I posted the first two paragraphs on 15 Feb under topic “5A Regionals”. I am reposting today to use as background to recommend a new format for the KSHSAA 654A Wrestling Classifications and regional tournaments.

Repost:
OPENs all over in every regional in every class. Just did a numbers finger drill. Of 1792 possible opening slots in all brackets in all 654A regionals, there were 385 first round "OPENS"----or in other words 1351 filled opening round slots. That's a 75% fill (1351 divided by 1792== 75%). Opening round filled slots by class was 89% fill in 6A, 84% fill in 5A, 68% fill in 4A. The 321A regionals show more filled slots in 16 bracket tournaments--not many, a few--but they have 22-23 schools per regional tournament.

Another interesting stat: Using opening round numbers of wrestlers in each class---6A actually qualifies 57% to State (224 of 393 bracketed wrestlers), 5A qualifies 58% to State (224 of 383 wrestlers), and 4A qualifies 39% to State (224 of 575 wrestlers). Not as bad as the old statements on State qualifiers of 50% in 6A and 5A VS 25% in 4A. 6A and 5A thus have less than the 2 to 1 advantage claimed by many 4A fans---but still a lot of inequality in qualifying to State.

I counted only 4 X 15 4A schools/teams regionals (60 4A schools with wrestling- 4 schools do not wrestle). That breaks down to an automatic 14 OPENS (1 per weight class) at each 4A regional---that means 56 automatic OPENS in 4A. Not good--that’s an automatic 6.2% shortfall!

Added:
After years of cussing and discussing the issues outlined in the first two paragraphs, it is surely the time for KSHSAA to seriously consider revising the 654A (32/32/64) classifications for wrestling. This current classification scheme is hurting wrestling by failing to solve the recurring problems of regional tournament open brackets and the inequality in qualification for State.

The key to the solution is to revise the 654A classifications. Previous recommendations have been to:
1) combine 6A and 5A into one 64 school class. This recommendation will never be accepted by 6A and 5A school administers or KSHSAA. A) 6A and 5A already bracket a higher percentage of wrestlers than 4A. B) A combined 6/5A will qualify only half as many wrestlers to State. C) 6/5A regionals will require four 2-day 16 bracket tournaments (versus the current 8 one-day regional tournaments. 2 day tournaments are more expensive (travel plus some overnight stays and additional meals). Sixteen bracket tournaments require bigger facilities--limiting who and where the regional can be held.

2) 3 X 48 school classification. This is doable. But, it would require an additional 16 schools (144 schools VS current 128 schools) by ripping the 16 largest 3A schools up to 4A (6A would need 16 schools from 5A; 5A would need 32 schools from 4A, and 4A would need 16 schools from 3A. Too many moves. Would severely hurt 321A wrestling.

3) 3 X 40 school classification. This is also doable. Reduces total number of schools to 120--sends the smallest eight 4A schools to 3A. Would require reclass of eight 5A schools to 6A, sixteen 4A schools to 5A, and eight 4A schools to 3A.

4) How about 2 X 40 school classes (6A and 5A) and one 48 school 4A class. Keeps the same number of 128 schools and minimizes the number of reclassifications. Plus, 4A would actually be only 44 schools (4 non wrestling 4A +schools). This scheme would break down to four 10 team 6A regionals, four 10 team 5A regionals, and four 11 team 4A regionals. I like this recommendation. Can be wrestled in one day tournaments.

I like any of the # 2, #3 or #4 possible revisions. There are pros and cons to each--but at least they make a mover resolve some recurring problems. The one problem that can easily be solved is if there are 9 to 12 wrestlers in any weight class. I think the brackets can be easily stretched by one round of pig tailing the extra wrestlers. To do this, and to complete all regionals in one day, rule that opening pig tail losers do not advance on the back side. Harsh, but that’s life. NOTE: the number of wrestlers qualifying for 654A State Tournaments remains unchanged (224 in each class X 3 classes = 772 qualifiers)

I think all 3 classifications can go to 4 one day, 8 bracket regional tournaments = fills the brackets, saves money, evens the playing field (number of days, number of matches).

What are the reason to revamp Kansas HS wrestling. A). Reduce the number of first round OPENs. B) Make qualification to the state tournament more fair/equal between school classifications--especially in 654A.

Have they ever looked at changing things to how a large amount of states have a two step process of getting to state? Two one day tournaments? It has worked for a very long time is some very big time wrestling sates. Maybe they could be open minded enough to lear from others..

Indiana and California have a 3 step process. Inidiana is 3 one day tournaments.

Don't know anything about 2 or 3 step programs: what they are or how they work. I assume they have these multiple steps because they have a lot more wrestling schools. I have heard that California has two state tournaments--Norther CA and Southern CA. Kansas does not have enough schools to require multiple step, plus we already have what could be called two steps--the class regionals to select the State Tx qualifiers.

Kansas needs to reduce the number of first round tournament slots to cut way down the first round builtin OPENs/byes (currently 1792 slots-reduce to 1344 slots). This will require Kansas to do either 40/40/40 or a 40/40/48 classification, and do only 4 X 8 bracket tournaments in 6A/5A/4A classes. In the 2013 6A/5A/4A regionals there was a 23% shortfall in filling all of 1792 first round slots (1351 total wrestler brackete). Revising all the regionals to 8 bracket tournamrnts will reduces the number of slots by 25% down to 1344 slots (14 weight classes X 8 bracket tournament X 4 regionals per classes X 3 classes = 1344 slots.) The problem of first round OPENs almost solved!!!!