2026 Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling 12th Annual Junior High State Championships    
A.                A Note to Wrestlers:   Congratulations on your quest to be a contender for a PA Junior Wrestling Junior High State Championship. The Tournament Committee, Area II, and the City of Johnstown welcome you to the First Summit Arena at The Cambria County War Memorial for the 12th Annual PA Junior High State Championship Tournament. We hope you have a memorable experience as you compete for the gold. Best of luck to all!!!

 B.                A Note to the Wrestling Families:   Johnstown is very excited to host the PJW Jr. High State Championship Tournament, and we are all working hard to make this experience a memorable one for the wrestlers and their families. Hopefully, you will find Johnstown a very hospitable and friendly city with plenty of accommodations and things to do. If there are any suggestions on how to improve things for next year, please email them to George LeGrand (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). 

C.               Tournament Location:   The 2026 PJW Sate Championship Tournament will be held at First Summit Arena at The Cambria County War Memorial, located at 326 Napoleon St. Johnstown, PA 15901. 

D.               Schedule: Please note that Days 1 & 2 will consist of split sessions.   
Session 1:       Friday, February 27 at 3:00 PM (Boys 82 – 132)                         Preliminary Rounds 1 & 2                           
Session 2:       Friday, February 27 at 6:00 PM (Boys 140 – 252)                         Preliminary Rounds 1 & 2 
Session 3:       Saturday, February 28 at 8:00 AM (Boys 82 – 132 & Girls 82 - 122)                         Boy’s Consy Rd. 1 through Boy’s & Girl’s QF & Consy Rds. 3 (Girls) & 5  (Boys) 
Session 4:       Saturday, February 28 at 2:00 PM (Boys 140 – 252 & Girl’s (127 - 222)                         Boy’s consy Rd. 1 through Boy’s & Girl’s QF & Consy Rds. 3 (Girls) & 5 (Boys)                                                
Session 5:       Sunday, March 1 at 9:00 AM (All wrestlers)                         Semi-finals through Consy Rds. 6 (Girls) & 7 (Boys)               
Session 6:       Sunday, March 1 at 1:00 PM Championships (All Wrestlers)  
A detailed schedule by rounds & times will be made available in the wrestler’s weigh in packets and in the program.  All times are tentative and based on the tournament flow. Please be at the arena at least 1 hour in advance of the posted starting time.                      

E.                 General Admissions Costs:   $40.00 Adult All Sessions                  $20.00 Adult Single Session $20.00 Student All Sessions               $10.00 Student Single Session Children 5 & Under admitted free Please note that lost or destroyed admission passes will not be replaced.   Tickets and programs may be purchased during weigh-ins at the First Summit Arena on Friday starting at the beginning of weigh-ins and at the Arena on Saturday and Sunday.   

F.                 Weigh-ins:   Friday, February 27 at the First Summit Arena.... 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM. For boys and girls (Flat Weight) Friday, February 27 Optional weigh-in for girls only at the arena: 5:00 – 7:00 PM (Flat weight) Saturday, February 28: No Weigh-ins Sunday, March 1, at the First Summit Arena from 7:00 – 8:00 AM for all wrestlers competing on Sunday. (There will be a 2 lb. weight allowance for this weigh in.)   ·       At the Friday weigh-in, each wrestler will be given a weigh-in packet, which will contain information about the tournament. ·       There will be no weight allowance on Friday, but there will be a 2 lb. allowance on Sunday. The decisions of weigh-in officials are final. ·       There will be a physician on site to review any skin issues. ·       In the event that you have a pre-existing skin issue, you must provide a completed and current PJW skin form, signed by a qualified Physician, before you are cleared to wrestle. The skin form can be found on the PJW website at www.pajw.org     ·       In the event that you have a skin issue and do not have a PJW skin form, or your PJW skin form is not current, the onsite physician’s determination will be final. 

G.              Apparel:   Tournament apparel will be sold during weigh-ins and throughout the tournament at the Arena. 

H.              Locker Facilities:   Locker facilities are available at the Arena. There will be specific locker rooms available for wrestlers to change and shower with signs identifying them. These locker rooms will be closely monitored by the tournament security staff, and no misconduct or vandalism will be tolerated. Personal items should not be left in the locker rooms. Area II, Cambria County War Memorial, and the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Committee will not be responsible for lost or stolen items from these facilities.     

I.                     Concessions:   The Arena concessions will be operating throughout the tournament for spectator convenience. The concessions are operated solely by Cambria County War Memorial.  PJW and Area II are in no way affiliated with these concessions. Health food and drinks will be available for the wrestlers and fans.   You are not permitted to bring food or drinks into the arena from the outside. All bags will be inspected.  

J.                    Parking:   There is ample parking within walking distance of the arena. Parking will be free on the streets after 5:00 PM Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday. Parking will also be available in the Intermodal Transportation Center Garage, which is located behind the Pasquerilla Conference Center. The address is 316 Vine Street, Johnstown, PA 15901. There is a  daily fee at this facility. There are 2 additional parking garages within walking distance with little or no charge. A detailed parking map is available on the tournament website.     

K.                General Information:   Ø  Medals will be awarded to the top 8 place finishers for boys & girls. Ø  Wrestling will begin promptly at 3:00 PM Friday, 8:00 AM Saturday and 9:00 AM Sunday. Ø  Wrestlers will be called to the staging area 30 minutes prior to starting times. Ø  Please do not go to the warm up / staging area prior to being called on the PA system. Ø  Please be aware of the rule concerning forfeits for not reporting to staging or the wrestling mat in a timely manner. A copy of that rule will be in your weigh in packet and in the program. Ø  Championship bouts will be 4:30 in length (3 periods of 1:30) Ø  Consolation bouts will be 4:00 in length (3 periods of 1:00-1:30-1:30) Ø  Overtime will be 1:00-:30-:30-:30 (as necessary) Ø  Access to the Arena floor is restricted to wrestlers and coaches. Ø  Only 2 coaches per wrestler will be allowed to enter the Arena floor and only 2 coaches are permitted in the corners. Any additional coaches in corners will be immediately escorted from the floor area. There will be no coach’s bands. The 2 coaches per wrestler rule will be policed at staging and on the mat. Wrestlers who will be coached by a club coach who is on the floor should only have 1 coach enter the floor through staging with them. The 2 coaches per corner rule will be strictly enforced. We need to do this to alleviate congestion in the wrestling area, assure spectators’ views are not hindered and to abide by PJW rules. Please don’t risk missing your young wrestler’s match by violating this rule!    Ø  PJW and PIAA Rules will be strictly enforced. Ø  Wrestlers, Coaches, Parents and Spectators are expected to demonstrate good sportsmanship and conduct on and off the mats. Unsportsmanlike conduct will be penalized. Misconduct in any form, including destroying or defacing War Memorial Arena facilities, Hotels, Motels, Restaurants, etc. will result in eviction and prosecution. Ø  

The War Memorial Arena will remove any noise makers, laser pointers, or weapons at the entrance. All bags will be searched at the entrance gates for the protection of all wrestlers and fans. Ø  

The arena will inspect cameras being brought into the venue. Cameras with telephoto lenses are prohibited for the safety and privacy of the athletes. Ø  No outside food or drinks are permitted to be brought into the Arena and/or Tournament. Ø  

Good luck to all wrestlers!