High schoolers in 14 and under

It’s a sad state of affairs when a high school freshman who makes it to high school state and is wrestling 14 and under instead of the high school division. We have got to figure this out. No reason they should not be wrestling the high school kids. Sad sad situation

Jeremy I disagree. The wrestler should be allowed to wrestle his or her own age group. If we take the ages down a few years and a 4th grader goes to duals and takes out the top 7th and 8th graders should he then have to wrestle in the 12U or 14U division? No the wrestlers age should be the only determination on what age group he should have to wrestle. If he choices to wrestle up then he should be allowed.

Chris I disagree. You will never have a 4th grader wrestle a 7th grader. Elementary duals is k-6. And chances are they will be close to the same physical Skills.

This comes up every year. Its fine, by the rules, perfectly legal, and acceptable.

You already have that type of example that goes on during the regular season. Elementary State???? Kids double dipping between age groups??
Freshman, who are 14U have to wrestle High School during the High School Season, why should it be any different now that it is the kids State? You have Elementary State that is not based on Age but grade along with Middle School State. Thought is, if they PLACED at HS State regardless of age, they should wrestle HS division.

That's not how it reads and they are wrestling their age division. What is the big deal? It was fine when they grew up wrestling the same kids in 6u, 8u,10u, and 12u. Would you like the age division watered down so your kids have a better chance? Come on, that's not what makes them better.

You didn;t have a 8&U wrestle a 12&U or 14&U. Maybe Freshman should not wrestle High school division then if we're talking about age groups again.....Maybe the kids season needs to cut off at 10&U, since 6th grade is considered Middle School. You have a High School Division, Middle School Division and Elementary Division.

It is the EXACT SAME AGE DIVISIONS. Absolutely no difference. They will be wrestling the exact same kids they have been since day 1.

I"ve softened my stance on this issue somewhat. I think if a freshman, who still qualifies for 14u age group, places at HS state, my personal recommendation would be for him to wrestle the HS division. I'd sure have a talk with him, to see what we thought was best for his improvement. However, there are instances where a 14u kid has had a rough road in HS, whether he qualified for HS state or not, and needs a "break" to wrestle kids more his age and maturity level.

These are the exact same kids they have wrestled every other year since 6U. Forcing them to wrestle high school division will just water down the 14U division. I would rather my 8th grader get the opportunity to wrestle these kids as they are the very kids they will be competing against for the next 3 years in High School.

Let's turn the clock back a few years before the creation of the high school division. We did not have this conversation about kids who were freshman that could still wrestle in 14&U, and why they should go up to 16&U just because they are in High School. All that it meant then was you could still do the USAWKS series after your junior year in most cases, instead of being too old. Let kids wrestle that's who we are here for.

This absolutely happens. The kid might be in 6th grade more than one year with all the redshirting that goes on these days. Also don't know if it is true or not but I was told last week the age limit on elementary duals is 14

My son is 9 days away from being an 8th grader (Aug. 21 birthday) this year instead of a freshman. He qualified for High School state at 106 and will wrestle 14U for kids series, because that is his age and that is the rule. He could wrestle HS division but I feel for him it's the right move.

Plus, the 14u 105-110 brackets will be tougher/deeper than the HS 100-106-113 brackets, anyway.

At Districts, we usually only have 2-3 kids in the HS brackets at those weights. But at 14u, those weights are full brackets and it's lot tougher to qualify & place at state.

I think kids should go whatever age/weight they want to go, for whatever their personal reasons are. Every kid's situation is different and what's best for one may not be what's best for another.

So you think if a freshman has spent the entire hs season working, fighting, and clawing their way through mostly upper classmen to qualify for state they should be penalized at kids fed by not allowing them to wrestle their age?

My issue is the subs or no subs issue. Kids in 3 that wrestled in high school and are still eligible for 14under have to go through another qualifying tournament if they want to stay in that division.

With this logic it would be “sad” if a high schooler wrestled and placed at a legit college tournament prior to the high school season starting, and the go on to wrestle out the high school season...? I think not, both perfectly legal.

As long as I can remember this was a good tough transition period for eight grade - it gets them prepared for what is coming down the road next year. The only age differences tougher that I can recall are 14 year old freshman wrestling 18 or older high school seniors. The next one as 17 year old freshman college wrestlers who are wrestling 22-25 year old developed men just starting college who may have served in the military first and then began their college career. Absolutely, I never had a problem with good HS 14 year jumping into a bracket that contained the same age athletes. It is called developing your athletes. This was around the time you could tell some of these kids if you are going to pee with the big dogs lift your leg a little higher.

Bring on the competition. Win or lose, it will make them better and they are going to see them next year in HS anyway. When it's all done and said, no high school or college coach is going to care what they did at kids state, etc.

Reminds me of the 14U State Bracket I wrestled in after my season as a very undersized high school freshman. It was the toughest Kids State Bracket I had ever been in. That continued mat time with high-level competition is what I wanted and needed.

The HS Division 100lb had 2 wrestlers at the State Tournament. I wouldn't have had a single person in my bracket until state.

Instead, I wrestled in the 14U 95lb class and enjoyed 3 weeks of great wrestling after my high school season. A future High School State Champion missed the podium in that deep state bracket that finished as follows...

1. Austin Hood
2. Chris Burley
3. Bryce Shoemaker
4. Clay Mulligan
5. Dustin Reed
6. Javier Vieyra

I sure would have been bummed to miss out on all that wrestling and I'm sure there are others that will be in the same boat.