War Of The Roses

The War of the Roses was founded in 2009 by Brent Harvey to give girls meaningful opportunities to wrestle other girls at a time when many had none. Long before wrestling was widely supported for girls, Brent traveled across the country hosting all-girls tournaments—often at a financial loss—because he believed the sport needed such opportunities as these to grow. In 2016, Brent brought the War of the Roses to Indiana and together with Indiana Girls Wrestling, we helped grow what became the USA Girls Folkstyle Preseason Nationals. When the girls’ division was not given equal recognition elsewhere, Brent stood firm in his belief that female athletes deserved a tournament of their own—one run with respect and purpose. Following Brent’s tragic passing in October 2017, just one week before the event, we made the decision to move forward in his honor, continuing the tournament as he would have wanted. That commitment remains today. What began with fewer than 60 wrestlers has grown into the War of the Roses Midwest Nationals, now hosted at Circle K Fieldhouse in Columbus, Indiana, which in 2025 featured more than 1,600 athletes and 50+ K-12 teams with 26 weight classes and two divisions annually. We are proud to carry on Brent Harvey’s legacy by continuing to provide premier events built for girls, by girls wrestling, and for the future of the sport.