Re: What a Weekend! Memorable moments at 5a State


Originally Posted By: Spartan Wrestling 05
Wow, what a weekend. It’s 5:00 p.m. on a Sunday and I am just waking up from a four hour Nap trying to recover from a fun filled weekend of state wrestling.

This weekend marked my 7th year at a Kansas State wrestling tournament. Wish I could have seen the other classes, but 5a at Hutch was some of the best wrestling I have seen to date.

What was lacking from the setting of a big time arena was made up by some hard nose wrestling by all. These Kansas kids are really looking strong.

Highlights included:

• Watching about a third of the University of Nebraska Huskers’ (Cotton, Koehn, Isenberg) and ½ of University of Minn Gopher’s (since Atticus Disney is so big, I count him as ½) recuriting classes in the finals.
• Mitch Arnold (an absolute artist on the mat).
• My boy Nick scrapping with Kyle Detmer in the Semis
• Trisen Graham’s and Romeo Cotton quest for 4 titles
• Philip Haines and Isenberg going head to head in the finals.
• Pete Tapia and Detmer in the finals.
• Scott Elliot----wow!
• Atticus Disney’s Flip at the end of the tournament (how does he move like that?)

Well my days as a parent spectator in this great event are over as my boys move on. Paula and I will be at many more of these events, but I think I will be able to relax a little more.

What a super job by all these fine Kansans young men. Best of luck to all in the future.


Mike Flynn


my response :
Any idea if the 5A highlights or finals are available or will be re-broadcast. I've always felt that Kansas needs to do more to promote our sport to the average sports fan/John Q and Suzy Parent. I know that annually the 1-3A Finals are shown on KTWU or whatever your local public broadcasting affiliate is but there is never very much advertisement or media regarding this great sport which has produced some very high level wrestlers in recent years.

I use Wayne Simien for an example- Kansas (native) biggest name in Basketball to go pro recently. Look up his stats and then compare to the Zach Roberson etc. or wrestlers from our state who have gone on to being in the top 10 or so in the world at their respective weight classes. Kansas Wrestling keeps getting tougher and tougher every year and we are putting more and more in top notch programs (Division 1's best) as Mr. Flynn stated above and I just wish that the rest of the State/Media would recognize just how outstanding KANSAS WRESTLING is !!

Folks, let's face it- Kansas does have the talent to support a top notch D-1 program with talent from in state that could compete with the Iowa Hawkeyes which I idolized their program led by Dan Gable in my youth. I never did think it was possible but it is and I would love to see it happen in my lifetime. Anybody else ?

It's time to quit out-sourcing OUR talent and stand up for what KANSAS WRESTLING has become ! Greg Grater, Bob Cairns, Rocky Welton, Jody Thompson, Larry Tilton, Rod Spellman, Ken Jones, Ben Bennett, John Akin, Fritz Knorr, Jake Durham, Chuck Elvin, Gary Ulmer,Bill StanHope, Bob Gonzales, Kit Harris, Randy Hinderliter etc. and great wrestling communities like Clay Center, Beloit, Oakley, Norton, Hays, Derby, WWC, Emporia, Hays, Valley Center,Olathe,Columbus, etc. and the countless good people of our sport (those who've helped build it) would be proud !! WE OWE IT TO THEM !!

Further Proof ::

2007-08 InterMat All-Class
High School Rankings (NATIONAL) as in the best in the Nation
Dec. 23, 2007

103 lbs.
#17 Jeff Vesta (Manhattan, KS) Jr.
#20 Kenneth Orneleas (Chanute, KS) Jr.

112 lbs.
#15 Tyler Stokes (Gardner-Edgerton, KS) Jr.

119 lbs.
#13 Jordan Keller (Bishop Carroll, KS) Sr.
**I think that Rhyne Cokely could be added to this list after
this past weekends performance as a FR @ the State Tourney !

130 lbs.
#18 Jake Tanenbaum (Blue Valley North, KS) Sr.

135 lbs.
#19 Jeremy Davenport ? (Sallisaw, KS) Fr.
#20 C.J. Napier (Columbus, KS) Jr.

140 lbs.
#8 Aldon Isenberg (Gardner-Edgerton, KS) Sr.
#17 Philip Henes (St. Thomas Aquinas, KS) Sr.

171 lbs.
#19 Scott Elliott (Ark City, KS) Sr.

189 lbs.
#8 Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, KS) Sr

285 lbs.
#2 Elijah Madison (Oak Park, MO) Sr. (formerly Salina,KS)
#6 Atticus Disney (Andover Central, KS) Sr.
#13 Duane Zlatnik (Rossville, KS) Sr.

and of course ther are the Neil Erisman,
Tanner Gardner, Josh Baldridge, Jake Kriegbaum
Jesse Strawn, McCormicks, Cody Garcia, Danny Grater,
Ross Taplin, Marrs etc out there that are getting it done at a high level

I think its a very safe bet that we can EASILY field a top 10
Division 1 program with kids right here IN STATE! Look at all the publicity our Basketball and this year even Football Jayhawks receive for being top 10 teams. WE (wrestling) are ready to be at that level for a Div 1 program NOW and with kids in our own back yard. Do the powers that be, Collegiate Officials, Congressmen, Board of Regents and those that could help to make this happen soon REALIZE this ????

I remember taking my daughter to a Womens K-State Basketball game a couple years back and proudly being able to show her the program with all the In State talent
Kendra Wecker-Marysville
Laurie Koehn-Moundridge
Nicole Ohlde-Clay Center
& another whose name escapes me-- but the 3 above formed the nucleus of one of their greatest teams ever averaging I believe 25 wins a year over their 4 years and then all 3 went on to play in the WNBA.


It sure was great for her (my daughter) to be able to see them play together live in college and envision that level of play as a Kansas youth by seeing fellow rural Kansas young ladies who achieved that level by puting in the work. I know that the Kansas State women's program still has alot of local talent that makes up their team. How outstanding to be able to field a competitive team by recruiting solid in state athletes !

It sure would be great to take our wrestling youth to also be able to watch those they look up to in the HS level now-- to see them compete against the Iowa Hawkeyes and OSU Cowboys at say KSU or whoever has the insight and courage to see what is possible and very attainable! Someone is dropping the ball as we NEED to cut through the red tape because it seems like a NO BRAINER to me !


Well, the fact IS -that KANSAS WRESTLING has indeed arrived in a BIG way and is ready to be a Top 10 (one of the BEST) DIVISION 1 programs by using *in state* athletes NOW and can do it EVERY year. The time is NOW !
Are YOU ready to do YOUR part, however small or big it may be to see this happen ??

I really don't think there is another sport in our state that has put in the work like KS Wrestling does in gyms all across the state on weekends as many months out of the year or the time spent developing our youth in the practice rooms 2-3 nights a week. Look at ALL the effort we've as well as our fore-fathers have put into the sport here in Kansas. ...IT IS TIME !!

It would be great for KState to add wrestling. I don't think it will happen soon though.

K-State will never add wrestling!!! However, after sitting at a sweet set-up at Koch arena (Wichita State University) made me realize how much better off Kansas would be if hounded WSU for a Division I wrestling program. Why not put a wrestling program in heart of Kansas Wrestling! The Wichita and surrounding area is loaded with great kids who could help jump start a Division I program. These schools all had state champions in 4a, 5a, 6a from the Wichita Area....
Andover Central, Andale, Bishop Carroll, Valley Center, Wichita Heights, Wichita NW, Goddard all come to mind....

If you wanted to reach out 20-30 minutes up the road Winfield and Wellington as well as Hutchinson are crowning champions as well.

WSU does not have football so it would be easier to get wrestling implemented. Why not????? Not too mention Oklahoma is not far to grab some great recruits from. Maybe we could keep kids such as Aldon, Elliot, Koehn, McCormick, Cotton etc. in state!!!

Am I too far off????

Not far off at all. Wichita State may be the preferred D-1 school to have a wrestling program. Any of the three would be nice, and I think you are exactly right, Wichita State is far more likely to follow through with this than the other two.

One (and I have heard there are several) of the drawbacks that has always been used for WSU is the lack of facilities. WSU is currently funding an indoor practice facility primarily for baseball, but other programs are slated to benefit from the new building. I am wondering if this would open up some space to provide a practice location. A lack of league participation (Missouri Valley)is another issue. No schools in the MVC participate in wrestling, so it would be difficult to convince WSU to accept a sport without league affiliations.

My apologizes Northern Iowa does have D-1 Mens wrestling. I can't believe I had forgotten this. I even attended a duel at OSU where Nate Lawrenze (Herrington) wreslted for NIU. It is still only one school in the Valley. It lends a leg on which to stand.

i dont know if this is possible or not but could WSU be in the big 12 just for wrestling, obviously not every team in the big 12 has wrestling so it shouldnt be a problem to add another program in...

Which conference does Northern Iowa belong to or do they belong to one.

The one thing about wrestling... It really does not take up that much room.... a small auxilary gym is all you need! Wrestling coaches are phenomenal at coming up with tricks and making due with what they have to get their athletes in shape.

Then you could get a guy like Terry Brands to come in and start the program and recruit like hell!! He help put the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on the map with some all-americans etc. I know you could get a good coach to come in and get this thing rolling!!!!

After this past weekends State Tourney Results, Who else do you feel is worthy of possibly cracking the Top 20 National HS Intermat Rankings in the near future ? Names to look out for. As stated previously, Rhyne Cokely won a loaded 4A 119 lb class and has likely put himself on the National map.

We have been through this several times. In order to obtain any new athletic program, it has to be funded. It takes approximately $500,000 per year to run the program. To endow that would be many millions. Then, we have this legal requirement of also including a women's program (Title IX)which also costs a similar amount of money. Then, you assume wrestling is in high demand and would be the next program funded, but I doubt that it is. So, instead of asserting the need for the program, we need to find out how to pay for it. Who will write the first check?

Tom Williams

I really don't understand the outcry for a D-1 program in Kansas. Sure we send our best out of state but it's not like most of our fans would ever see an in-state program wrestle. We have the majority of our faithful who have kids in youth programs who can't take a day off to attend the state high school tournaments. If we really want a D-1 program in this state we need to take a hard look at our priorities as a group. As long as mom and dad think going to another youth tournament on the Saturday of high school state is a higher priority, I say we don't deserve a D-1 program.

Although I don't like sf02's post ... I have to acknowledge that it is probably true!

At a recent JuCo dual between Pratt CC and North Iowa Area CC there were probably 200 people that attended! And this was on a weeknight where there were no conflicts! Yes, it was a school night but most from the area could have been home by 8:30 pm!

Come support these KSU wrestlers this weekend in Manhattan. They put in a lot of time and their own expenses to wrestle.

K-STATE TO HOST SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE COLLEGIATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
MARCH 1 AT PETERS RECREATION COMPLEX

MANHATTAN -- Collegiate wrestling club teams from schools across the
region will take to the mats for the 2008 National Collegiate Wrestling
Association's Southwest Conference Championships, Saturday, March 1, at
Kansas State University's Peters Recreation Complex.

Matches will get under way at 9 a.m. Club wrestling teams from K-State,
Wichita State University, Newman University, Colorado State University,
University of Colorado, Louisiana State University, Northwest Missouri
State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University,
Texas State University and Texas Tech University will participate.

Cost for the day of wrestling action is $3 for children and $5 for
adults; high school and college students can get in free with their
student I.D. Concessions also will be available.

The top four wrestlers in each weight class will advance to the National
Collegiate Wrestling Association Championships, March 13-15, in
Lakeland, Fla. The association was created to serve schools that no
longer have varsity wrestling programs. More information is available
at http://www.ncwa.net

Coach of the K-State wrestling team is Beau Tillman. K-State wrestlers
participating in the Southwest Conference championship and their weight
class include:

Brendan Lund, junior in biology, Green, 165 pounds; Ahsha Abu-Ali,
junior in animal sciences and industry, 174 pounds, and Bricen Biehler,
sophomore in arts and sciences-open option, 141 pounds, both of
Louisburg; Donald Holliday, senior in social science, Manhattan, 184
pounds; Jordan Beckman, freshman in secondary education, Marysville,
235 pounds; Joey Heersche, senior in secondary education, Mulvane, 133
pounds; Matt Westin, sophomore in mechanical engineering, 157 pounds,
and Tyler Williamson, sophomore in nutritional sciences, 125 pounds,
both of Shawnee; Zachary McGill, graduate student in kinesiology,
Wichita, 197 pounds; and Thomas Pipes, freshman in pre-professional
construction science and management, Winfield, 149 pounds.

From out of state: Alex Elmore, freshman in environmental design, St.
Charles, Mo., 133 pounds.

Probably less than than 75 at that dual in Baldwin!

If Kansas put together a triple or quad dual together with Oklahoma State, Missouri, Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa -and a Kansas D-I program any of those teams it would draw fans from a distance - say on a Sunday. If the right people marketed this type of dual you would get wrestling fans. I was at the dual with Pratt and the N Iowa CC - not very good attendance. I think you could get more interested in a Quad Dual. Labette, Pratt, Colby, Central Missouri, Ft. Hayes, Central Oklahoma something like that. Timing is critical so it doens't conflict with other High School and kids events.

I understand what a few of you are saying as far as attendance but I would rather choose to focus on the positive in that #1) what level of wrestlers were these college duals #2) how big were the names of the in state wrestlers #3) what percentage of the varsity rosters were filled with in state competitors #4) how well was it marketed/promoted ? #5) what can be done to enhance future such competitions to show that if we had competition on a larger scale how well would it be attended ??

I recall attending the Olympic Trials clear back around 1988 in Topeka Expo and that it had a fair crowd. I know that at even Mizzou etc they are lucky to draw 1500 for a meet but I DO solidly want to believe that if it was strongly encouraged at the grass roots/ kids level to the youngsters at tournaments by distributing flyers, displaying posters at tourneys, practice rooms, to coaches, schools, and getting the news media both print and TV as best we could it CAN help.

Randy, I also still recall sitting through one of your Bronze certs and how you talked about how in promoting the sport & your team/individuals helps and it's sometimes necessary to be your own sports writer for your kids(team) to give them the recognition and show the public what we're about and what is available and to grow the sport. I took alot out of your clinic that I still use. I see instances locally where there is no box scores, stories etc. in other sports in my area but I can tell you that I took to heart what you said about how it would help to sell the sport and provide encouragement/incentive for the kids. ..So I have no problem doing what I can for the teams I'm involved in.

I also believe that by selling the kids to have the desire to see a higher level of our sport in action helps. I recall when all the kids eyes lit up seeing the first tag wrestling event & Freestyle Promotion by the older college bound kids such as Cody Garcia, Chenowith, & Eric Akin etc. done in honor of Tyler that was done at Kids State. They (youth) drive alot of buying in our economy as a whole. Look at the commercialism of such kid oriented items as we want to please our kids. I guess maybe I'm silly in my optimism but I really do feel in seeing all the crowded gyms for the kids events each and every week across our state and how the novice events have taken off and the level KS wrestling has become that our sport here in this State is indeed ready to take it the next level and WE would/CAN solidly back it with the right leadership. That is what it is going to take to get us to the TOP which I feel we are getting ever closer to the Pennsylvanias, New Yorks, Ohios, Iowas, Oklahomas,Californias.
We have certainly hurdled many states but are not quite where we CAN BE.

Those of you that have brought us to this level have INSPIRED me for one. I remember my start in wrestling and the enthusiasm of Greg and Leann Grater, Kenny & Kathy Upham, Bob Cairns, Chuck & Cherie Elvin, Bill Stanhope, Bob Gonzales, John Akin, Ben Bennett etc. and how it has continued with folks like the Jubys, Randy Hinderliter, Kit Harris, Will Cokely, Mike Pursel, Ned Price, Tom Peterman, Eric Akin, Richard Salyer etc.

I just know of course alot of things would have to happen and it would take a load of hard work and perseverence but with folks like Barry Disney, Bob Gonzales etc that can help us get to the right contacts I still feel that it is possible to get to that next level. .....call me a dreamer !

with k-state needing a new athletic director maybe they will get a guy in there that will get wrestling in there