These are the state results from 2001. Most of these kids are in high school now. I have highlighted this year's high school state placers.

8 & Under
40 1st Robert Rhea Wichita East
2nd Zac Gentzler Augusta
3rd Tyler Brown Osawatomie
4th Clay Mulligan Scott City
5th Jaysten McClure Hugoton
6th Javier Vieyra Salina

43 1st Ulyesses Deshazer TOHK
2nd Tyler Andres WWC
3rd Ben Sollars WWC
4th Caleb Seaton Bonner Springs
5th Jase Depperschmidt Colby
6th Zachary Lee Clay County

46 1st Tyler Dryden WWC
2nd Symon Seaton Bonner Springs
3rd Jamon Cotton Hutchinson
4th Eli Sherwood Wakeeney
5th Errin Munsch WWC
6th Coulter Croft Gray Co.

49 1st Daniel Deshazer TOHK
2nd Taylor Moeder Colby
3rd Tre' Humphrey Tomahawk Creek
4th Tyler Trahoon Emporia
5th Chase Locke Maize
6th Reis Humphrey Tomahawk Creek

52 1st Chad Macy Andover
2nd Skyler McComb WWC
3rd Tyler Stanbro Tomahawk Creek
4th Caleb Crosier Liberal
5th Jake Schridde Great Bend
6th Jason Harper Haysville

55 1st Blaine Smith Salina
2nd Kale Newell Beloit
3rd Nicolas Schwager Great Bend
4th Dalton Davis SW Grapplers
5th John Mehl Kaw Valley Kids
6th Rubin Sherwood Wakeeney

58 1st Dominque Reed TOHK
2nd Jacob Gaul Maize
3rd Nathen Kozlowski Geary Co.
4th Tyler Anderson Clay County
5th Nicholas Dickson Ark City
6th Derek Schnittker Hugoton

61 1st Wesley Salyer WWC
2nd Andrew Laib Emporia
3rd Cody Pack S.E.K.
4th Jace Campbell Oakley
5th Cameron Shutt Derby
6th Matthew White SW Grapplers

64 1st Marshall Dickson Ark City
2nd Cody Shavlik Derby
3rd Drake Houdashelt Andover
4th Clay Andersen Oberlin
5th Aaron Morgan Geary Co.
6th Tad Parsons Oakley

67 1st Cade Blair Valley Center
2nd Tucker Chadd Maize
3rd Kash Biddle Winfield
4th Kenny Cummings Andover
5th Landon Hamel Norton
6th Cody Hill Hugoton

70 1st Chase Nitcher Valley Center
2nd Nathan Deeds Goodland
3rd Tyler Roth Topeka Tornado
4th Ethan Stickel Colby
5th Chance Sinclair Osawatomie
6th Dylan Hagerman Mulvane

73 1st Demetrius Reed TOHK
2nd Bradon Long Ellis
3rd Morgan Numrich Scott City
4th Patrick Yoder Team Lightning
5th Cameron Brandon Wolf Pack
6th Derek Krier Salina

76 1st Rhett Flood Independence
2nd Bart Ginther Atwood
3rd Tyler Cook Norton
4th Chase Copeland Salina
5th Marquel Jones Wyandotte County
6th Colt Johnson Garden City

80 1st Dalton Beard Valley Center
2nd Gage Roberts El Dorado
3rd Colton Gentry Rossville
4th Tanner Graf Jr. Vikings
5th Tyson Anderson McPherson (MAC)
6th Cody Huffman Mulvane

88 1st Brett Dunlap Hiawatha
2nd Caleb Gifford Hugoton
3rd Josh Hicks Carrol
4th Benny Armstrong Goddard
5th Timmy Chadd Maize
6th Gavin Miller Rice Co.

95 1st Jace Banner SW Grapplers
2nd TJ Lowe Piper
3rd Kyle Caylor Clearwater
4th Josh Zamecnik Kansas Pride
5th Levi Crick Gray Co.
6th William Bennett Independence

110 1st BJ Finney Clearwater
2nd Jon Eickenberg Osborne Co.
3rd Oliver Venequs Olathe North
4th Parker Broadfoot Hesston
5th Ernest Fernandez III Dodge City
6th Dylan Matheny Augusta

125 1st Lorenzo Serna Emporia
2nd Brandon Eck Haysville
3rd Dillon Salmans Hoxie
4th Shane Creason Stranger Creek
5th Aaron VonLintel Hutchinson
6th Dakota Saiz Wichita South

52 1st Taylor Dwyer Parsons
2nd Jack Wenzel Goddard
3rd Westin Shay Paola
4th Zach Sparr Clearwater
5th Chaz Lawrence Olathe North
6th Ty Concannon Hugoton

55 1st Sharky Slyter Paola
2nd Clayton Birkle Andover
3rd Colt Rogers Smith Co.
4th Cody Silva Bonner Springs
5th Stephen Santiago WWC
6th Jeffery Vesta Jr. Manhattan

58 1st Rowan Messner Andover
2nd Lance Maldonado Geary Co.
3rd Darin Stroot Maize
4th Ryan Macy Andover
5th Tyler Davis McPherson (MAC)
6th Dan MacClymont Olathe North

61 1st Collin Hase Silver Lake
2nd Dennis Wood III Pleasant Ridge
3rd Trent Cox Haysville
4th Kendric Maple Hutchinson
5th Cale Demel El Dorado
6th Dakota Thornton Manhattan

64 1st John Keller Maize
2nd Wayne Riggins Augusta
3rd Kalem Bennett Topeka Tornado
4th Nick Peterson Abilene
5th Trison Graham Ark City
6th Tim Dunham Maize

67 1st Jordan Keller Maize
2nd Michael Arellano SW Grapplers
3rd Cole Zoglman Goddard
4th Brandon Sokol Salina
5th Aaron Hoag Ark City
6th Lucas Wagner Manhattan

70 1st Jon Woodbridge Salina
2nd Jacob Zahm Columbus
3rd CJ Napier Columbus
4th Hunter Olson Colby
5th Taylor Stevenson Winfield
6th Brook Biswell Topeka Terminators

73 1st Ty Caldwell Valley Center
2nd Travis Rempe Smith Co.
3rd Kyle Detmer Maize
4th Dylan Mumaw Team Tigers
5th Tyler Koehn Pittsburg
6th Cameron Renfro Rossville

76 1st Jimmy Hubbard-Stults Valley Center
2nd Brent Fisher Maize
3rd Matthew Meinert Pleasant Ridge
4th A.J. Stephens Goodland
5th Levi Kiser Phillipsburg
6th Jacob Bierbrodt Altamont

79 1st Colton Snook Douglass
2nd Zachary White SW Grapplers
3rd Phillip Henes STA
4th Ryan Brown Liberal
5th Jeremy Kees Linn County
6th Lucas Munoz Ellsworth

82 1st Travis Budke Hays
2nd Christopher Cody Augusta
3rd Ryan Patterson Independence
4th Phil Burlington Goodland
5th Tanner Kriss Colby
6th Sam Thoman Maize

85 1st Derek Heckel SW Grapplers
2nd Joe Pace Ft. Leavenworth
3rd Brent Romig East Kansas
4th Blake Mayes Beloit
5th Daniel Overstake Hutchinson
6th Dallas Elliott Goddard

90 1st Jared Hensley Rose Hill
2nd Romero Cotton Hutchinson
3rd Derek Graves Rossville
4th Adam Davey Jr. Vikings
5th Colby Crank Team Lightning
6th Brenton Daniel Rose Hill

95 1st Marvio Tischhauser Salina
2nd Scott Elliott Rose Hill
3rd Travis Adcox Tonganoxie
4th Chaston Hoeme Scott City
5th Ryan Robertson East Kansas
6th Ryan Swatzell Phillipsburg

100 1st Dustin Moses Maize
2nd Joel Marrs Clay County
3rd Tyler Kuhn Maize
4th Kolten Cook Hoisington
5th CJ Randall Linn County
6th Zachary Wood Phillipsburg

110 1st Ryan Garrett Team Lightning
2nd Boaz Beard Valley Center
3rd Gabriel Mason Baldwin
4th EJ Walter STA
5th Justin Wilmas WWC
6th Austin Warren Linn County

120 1st Ian Hoshaw Augusta
2nd Kirk Palmer Smith Co.
3rd Joey Hambleton Parsons
4th Dylan Bowman Wellington
5th Kyle Jones Douglass
6th Steven Kyler Ellsworth

130 1st Joshua Rodriguez Emporia
2nd Atticus Disney WWC
3rd Jake Kober Trail Hands
4th Michael Patenaude Clay County
5th Dallas Butts Ft. Leavenworth
6th Tyler Downs Derby

150 1st Duane Zlatnik Rossville
2nd Alex Hackathorn Kaw Valley Kids
3rd Paul Kilgore Bluestem
4th Spencer Hilley Clearwater
5th Matthew Haberman Great Bend
6th Shannon Bird Hoxie

170 1st Cody Klien Atwood
2nd Megan Tesar Linn County
3rd Logan Pegram Silver Lake
4th Shawn Moody Altamont
5th Tyson Self Wichita East
6th Jarred Vega Winfield


The point is that you will see many, many names who did not place in HS state this year and most likely didn't even wrestle. They quit and we need to figure out why and keep these kids interested.

Braden Eck (Haysville)did not place at State wrestling, he played basketball this year and Jason Harper (Haysville) did place at State wrestling.

Just a correction!

You missed a few:

1st Taylor Dwyer Parsons
6th Dylan Matheny Augusta
5th Stephen Santiago WWC
5th Tyler Davis McPherson (MAC)
3rd Ryan Patterson Independence
1st Joshua Rodriguez Emporia

I'm sure I missed some also!

There are several that were missed........

I didn't say that I got them all, I don't have that kind of free time on my hands! My point was there are numerous names that I have never heard before because they quit.

I know of several who use to do very well, state placers, that are not wrestling now and I understand the point you are making. Another thing that I think is interesting is how many of this years state placers DID NOT place in kids wrestling.

The point being....in the long run, does it really matter if you place at kids state when you are 8U, 10U??? or is it more important to just have fun and enjoy the sport with the ultimate goal of improving from year to year.

I would be curious to see the list with all placers because a few that stand out of the top that weren't highlighted are
dalton davis
brett dunlap
travis rempe
kirk palmer
michael patenaude

and then you have ones (non-placers) such as
matt meinert-pleasant ridge

But --still curious to see what the percentage of hs state placers/qualifiers who were on above list of kids state placers ! >prior affiliation with kids federation<
I would venture to guess at least 65-70 %

Mom4 hit my other point on the head! I believe that kids who win at 8, 10, and 12 usually win on talent alone. When they get older and start losing and have to work hard they give up the sport. Those who have fun and wrestle because they love it not because they win eventually start winning.

Will, first if we had more supporters like you that keep the pulse of wrestling alive in your state and your community than that would greatly help the sport.

You did miss a few and a few more are 8th graders right now. The topic is awesome though.

There are a few that I used to take with me to tournaments and with time their parents have separated or moved away and that wasn’t the kid or the sports fault.

At least one is injured right now but still wrestling.

Wrestling is a tough sport mentally and physically. My son took a few years off to play basketball. I thought if he liked wrestling then he would come back to the sport. Having fun is very important. Letting the athlete make there on decision is important.

It is great to look back. This year that you selected my son just happened to make the All Star Team for the World of Wrestling, along with other Kansas wrestlers in almost every age group. My son also has never been to one Freestyle or Greco practice because when it's baseball season that's what he chooses to complete in. (That was a fun year) http://www.worldofwrestling-roller.com/allstar01/allu8-01.html

I love wrestling more than any sport but have still supported the idea of letting him do whatever sport he would like to try.

Will, keep up the good work to promote the sport of wrestling. I wish I lived closer to your area. I hear so much about your "wrestling barn" no doubt we would visit.

So Cokeley, are you saying that 8, 10 & 12 year olds don't work hard until they are older and HAVE TO, then they quit? That they have not been taught any work ethic at such a young age? Please tell me I read your post wrong? How dare you say that my 8 year old doesn't work hard! You should come to one of my son's practices and watch these kids work their butts off. We do not offer a glorified babysitting service where we play tiddly winks for 1.5-2 hours a night. These kids WORK from the minute they get there until they leave. Don't disrespect these kids that give 110% because they are below the high school level. What kind of example are we setting if we say, "now Tommy don't worry about working hard in school, you only HAVE TO when you get to high school." We set the foundation for how our kids act and apply themselves when they are young. If they get no discipline/direction when they are younger, by the time they get to the high school level there isn't a whole lot we can do for them and a lot of them turn out to be NOT SUCH QUALITY MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.

If I am way off the mark here with what you were trying to say, then I apoligize. If I'm right - I feel sorry for the kids under your direction.

Mike's Mom

I believe you are way off the mark. What I think Will is trying to say is that we need to help our kids understand that they are not going to win every match and that they need to continue working hard, because it does get harder as they get older and those kids who lost at a younger age will catch up and start winning. We need to help our kids understand that they should learn from a loss instead of giving up because they have to work a little harder then when they were younger. I don't believe Will is being malicious in any way. If you have ever met him, you would know that he is very compassionate about this sport and the all the kids who wrestle in it.

Mike's Mom,

In no way did I say that younger kids don't work hard. The point is that many kids who are younger win on talent and don't have to work hard. When you get older, no matter how much talent you have, you MUST work hard. Some kids don't like to work hard. I know that many younger kids work hard but I sincerely hope you don't have them working as hard as a high school wrestler. Everything you said is good but you better be letting them have lots of FUN too. You can't coach and teach desire into these kids. If you are trying to you are going to alienate yourself from them eventually.

Just Curious....How long do other clubs have practices and how many days a week??

Rossville has 2 a week for 1 1/2 hours untill about this time of year then we go to 3 a week

do you have seperate practices for beginners and advanced or all together??

I agree with the point that kids need to be challenged and need to get their butts kicked early and often to keep them challenged and advancing. Show me a kid who hasn't lost, and the first question I have is, "Who's he wrestling?" The dynamics can be variable, though. My kid has to get challenged in tournaments, because he doesn't have very good practice partners usually. If a wrestler has a great room, he could just wipe up the mats with everyone without suffering (because the kids in the room are wiping the mats with him).

I do NOT agree with the method of "proof" used above. In fact, when I saw the list, I actually thought the list demonstrated a high number of youth placers that become HS placers. Also, the list does not account for the many kids I'm sure who moved out of state, etc. To draw the conclusion that they quit wrestling is without basis. This isn't practical, but I'd like to see the other side--i.e., how many of the HS placers this year never placed as a youth? I'd bet that percentage is quite low.

And do kids quit? Of course, they quit every sport. Wrestling being as demanding as it is, particularly the higher you go, I wouldn't be surprised if wrestling has a higher than average drop rate.

Actually, I think the numbers of HS wrestlers who placed at state who have never in kids will not be as low as you think. There are some great wrestlers who didn't start until they were in junior high. There are also some wrestlers who may not have had any luck at the kids division where they compete against kids in ALL classifications. The point being was this....just because a kid places at state does not guarantee the same kid will be placing at state in high school. Likewise, just because a kid has never placed at kids state does not mean they will not place when they get to be in high school. McPherson had a four time state champion who had never even been to state as a kid.

We practice 2 nights a week, Mon and Thurs. Novice from 5:45-6:30, everyone else from 6:45-8:30. Some of the third yr wrestlers like my 7yr old go to both practices. He/they help as good prac. partners for the novice kids, but they still do all the conditioning with both groups. A few of our kids go to a private prac on Tues from 6:30-8:00 and then we attend the clincs on Sun evening from 5:30-7:30. My son goes to and looks forward to all the above mentioned practices, plus he has baseball prac from 2-4 on Sun. He gets his share of Xbox and tv as well.

We practice 3 x week 2 hours a night. With additional Sunday practice for 3 hours. It is well worth it!!!

hope you don't have an 8u 52lb.... I'll have to add a night in...lol