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ST. CLAIRSVILLE - Although boys' high school wrestling season is nearly four months away, the OVAC has released some changes to the 2027 Bill Hinegardner Dual Meet Championships.
The OVAC said in a release that per the coach’s committee at the April 2026 meeting, each No. 1 seed, which is based on the results of the underclassmen from the prior year Ron Mauck Tournament, will be offered the opportunity to host their respective division championship. If the No. 1 seed declines, then the No. 2, then No. 3, then No. 4 seeded teams will be offered the opportunity in that order.
The Class 1A/2A and Class 4A tournaments will be Wednesday, Jan. 6.
Shadyside, the two-time defending champions Class 1A/2A champions, received the top seed. Bridgeport (No. 2), Toronto (No. 3) and River (No. 4) make up the Class 1A/2A field..
The Class 4A foursome includes defending Class 3A kingpin Barnesville as the No. 1 seed. Western Belmont County rival Union Local received the No. 2, followed by Martins Ferry and Buckeye Local.
On Thursday, Jan. 7, the Class 3A and Class 5A squads will battle.
With Barnesville moving up to Class 4A, a new champion is assured in Class 3A that includes top-seeded Fort Frye, No. 2 Shenandoah, No. 3 Wheeling Central and fourth-seeded Bellaire.
Fourth-seeded Steubenville returns to defend its Class 5A crown, along with No. 1 John Marshall, No. 2 University and third-seeded Wheeling Park.
According to a release from the OVAC, prior to the 2027 Championships a ballot will be emailed to the four teams in each division to vote for the seeds of the teams. This is for the purpose of up to date results rather than relying on the results from the previous year. However, this does not change the location of the championships. The locations are based on the seeds from the prior year Ron Mauck Tournament.