The University Interscholastic League Wrestling State Tournament will take place at the Berry Center February 18-20, hosting the best high school wrestlers from across the state.

Over 500 wresters from dozens of schools across Texas will compete at the Berry Center for the state title, including 36 students from 10 Cy-Fair ISD high schools, said Ray Zepeda, associate athletic director for the district.

This weekend marks the first time the Berry Center will host a statewide UIL tournament. Officials with the district hope that the event will open the doors to hosting more UIL tournaments, such as women’s basketball and volleyball, Zepada said.

“I think that this will be a showcase event for CFISD this weekend and will expose our district to the UIL, as well as what we have to offer with the Berry Center, our local infrastructure, hotels, eateries and businesses,” Zepada said. “We hope that this is just the beginning for us.”

The size of the Berry Center allows CFISD to provide wrestlers with more competing space as well as mats for warm-ups—elements that set CFISD apart from venues that previously hosted the tournament, said Beth Wade, executive director of the Berry Center. The full service facility also offers full concession, locker rooms and high-quality lighting and sound, Wade said.

“Not many other facilities can offer what the Berry Center does,” Wade said. “It’s hard to win these [UIL] bids, but we're hoping that the wrestling tournament will open up the door to more state tournaments, which we feel that we’re more than capable of handling.”

Tournaments like the UIL wrestling tournament benefit more than just the school district, Zepada said.

“We have families from all over the state—from as far as The [Rio Grange] Valley to El Paso to Dallas—coming to this event,” he said. “We have a lot of people staying at hotels, eating at restaurants and availing themselves to our local businesses, and I think it's great to bring that many people to our community for the weekend.”