CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Clarion’s “Throwdown at the Theater” will be held on Sunday in Marwick-Boyd Auditorium.
The event begins at 1:00 p.m.
The Golden Eagles wrestling team will battle the Michigan State Spartans on the stage of the auditorium.
“We’re excited to bring what should be an exciting, and very different kind of event to our campus and our program,” head coach Keith Ferraro said. “It’s really nothing like anything we’ve tried here before, and I think that will make it a special moment for the athletes and our fans.”
The Marwick-Boyd Auditorium is a 1,500-seat venue located adjacent to Tippin Gymnasium on Clarion’s campus.
Ferraro explained that the idea has been done at other schools.
“We’re trying to think out of the box, do something different and build our fan base, build the program, the brand,” Ferraro said.
He also explained that the idea came from volunteer assistant coach Joe DeAngelo.
“Joe wrestled at North Carolina State and one of their matches was at Virginia Tech where they have done it with considerable success,” Ferraro said.
Marwick-Boyd features balcony seating as well as ground level seating closer to the stage.
The building is the home to the Department of Visual and Performing Arts and over the years it has hosted theater and musical performances, as well as speakers such as Spike Lee, Maya Angelou and others.
“We are delighted to be able to welcome Clarion fans and students to what should be a fun and exciting event at Marwick-Boyd Auditorium,” auditorium manager Robert Hoover said. “Hopefully those that have been there before will enjoy this one-of-a-kind experience, and those that haven’t will be encouraged to take in some of the other great events in the auditorium.”
Clarion is 4-6 after wins over Hofstra, West Liberty and George Mason. The Golden Eagles are led by redshirt sophomore Brock Zacherl, a former Brookville Area High School standout.
Zacherl is 15-2 and has won his last six matches.
The Spartans are 3-7.
Tickets for the match will remain at the normal price, with general admission for the public at $7.
All students, faculty and staff with a valid Clarion ID will still receive free admission to the match.
The entire lower level of the theater will serve as general admission, while the limited seats in the balcony must be reserved beforehand.
Members of the Clarion Pin Club will have a seat reserved in the balcony. All other fans must complete the online reservation form to get a seat in the balcony.
Balcony reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fans must complete the online reservation form for balcony seating and bring their payment for the tickets with them to the match. All seats left unclaimed 15 minutes before the start of the match will be released as general admission
