Is there a more appropriate day to celebrate the sport of wrestling than 2.22.22 in Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty? (For those unaware, a wrestler scores two points when a takedown is made and, especially inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, a loud exclamation of “Two!” is shouted by the home crowd).

Think Iowa City and the Iowa City Area Sports Commission worked with the Mayors of Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty to collectively and officially declare February 22, 2022 (2.22.22), at 2:22 pm as Wrestling Appreciation Day in each city. “I appreciate each of the Mayors for taking the time to work together to make this, admittedly tongue-in-cheek, declaration,” said Josh Schamberger, President of Think Iowa City and the Iowa City Area Sports Commission.

Collectively branded as #WrestlingTownUSA, the area has hosted the 2012 and 2016 US Olympic Wrestling Team trials, the 2015 Grapple on the Gridiron which attracted the world record setting crowd of 42,287 fans in Kinnick Stadium, the 2018 UWW Freestyle World Cup, the 2021 and 2022 Iowa Girls High School State Wrestling Tournament, the upcoming 2022 and 2023 UWW Freestyle World Cup events, which for the first time will include men and women competing on the same stage, and where it was announced that the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union would officially sanction girls wrestling just last month.

Each cities’ proclamation states: Whereas, the greater community is unofficially the world record holder for the loudest simultaneous exclamation of the word “Two!” when a wrestler earns a two-point takedown inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, therefore making this day the most appropriate day possible for this official proclamation.