YORK, PA - The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomes the return of Tyrant Wrestling's Columbus Day Duals wrestling competition this weekend at the York Expo Center's Utz Arena. The event is an economic boon for York County, generating an estimated economic payoff of $655,000 for the community as athletes and their families come for the weekend's wrestling events.

Beginning on Saturday, the two-day duals will feature elementary, middle school, and high school division students from 15 states, including: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Connecticut, Maryland, West Virginia, Florida, Delaware and Ohio. Wrestlers will also hail from Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Illinois and Arizona.

About 1,300 wrestlers will participate in this two-day team competition. This event is growing in popularity as there are 76 participating teams, eight more than the previous year.  The Columbus Day Duals is the largest pre-season dual meet tournament in the country.

"This is a great opportunity to introduce young athletes to York County," said Laura Gurreri, Sales Director for the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We are announcing that York County will host this youth tournament the next two years for a grand total of five years, providing a significant economic impact that will benefit our community."

The duals are open for the public to attend. Wrestling begins at 1 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 per day for adults and free for children.

"Hosting youth sports offers the greatest return on investment, considering the compounding economic potential for our community," said Anne Druck, President of the York County CVB. "Youth athletes have the greatest opportunities to return as visitors, students and residents, ensuring York County's vitality for years to come."

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Sport York initiative is designed to recruit events and generate additional economic impact in York County. Sport York positions York County as Pennsylvania's Premier Sports Destination, highlighting the area's dynamic facilities and central location on the East Coast. For more information about Sport York, visit www.yorkpa.org/sports. 

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Mission is to maximize tourism expenditures and their economic impact in York County, PA, through comprehensive tourism sales and marketing programs. The York County CVB's Vision is for a York County where tourism is recognized for the value of its economic impact and its role in raising the profile of York County as a sought-after destination. For more information on the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau, call 1-888-858-9675 or visit www.yorkpa.org. 

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