The way to get better at anything is to put in the time. Mat time is mat time. Freestyle is still training your muscle memory, reactions, etc. It is still wrestling. Both of my brothers and I wrestled freestyle not because we liked it (we didn't), but because it was the best way to get extra experience. I guess all we have to show for it is 5 (hopefully 6) high school state championships between us. I don't know if you were at Rocky Welton this weekend, but my brother (a former freestyle state champ) won the 160 bracket, so I will let you decide for yourself about the quality of freestyle champs. Speaking from my experience wrestling in Colorado, yes, sometimes the freestyle brackets were lacking in numbers but many of the kids that were wrestling were high school state placers or eventually became placers because they put in the mat time.

TEAM RANKINGS:

1. Arkansas City - 5A
2. Garden City - 6A
3. St. Thomas Aquinas - 5A
4. St. James Academy - 5A
5. Junction City - 6A
6. Manhattan - 6A
7. Newton - 5A
8. Valley Center - 5A
9. Derby - 6A
10. Topeka Seaman - 5A


106:
1. Jake Goldenstein – AUG – 10 - 4A - 26-0
2. Michael Prieto - GC - 9 - 32-2
3. Logan Terrill - ARK - 10 - 5A - 24-9
4. Stephen Tujague – SJA – 9 - 5A - 27-7
5. Josiah Seaton – BS – 11 - 4A - 22-2
6. Ty Nienke - ELS - 11 - 321A - 24-1
7. David Mainus - CLB - 11 - 4A - 27-3
8. Trae Foreman - PRT - 11 - 4A - 27-3
9. Logan McDowell - AB - 10 - 4A - 26-3
10. Ryan Delforge - VC - 9 - 5A

113:
1. Sean DeShazer – WH - 10 - 6A - 26-0
2. Michael Lindlar – WNW – 12 - 6A - 23-4
3. Trey Francka – CCO – 12 - 321A - 24-0
4. Jase Stone - MH - 12 - 6A - 28-4
5. Cesar Regalado - PRT - 11 - 4A - 21-3
6. Josh Goepfert - MRV - 12 - 321A - 24-0
7. Brady Lowell - REP - 12 - 321A - 24-2
8. Zane Baugh - AB - 10 - 4A - 24-6
9. Justus Seaton - BS - 12 - 4A - 21-4
10. PJ Cheney - TUR - 11 - 5A - 18-4


120:
1. Zac Gentzler – AC - 12 - 5A - 28-0
2. Reese Cokeley - SJA - 11 - 5A - 29-14
3. Tyler Mies – AN – 11 - 4A - 24-3
4. Dakota Leach – GD – 12 - 5A - 21-3
5. Jake Elbrader - STA - 11 - 5A - 19-6
6. Marcus Phillips - WW - 11 - 5A - 19-0
7. Tyler Sharp - FS - 12 - 4A - 26-3
8. Kian Clemens - MH - 11 - 6A - 26-8
9. Clay Weil - DC - 9 - 6A - 31-7
10. Junior Morgan - 12 - AB - 4A - 25-2

126:
1. Dustin Reed – CLB - 12 - 4A - 32-0
2. Brandon Ball - HOI - 11 - 321A - 29-0
3. Chris Burley – GB – 12 - 5A - 26-1
4. Bryce Morgan - ELD - 12 - 4A - 19-1
5. Blake Stovall - ON - 9 - 6A - 22-7
6. Zak Hensley - SJA - 10 - 5A - 21-7
7. Alex Kough - SC - 12 - 321A - 18-3
8. Adam Cole - CH - 10 - 4A - 23-3
9. Kyle Miller - BUH - 12 - 4A - 21-5
10. Willy Dieckmann - 10 - ACC - 321A - 27-5

132:
1. Tyler Dickman - STA - 11 - 5A - 17-0
2. Kyle Wilson – WAM – 12 - 4A - 21-1
3. Lucas Maki - AND - 12 - 5A - 14-0
4. Kaleb Konitzer - PV - 11 - 4A - 22-1
5. Sawyer Like - BVSW - 11 - 5A - 31-3
6. Tevin Briscoe - GC - 10 - 6A - 32-4
7. John Risewick - NOR - 12 - 321A - 28-3
8. Dayton Dreher - OBR - 11 - 321A - 29-3
9. Chase Cole - CH - 10 - 4A - 27-3
10t. Greg Burley - GB - 11 - 5A - 23-4
10t. Seth Strauss - AB - 10 - 4A - 29-4

138:
1. Bryce Shoemaker - BAL - 12 - 4A - 26-2
2. Brogan Humphrey - FRE - 11 - 321A - 25-0
3. Isaac Dulgarian - STA - 10 - 5A - 35-2
4. Dane Edwards - DC - 12 - 6A - 26-2
5. AJ Hurtado – GC – 12 - 6A - 25-7
6. Kasey Biddle - CB - 12 - 321A - 21-1
7. Victor Hughes - FS - 12 - 4A - 29-5
8. Kade Sander - GB - 11 - 5A - 22-2
9. Greg Tooley - STM - 10 - 321A - 27-0
10. Drake Hake - CON - 10 - 4A

145:
1. Tagen Lambotte - ROS - 11 - 321A - 22-1
2. Andrew Millsap - JC - 11 - 6A - 30-2
3. Cody Eastman - ARK - 12 - 5A - 29-3
4. Austin Hughey – ELD – 12 - 4A - 18-1
5. Reis Humphrey - SMS - 12 - 5A - 26-2
6. Chance Demel - HOI - 12 - 321A - 28-0
7. Patrick Weaver - HUG - 12 - 4A - 20-3
8. Davis Matthews - MH - 12 - 6A - 26-5
9. Jacob Durossette - FS - 11 - 4A - 16-2
10. Trevor Kennedy - GC - 12 - 6A - 26-11

152:
1. Jonathan Blackwell – BS - 12 - 4A - 22-1
2. Alex Thibault - HAL - 12 - 321A - 24-0
3. Ben Becker - DB - 12 - 6A - 27-1
4. Jake Gehring - BUH - 12 - 4A - 28-0
5. Wyatt Villers - ARK - 12 - 28-3
6. Taylor Watkins - COL - 10 - 4A - 23-5
7. Gage Younger - ELL - 12 - 321A - 24-1
8. Tanner Ogden - RV - 12 - 4A - 31-3
9. Jack Mitchell - SME - 12 - 6A - 17-2
10. Saul Ortiz - WNW - 10 - 6A - 22-5

160:
1. Dustin Williams – GE – 11 - 6A - 33-0
2. Calvin Ochs – HOX – 12 - 321A - 30-0
3. Aaron Puckett – BS – 12 - 4A - 26-0
4. Noel Torres – EMP – 12 - 5A - 24-3
5. Kyle Armstrong – AN – 12 - 4A - 26-3
6. Johnny Perz - STA - 12 - 5A - 33-3
7. Michael Helms - ARK - 12 - 5A - 17-8
8. Warren Kropp - SC - 11 - 321A - 19-4
9. Scott Whitson - BUH - 11 - 4A - 23-5
10. Kalin Collins - WS - 11 - 6A - 23-2

170:
1. Jared Johnson – PR - 12 - 321A - 25-0
2. Bryant Guillen – SEA – 12 - 5A - 32-0
3. Nick Wuthnow - SAC - 11 - 321A - 25-0
4. Trevor Whittaker - SV - 12 - 4A - 17-1
5. Trent Salsbury – SJA – 11 - 5A - 33-9
6. Jared Langley - NEW - 10 - 5A - 27-5
7. Darick Jones - CLW - 11 - 4A - 28-2
8. Kolby Fennewald - MUL - 12 - MUL - 4A - 27-1
9. Kyler Meyers - HAY - 12 - 5A - 31-6
10. Jason Berkgren - OAK - 12 - 321A - 31-2

182:
1. Levi Eck - AN - 12 - 4A - 27-2
2. Nick Meck - SH - 12 - 5A - 27-1
3. Dalton Rodd - AC - 12 - 5A - 13-1
4. Kyler Atwood - SC - 12 - 321A - 24-1
5. Gavin Grater - RC - 11 - 321A - 21-4
6. Spencer Wilson - SEA - 12 - 5A - 11-4
7. Chad Blair - VC - 12 - 5A - 26-1
8. Jake Bradley - PV - 12 - 4A - 29-4
9. Andrew Denning - LAW - 12 - 6A - 18-2
10. Emilio Fowler - GE - 10 - 6A

195:
1. Preston Weigel - HAY - 11 - 5A - 34-0
2. Dillon Archer - NEW - 12 - 5A - 27-1
3. Ben Taliaferro - SH - 12 - 5A - 27-2
4. Seth Pesek - GE - 10 - 6A - 21-5
5. Harrison Gilliland - PL - 12 - 321A - 18-0
6. Brandon Salmans - HOX - 12 - 321A - 24-3
7. Tyler Gastineau - GDL - 11 - 4A - 15-5
8. Skyler Hittle - CON - 11 - 4A - 19-2
9. James Denton - JC - 12 - 6A - 26-8
10. Mario Galvan - SMNW - 12 - 6A

220:
1. Justin Scott - JW - 11 - 4A - 26-0
2. Ben Ewing - STA - 10 - 5A - 29-1
3. Luke Weldon - VC - 12 - 5A - 28-0
4. Armando Contreras - 12 - SMN - 6A - 14-2
5. Tyson Toelkes - SH - 11 - 5A - 21-2
6. Dylan Cox - ARK - 12 - 5A - 28-7
7. Caleb Franklin - WN - 11 - 6A - 18-0
8. Jesse Colver - LV - 12 - 5A - 21-4
9. Raymond Gallegos - NEW - 11 - 5A - 26-6
10. Ryker Greenbaum - DOU - 12 - 321A - 21-1

285:
1. Nathan Butler - LV - 12 - 5A - 31-0
2. Will Geary - TOP - 12 - 6A - 22-1
3. Josh Horn - WIN - 12 - 4A - 21-1
4. Clay Wilcox - CHP - 12 - 321A - 28-2
5. Zac Sander - VC - 12 - 5A - 29-3
6. Dylan Hall - SEA - 12 - 5A - 22-6
7. Shannon Meck - SH - 12 - 5A - 25-2
8. Aaron Rafalko - JC - 12 - 6A - 21-6
9. Zell Beiberle - CLB - 12 - 4A
10. Marc Saffle - HUT - 12 - 6A

If you want your kid to advance to the top level of wreslting in the future, FR/GR is the way to go. If you look at most college programs, most of them have FR/GF backgrounds. Not saying ALL, but most.

There was only one weight class that had a single participant in either the Freestyle or the Greco-Roman Junior State Championships. In addition, there were no competitors in weight classes below 113.

However, in the remaining 12 weight classes there were an average of 8 wrestlers per bracket in Freestyle and a little under 7 in Greco. While these aren't huge brackets, anyone who watched those matches can attest that those 7-8 competitors were generally among the best in the state. At the Junior and Cadet levels a state FS or GR championship is a hard-fought honor.

IMO;
To come on this forum and discredit any kid for any of his accomplishments is absolutely heinous. We bleed, sweat, and cry for every victory we get. Hell, I'd give my left lung (and a few other organs) to be able to say I'm a state champ in wrestling, In any style! And if you ask any kid that's ever hit a double leg, or a lat drop for that matter, they'd do the same. So for you to come on here and take away that title by saying it "doesn't mean a whole lot", well Sir, I'm sorry, but you are wrong.

At freestyle Greco state if you have an 8 man bracket you better be ready mentally & physically because Its not going to be a cake walk to victory. If any wrestler wins a bracket of this nature It does mean something & its not Irrelevant. How many basketball games you have won is Irrelevant

FYI Chief, #5 220lb. Tyson Toelkes wrestled 285 last night and beat #8 285lb. Aaron Rafalko 5-2

Let me ask this one question, there are no wrong answers, if Chief were to rank next years participants for Fargo, would Bryant be ranked over the two AA's that he beat this year in folkstyle?

This has been the only point I have been trying to make here. But of course, it is typical on this forum, that people go off in a different direction, and soon it will have to be put on a different topic because it will have nothing to do with ranking.

For Bryant, Gr/Fr may be to wrestling what the pommel horse is to gymnastics. were not ranking a guys abilities in wrestling, this topic is FOLKSTYLE all class Kansas h.s. wrestling.

Tyson,

Seaman is having a great season. Coach Kelly is an outstanding example of a leader of student athletes. Bryant and his family have always held themselves to a high character standard.

Your attempts at logic on this thread have been elementary at best and have turned into a type of desperate lunge to aggrandize Bryant while degradating Jared in your path. I can tell you that your agenda is unwanted by the Seaman faithful.

I understand that your son's senior season title chase was ended by Trey Dice who Bryant beat in last year's state bracket. I understand your excitement for Bryant's success this season and can assure you that the Kansas wrestling community is cheering along with you.

What you are discounting is the equally impressive finished work of Jared Johnson. If Jared somehow completes his season on top of the podium, and I would like to think you would be happy for him, he would have to beat who I believe is the next toughest wrestler at 170 Nick Wuthnow.

I have shown you the comparison from last years state brackets that show Jared's 321A bracket as tougher than Bryant's 5A bracket. I have shown you that these two have only wrestled each other two times with Jared winning them both. Let me also point out that your reference to Jared's skills at upper body throws cannot distract anyone who also knows that Bryant has made a living doing the same.

As I have stated earlier and have said to many face to face, the difference between these two is razor thin. Both have competed on my folkstyle dual teams. I have seen both of these warriors wrestle dozens of times. From the totality of criteria that I have collected, I have landed on Jared at #1. These rankings are not predictions! They can only use the rear view mirror. If Bryant were to beat Jared tomorrow that would not make me "wrong". They would just build a criteria advantage to Bryant.

Get on board Tyson. Applaud the action. Make a positive difference for Kansas wrestling!

At 120 How is Cokeley ranked a head of Sharp? if Sharp pinned him at basohor. also didn't Cokeley also loss to Elbrader at bashor shouldn't both of them by ranked a head of him.

I have not personally seen him but some who did think Nick Wuthnow may be the best of the bunch at this point. we will soon know!

No. If those were the only three wrestlers involved then the answer would be yes. Reese is 2-0 vs. Tyler Mies. Mies beat Elbrader 14-2 and beat Dakota Leach in the finals at Bobcat. Dakota beat Sharp 10-2 at that same tournament. So Mies is above Leach, Elbrader and Sharp. Cokeley is above Mies. It becomes much more complicated when you add Mies and Leach to your story.

Your attempts at logic on this thread have been elementary at best and have turned into a type of desperate lunge to aggrandize Bryant while degradating Jared in your path. I can tell you that your agenda is unwanted by the Seaman faithful.

My logic is elementary because i don't agree with your logic on this one issue???? I don't have any agenda.... I don't care who is #1 and #2, I just don't agree with your reasoning. On almost all of your rankings, I totally agree. And in many other circumstances I see that you use competition in your decisions. In this I don't see it. Thats all.

Also, so that we are clear and you are not mistaking me for someone else, I never had a son that wrestled Trey Dice. We are not in the Seaman dist. We are from Jefferson West. So whatever agenda you think I have, think again.

It is funny Bryant says he does not like Greco. Everytime I have seen that kid wrestle I expect to see him toss someone. He is a great wrestler and I would expect to see him take care of business at state. Comparing kids in two different classes, while fun, does not mean a whole lot other than to get people arguing with each other, imho.

Chief,

I agree on your assessment of Coach Kelly @ Seaman. He is an awesome leader for his wrestlers. I would also like to put a plug in for his assistant coaches also. Chad Flores, Jon Ray, Tim Horgan and Dallas Holloway all complement Coach Kelly's style in one way or another to bring the best from all the weight classes. This is a true team and we are very proud of them all.
As far as Bryant goes, I'm sure he is uncomfortable with this kind of attention as most of the great wrestlers this year would be as I find most of them humble, workmanlike and exceptional citizens. I don't know Jared Johnson at all and have never seen him wrestle but I can imagine he feels the same way and I wish him the best the rest of the year and at state. If the two end up wrestling after state, I would definitely make every effort to see that match up.
It has been a great year so far with some of the best wrestling I have seen. Since I don't have the anxiety that goes with a son in competition this year, tournaments and duals are much more "laid back" for me and I plan to support Kansas wrestling as long as I can.

So if Mies would beat Gentzler this weekend, then according to your way of ranking - Cokely would become #1 with 17 losses. LOL!

Then technically Reese Cokeley should still be under Elbrader as he did pin him, the only head to head. I understand that wrestlers occasionally have a bad day, get sick, or just off the day of wrestling. Is it possible that this was the case when Reese won against Mies?

Head to head means nothing to Chief, at least it didn't use to, a few years ago my son was ranked BELOW a kid that my son had beaten the only 2 times they wrestled. And since I called him on it he quickly told me that it had to do with common opponets. So I was left feeling that head to head match up really don't matter

Just look at the first page of this thread, where I questioned the fact that Geary was ranked ahead of Butler even though Butler had the better resume, Butler has the better FS/GR resume but I was told that since Geary didn't wrestle FS/GR it didn't matter, Geary had beaten Butler 4-3 in their only head to head in folkstyle, even tho Butler beat Geary pretty handily in FS a few months later. Even FLO,on the national level, had Butler #8 and Geary #15
I feel that Geary got the #1 spot in the pre-season all class simply because he wrestled for Chiefs Renegades at the Wrestling Central Freestyle Duals and Butler choose to wrestle for KCTC.
I have given up on the rankings as there is a lot of bias that goes on.
But like I said before these are Chiefs rankings and he can do them how ever he wants, I fully expect to get flamed for this post but I really don't care this is how I feel.

Reese has beaten Mies not once but twice this season. Reese has 17 losses because he's wrestled better competition. Sharp, Elbrader, and Himple are the only Kansas kids to beat Reese. Sharp ID the second time they were suppose to wrestle. Himple has moved up a couple weights. Reese will see Elbrader possible 2 more times this year.

so then the question where does that put Leach with only 3 loss and 2 of them to the no.1 and beating 4 common opponents to Cokeley and only lossing to one mies. shouldn't he be ahead of Cokeley. the smae arguement used for Cokelel apply to all.