Read under another topic that a Kansas school split their team into 2 half teams to compete in 2 different tournments.

Not sure I agree with this. It denigrates at least one of the tournaments. This not in the spirit of high school sports. Appears to me, for lack of a better word: "commercialism". If you don't like that word, give me another. If you don't like one tournament, the location, the competition, whatever, go some place else (with your whole team). Don't cheapen either tournament by sending your JV to a varsity tournament.

If the top teams have deep and tough rosters, why limit where they wrestle? Do you really want them going to JV tournaments and pinning every opponent in the 1st period? One of them made the finals at Eudora. Did his participation "cheapen" or strengthen that bracket?

Why are you offended?

Teams have sent varsity wrestlers to tournaments and their JV to other tournaments for years?

GE has sent varsity wrestlers to Newton and JV wrestlers to the varsity tournament in Topeka and no one has complained? In fact Holton is doing the very same thing this year. Does that offend you also?

coaches have to find the best competition for their wrestlers given the schedule available.

Mark

Not everyone has 14 weights filled #1 plus not all teams have varsity type wrestlers that fill the weights they fill. Sending inexperianced wrestlers to JV is where they belong. If they get drubbed every week they will quit. Convincing these kids today to try wrestling is hard enough.

I see no problems with splitting. In some cases they should do it more for instance next week some of the top ranked kids will likely pin their way through brackets at the Johnson County Classic.. when some should be at the Kansas City Classic. Where there will be some scouts looking for talent to give money to. But not everyone on a roster should go to the Kansas City Classic, it wouldn't do a new wrestler any favors on their self esteem. I think it shows initiative.

Go to perry Oklahoma and see how good you are! Don't be scared!

I see no problem sending your team to 2 different varsity tournaments if you have the numbers and talent. We used to do this often back in the late 90's. I remember we sent our varsity to a 2 day tournament in Kansas, and our JV went to a varsity tournament in Colorado. Not only did our JV win the varsity tournament in Colorado Ulysses JV took 2nd. If you can compete in 2 tournaments I say go for it.

Maybe I was not clear. I personally did not like splitting a varsity team in half and sending 2 half teams to 2 different varsity tournaments. If I was a tournament director and a team sent me their second stringers, lesser half, or JVs, they would never get an invite or accepted again in my varsity tournament. Bring who you are and wrestle who is there.

I seriously doubt that if you asked the wrestling team members if they want to split into multiple teams and compete the same day in different tournaments if you would get a majority of yeas. What happens these days is a super active dad/dads and coaches think it is better for their semi professional teams to travel, travel, travel. Why go 250 to 500 miles to, Colorado, Iowa, Oklahoma, eastern Missouri, Illinois or wherever and still get your butts beat at a tournament 10 to 20 miles down the road. Does not make since. Too many excellent local tournaments!.

If a school wants to send their JVs to a JV tournament while the varsity is in a varsity tournament, be my guest.

Reference one replies reference to the Kansas City Classic, and several other of the same type tournaments. I don't categorize tournaments like this as high school tournaments. They are planned and run by businesses who are in the business to make money. Has nothing to do with the "spirit of high school sports". Have seen lots of good one day high school tournaments close because the traditional participant schools now want to go to a "CLASSIC", a Tournament of Champions", an Invitational"----those big two day tournaments held in two or three gyms plus the wrestling room. True high school sponsored tournaments are going/gone the way of Tuesday and/or Thursday night duals. If your team always wrestles "AWAY" then don't question or complain why your stands are empty in the(very) few times you are at home (probably only at the season opening red/white, blue/white, etc scrimmage).

Lots of wrestling supporters on this forum get upset if basketball is mentioned. But, if you go to their basketball court, or football stadium, on Friday night you will find a high school sports crowd---a crowd of students, families, and local folks who come out to see the boys (and girls). Most wrestling crowds are mom and dads, maybe a few gramps who wrestled 30 years ago, and a few younger kids---very few if any student fans.

Except for a couple of HARD ASS-S on this forum, BIGGER is not always BETTER.

JV is for newer wrestlers not inferior athletes. If a tournament wants to not invite because of this issue ( which is unlikely) they would find themselves having a smaller tournament in the future

"Deep and tough rosters".......give me break Chief...

Yes Hensley is in a tough situation. Tough good wrestler stuck behind some tough good wrestlers.

Thats one wrestler. You make it sound like SJA has a bunch of kids like Hensley sitting there on there JV team.

Sammy Cokeley is a tough freshman that is behind a state champ. He beat a state placer and the number 1 seed in his bracket. SJA has never been in a situation where they might have two kids who could qualify or even place at state that might have to be sitting in the stands supporting their teammates.

Congrats to Coach Medina for all you have accomplished and for accomplishments yet to come.

True. Another tough wrestler that is stuck in log jam.

Since weall know we are talking about SJA, why don't we have one of their own explain to us why SJA did a split team this weekend and not take your entire varsity team to Iowa?

I didn't know we were talking about SJA? And I would assume Medina Split HIS team up because some he didn't think were ready for that level of competition. And talking a hammer to a tough tournament where they might get some publicity under a spotlight. Could help get a kid some college money. You won't get at a local tournament. And putting kids on that podium helps the school get some spotlight time. Gary Mayabb did it for a decade with Oak Park it certainly served them well

Watch it. assuming on this site will get people yelling.

Wow...comparing SJA to Oak Park......SJA has had a few horsese over the last few years but comparing then t o OAk Park? Nice opinion.

"Not ready for that level of competition" so send them Eudora? That type of thinking might be what rubs people to wrong way.

you think Oak Park just suddenly became a power house? It didn't they had to start somewhere... the beginning And Mayabb made no friends in the process. Also nobody is gonna yell at me on or off forum. Cause I don't like it

Looked at the team list of the Council Bluff Classic. 28 teams. Wife from Iowa and traveled a lot in Iowa. Teams in the tournament are not the Iowa power houses. Looks like a lot of mid to smaller 4A or even 321A Kansas teams. Doubt if it was a "hammer" tournament, probably not as good as the Eudora TOC, certainly not any better!

Prestige does not necessarily come with travel distance. Actually, individual wrestler and team prestige is a lot better when earned in front of your fellow students, team members, local opponents and fans.

Well said. Eudora TOC didn't become a good, tough tournament by allowing teams to take their "horses" to another tournament and settling for a teams "not quite ready for tough competion" team.

Then agian we have not h
eard from the horses mouth why they did it, so we may never know.

Your right never any hammers in smaller schools..??? Actually Wrestler and team prestige is earned at state and qualifiers that's for the fans and school. The rest of the season is for the kids and for testing ones self. Hell sometimes we travel long distances to wrestle 1 tough kid. If you don't lose matches your not being tested... being beaten is how u get better. going undefeated is highly over rated

6 teams had to back out of the Council Bluff Classic. I think that this is also the first year for the Council Bluffs Classic. Lance Benick is the number 1 ranked 195# in the country and his team traveled there from Minnesota. That's what these big tournaments that you claim are "only in it for the money and not for the spirit of high school sports" are trying to do. They want to bring in tough competition from all over the nation to see who the best in the country is. The Walsh Ironman, which is sponsored by Walsh-Jesuit High School is doing just that. Flowrestling does a great job to promote those types of tournament to get a bigger fan base for the sport. Then you will see more students in the stands at your duals.

Eudora TOC was missing some of its tougher teams as well. Tongie had to back out because of weather. Chanute left Eudora to go to Perry. I know Holton used to go to Eudora as well but cannot remember the last time they were there. Point is teams travel to different tournaments to see different competition. Some wrestlers have higher goals than just being a State Champ. Some of them want to wrestle at the college level and the best way to get out of state college coaches attention is too travel to some of these out of state tournaments.

As far as your prestige comment goes. Try telling that to teams like Blair Academy or Oak Park-Riverforest, or individuals like Aaron Pico.

We are not Blair Academy, or OAK Park River-forest, or Aaron Pico (is that an individual or a school?. This is not Ohio or New Jersey. This is Kansas Toto. 20 years ago I happened to be in New Jersey during the state tournament and got to watch it on TV. Hard to even attempt the measure Kansas wrestling against the east coast schools. Almost every NJ wrestler was headed to a quality college wrestling program. Lots more schools, wrestlers and competition just down the street or around the corner. Doubt many wrestlers at Council Bluffs are headed back east for college wrestling.