Jason Crawford tournament returns

SPOKANE — It began 42 years ago with an idea and 17 boys in the gymnasium at Medical Lake High School.

On Saturday, April 8, at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, a projected 2,000 “little guy” wrestlers will compete at the Jason Crawford Memorial Tournament.

It’s the first time in three years the massive tournament has taken place due to coronavirus shutdown mandates.

Doors open for the event at 7 a.m. with admission $10.

Named in honor of a young wrestler who was killed in an automobile accident in 1986, the Crawford Memorial once toyed with inclusion in the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the largest tournament of its kind with 1,400 participants.

But red tape and $12,000 worth of fees required for certification pinned that effort.

The idea of “Little Guy Wrestling” was born of the passion Medical Lake resident Wayne Terry had for wrestling for the better part of a half century. It caters to competitors ages 5-14 and includes nearly 1,000 girls.

After Terry, a 1968 Medical Lake High School grad, organized the Medical Lake Mat Maulers in 1983, the program grew slowly at first but has since mushroomed.

“There were no other teams,” Terry recalled until for following year when Chewelah formed a club. Next came Colville, Liberty and by the fifth year Wilbur with 150 kids in the program.

Out of those humble beginnings came the Washington State Little Guy Wrestling League which now numbers 92 teams. Dozens more similar teams compete in Idaho.

Terry suggests that because of this work developing young wrestlers has grown the sport in popularity and ability.

“This whole area is just tough because of the amount of mat time these kids have by the time they get to high school,” Terry said.

The Crawford Tournament emerges from its COVID hiatus even stronger.

“Before COVID, our league was between 4,600 and 4,700 kids,” Terry said. “We had 1,671 attend the Jason Crawford (in 2019).”

The journey from the Medical Lake guy has taken the Crawford first to Eastern Washington University’s Pavilion for 20-plus years, then Gonzaga University for two and the Spokane Convention Center for another nine.

“Then we went one year to the Arena and then COVID hit and we missed three years,” Terry said.

Saturday’s festivities will mark Terry’s final days as president of the Washington Little Guy Wrestling League, but he will still run the Crawford Tournament and the Mat Maulers club program.