WATERLOO - Jeff Frost is a wrestling guy.

Frost has wrestled on the prep and collegiate levels, coached at the prep level and helps host two annual high school wrestling tournaments - the Dan Gable Invitational and Bob Siddens Duals - as part of his duties as Waterloo West's athletics director.

But it was shortly after his alma mater, Don Bosco of Gilbertville, returned from the 2008 Clash National High School dual wrestling tournament last year that Frost began to brainstorm a similar tournament that could be held in Waterloo.

"As a wrestling fan, and my alma mater competing in it, I followed it pretty closely," Frost said of the Clash. "I liked the concept and thought it was a neat event.

"At the same time, when you think of wrestling in the state of Iowa, you think of Waterloo.

"Honestly between Columbus, East and West, we have won more state championships and had more individual champions than any city in Iowa.

"And with the Dan Gable Museum here in town, I thought what better way would there be to honor the history of wrestling in Waterloo than to hold a wrestling tournament like this?"

Enlisting help from Aundra Meeks and Brenton Shavers, athletic directors at Columbus and East, respectively, along with the likes of Aaron Buzza and Dawn Breakenridge of the Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mark Gallagher of the Cedar Valley Sports Commission, Chris Dolan of Young Arena and Mike Chapman and Kent Sesker from the Gable Museum, the Battle of Waterloo came to life.

The 32 team, all-Iowa, dual tournament will be contested for the first time Dec. 17-18 in 2010.

"It is going to be a wonderful event and were really looking forward to it," Buzza said. "I think it is really a unique event given the fact we are a strong wrestling community and we will be able to draw on … expose the history of wrestling here in Waterloo to a large audience.

"It gives us an opportunity to celebrate a sport that people from Cedar Valley are passionate about and people from this area are passionate about."

Frost sent a letter to 64 prospective teams across the state in January to gauge an interest for such a tournament. The response was overwhelming as within a couple of weeks he had 32 teams committed and a waiting list to get in forming.

"We want to make it an annual event and a premier event at the high school level in the state of Iowa," Frost said. "With that said, we're making it an Iowa only tournament and not a national-level tournament like the Clash.

"We feel we have enough tradition in Waterloo and the state of Iowa that we don't need to make it national."

The Battle of Waterloo will follow the Clash format.

Frost formulated much of the tournament's concept based on conversations with the organizers of the Clash.

The tournament will feature four eight-team brackets on day one, with the tournament broken into eight four-team brackets on day two.

Of the original commitment list, Frost has gathered teams from all three of Iowa's wrestling classifications - 1A, 2A and 3A.

"It's not the best 32 teams," Frost said. "That isn't the case at the Clash, either. The Clash brings in some elite teams from across the nation, but they also have local teams who may not match up well with the nation's elite, but can compete on day two in a lower bracket.

"The team that wins bracket eight is going to get the same trophy that the winner of the top bracket will receive."

While the response to compete in the tournament was enthusiastic, Frost said tournament organizers decided to host the first tournament in 2010 to allow teams to get out of existing contracts.

Two of the three state team champions from 2009 have committed to the tournament - Don Bosco and Waverly-Shell Rock - as well as several other traditional powers

Celebrating the history of Waterloo wrestling will be at the forefront of the Battle of Waterloo.

"We are going to throw out the red carpet and make this a big celebration," Frost said. "We're going to have a Grand March. The teams are going to meet big-time wrestling dignitaries … Olympic champs.

"We are going to really celebrate the history of wrestling in Waterloo and its traditions."

Buzza and the Cedar Valley Sports Commission is working with Frost and tournament organizers to apply for grants that will help defray costs of hosting the event.

"It's great how all parties have come together to help make this a reality," Buzza said.

Contact Jim Nelson at (319) 291-1521 or jim.nelson@wcfcourier.com