Blazer Wrestling Bringing in the Nation’s Best
Head Coach Matt Yeamans to be guest on national wrestling radio show Takedown Wrestling Radio

With the 2011-12 wrestling season only a month away, the Blazers prepare for the 32nd Annual GEHS Invitational on December 3, 2011. This home competition will not only mark the beginning of the GEHS wrestling season, but the beginning of a very rigorous competition schedule. The annual athletic event will include several new teams making this tournament a great showcase of wrestling talent.

The GEHS Invitational will spotlight some of the best teams from Kansas against programs from four different states (Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa). In an effort to promote the GEHS Invitational, Blazers Head Wrestling Coach Matt Yeamans will be a guest on the national wrestling radio show Takedown Wrestling Radio on Saturday, November 19, 2011. The show airs live from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. CST. Coach Yeamans will be on air during the 10 a.m. time slot. Tune in as Coach Yeamans will feature the GEHS Invitational with TDR host Scott Casber, along with conversations about the upcoming season and new additions to the team. To listen live, follow the instructions below:


If wrestling is your sport,
join in the conversation LIVE to listen and ask questions.
Listen on radio, on computer at www.KXNO.com, or www.TakedownRadio.com.
You can also listen on your Blackberry or I Phone with the
I Heart Radio App.,
KXNO.com or Takedownradio.com.
Call 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966
9 to 11 a.m. CST

The GEHS Invitational has traditionally been tough competition, especially for the first tournament of the season. However, GEHS, which most recently moved up in the Class 6A ranks, added some national powerhouse programs to the tournament to not only increase the level of competition, but to provide an opportunity for the Blazer wrestlers to compete against the nation’s best wrestlers. GEHS wrestling returns two state medalists - one of which claimed the State Title, Senior TJ Stokes. Not far behind is sophomore Dustin Williams. Williams finished 3rd last year as a freshman and recently garnered All-American honors at the prestigious Cadet National Championship in Fargo, North Dakota, in July placing 5th in the nation in Greco-Roman.

The 2011 GEHS Invitational will consist of Baldwin, Bishop Carroll, Blue Valley, Gardner Edgerton, Iowa City West (Iowa), Joplin (Missouri), Lawrence Free State, Olathe North, Olathe Northwest, Omaha Skutt (Nebraska), Pittsburg, Platte County (Missouri), Seaman, Shawnee Mission East, Southeast Polk (Iowa), St. James Academy, and Washburn Rural. Among these seventeen teams are four teams that rank among some of the nation’s finest high school wrestling programs.

Leading the pack is Iowa City West. Currently ranked as the No. 8 team in the country, the Trojans boast seven state team titles, thirteen individual state medalists and three state champions. The Trojans have a handful of athletes that are rated among the top twenty wrestlers in the country in their respective weight classes.

Omaha Skutt Catholic has won thirteen Class B team Nebraska State Championships in a row. Leading the Skyhawks is Cadet and Junior National Champion Thomas Gilman. Gilman is currently the No. 1 rated wrestler in the nation in his weight class. Joining Iowa City West and Omaha Skutt will be Platte County (MO) and SE Polk (IA). Platte County has claimed seven Missouri state team titles. SE Polk brings in a handful of nationally rated wrestlers, three of which are ranked in the top ten in the nation.

Overall, the GEHS Invitational shows its toughness in numbers. On December 3, the GEHS gymnasium will house 13 individual state champions, 60+ individual state medalists, 32 team state titles, 21
Nationally-ranked wrestlers as rated by Wrestling USA magazine, multiple national champions and two wrestlers that are currently undefeated in their high school careers, going for a fourth state title.

The Blazers are looking to up the ante this season as they move into Class 6A and bring home a state title. The Blazers are no stranger to success as they bring five consecutive league titles, six consecutive top 10 team finishes at state, four individual state champions in the past five years, regional team champions two of the past four years, third place team finish at state in 2008 and a 54-9 dual record over the past seven years.