The local community looks forward to the Clyde Cole tournament each year, and because of this cooperation from the community, school, and Rotary Club, the tournament continues to flourish.

For anyone interested in knowing more about the Oxford Rotary Club or is interested in joining, please contact Rotarian Terry Stark at 607-743-0679.

Good luck to all wrestlers.

-Information from the Rotary Club