How hard would it be to get a venue to where 4a and 3-2-1a can have their state tournament in one venue like 5a and 6a ? It seems like there is plenty of room at Salina.

How many people actually want that change? I suppose those in Eastern Kansas would like it. But FHSU is a great venue, and was pretty packed this weekend.

Craig Amrein

I don’t care where. I would like to see some more of the kids that we have watched all through kids club. I would prefer all of them in the same venue. Just not sure we have a big enough venue for all of them.

I'd love for them to all be together too. Putting 4A & 321A together is a step in the right direction for sure. I say put them all in the same town so college coaches and fans can bounce back and forth.

I have seen for years people in the larger classes wanting it combined but I have seen very little interest from 3-2-1A in changing

FHSU sets up 8 mats for their Bob Smith Collegiate open every year. I know it doesn't make it any easier for the eastern kansas schools, but it could be a viable option if this was a real desire.

I don't think Hays could handle two state tournaments at once. Crowd wise, maybe, lodging wise, absolutely not.

Salina or Topeka would be the only realistic spots.

One location, all classes!

No way FHSU could handle it. They are crowded with things now and have around 70% of the upper level filled. Hotels book way early and most of then are real low quality. Restaurants are packed and have hours of waiting lists... Salina with their new downtown sports venue could handle it. Much more in hotels and restaurants at a higher quality!

Lodging would be the main issue. Wichita, Salina, or Topeka. Basically we are talking about a 900 kid tournament. Obviously there will be more attendees per entry than most kids tourneys, when you consider cheerleaders, managers, etc. But I think any of those could handle it. I am not familiar with Hays' lodging capacity, but just from memory, I think they would be short.

It is possible to run this thing in two days, but There would have to be different sessions where the place may have to be cleared.

Someone correct my math here, I just threw this together:

Friday Day 1-First and second round 4a and 321a (9AM-3:00 or so, 336 matches on 8 mats, 42 matches per mat)in one session, then 5a6a (4:00-9:00) in the next session. Semifinals and first round backside matches could be all one session all classes.

Saturday day 2: 10:00 AM Semifinals on 8 mats, all classes, 2 matches per class, one semifinal on each mat. Then go into the backside matches immediately following semifinals, and wrestle thru the placement matches except the championship finals.

Saturday 7:00 PM ( yes, an actual set time for when the finals will start, so people could actually plan their day around it)

There would be 29 matches per bracket, 14 weights, 4 classes, so total of 1568 matches (1624minus 56 finals matches) on 8 mats is 196 matches per mat, plus the championship finals, which would be on 4 mats. If we only get 10 matches done per hour, that is less than 20 hours of wrestling before we get to the finals. Friday 9-3 and 4-10 is 12 hours of wrestling. Saturday 10-6 is the other 8 hours of wrestling, and we are at the finals. An hour to tear down 4 mats, and we are ready for introductions at 7:00 PM Saturday night. And we get to see EVERY stud in the state wrestling for state titles, like a lot of other states do, and you leave feeling like you got your money's worth.

I don't want to hear about table workers not being able to work that much, I see the same table workers work two long days straight at TUlsa Nationals, USJOC, etc. If that is an issue, we have to put two shifts of table workers together, so be it. We need to figure out a way to get this done, not try to find ways of why it WON'T work......

Craig, for the first time in a long time, I went down to 5a6a finals, and they have done a great job of making it an event. It didn't feel like they were trying to get it over with like I feel like 4A has become. There was excitement in the air from the announcers, and they actually pronounced names correctly, and announced winners correctly. (if they can pronounce Onwugbufor, they have proven themselves worthy. Heaven forbid, they may have gone to the coach or kid, and asked how to pronounce his name, to make sure they got it right) It still fries my a$$ that the 4a announcer, after Tyler Mies (Meese is how it is pronounced of course) made the finals 3 out of 4 years in high school, still pronounced his name MIZE his senior year.......

Remember, you are still going to be able watch your class, but I'll guarantee you that you will be thrilled to be able to see all of the other kids that you have coached, been dual teammates with, or gotten to know through the wrestling journey over the years.

KSHSAA will look at it as "we won't make as much money as having 4 sites", but they should look at it as GAINING spectators because of the additional interest it will create. And of course, setting up for one large tourney eliminates a lot of duplication of finding mats, scoring tables, referees, etc. etc. I heard 1900 were at Salina on Friday, and I would say that had wrestlers, coaches, paying fans, cheerleaders, etc. So if you take that times 4, you are well within the capacity of most of these venues aren't you?

So let's say I am wrong about a few things here. Go to 3 days and it would be a piece of cake. Fri, Sat, Sunday, and no one misses any more school than they are currently missing.

I think this would be a money maker. This wouldn't hurt ticket sales and KSHSAA would only be renting out one facility instead of 3 locations. There would be other economies of scale involved with this. Always amazed that KS has 3 locations. Time to step up and make this a modern event. Could you get 8 mats into Bramlage? You might also be able to host there.

I don't care where they hold it, I'll be there!

I would be for it if we can move 4A to Hays with 3-2-1A, Salina venue because of how they treat the coaches with hospitality and the management of the wrestler food/drinks process is terrible in Salina. The 3-2-1A venue in Hays is awesome!

I'm with Doug747, I'm there!!

Agreed! It's a joke that they charge to eat in the hospitality room. Hays is very good with their hospitality and how they treat everyone.

This would be better than having only 4A in salina for sure, but why not have them all together when we KNOW it is feasible?

My only other "acceptable option", to me anyway, is to have, maybe alternating, 4a and 321a on Thurs Fri, and 5a6a on Sat Sun, so we can watch all of them. The following year, 5a6a on Thurs Fri, and 4a321a on Sat Sun...

Either way, I want to be able to watch all of them.

I don't know how much good it will do for recruiting, but it sure couldn't hurt having college coaches see ALL of KS' tough kids in one location......

3 days, one site.

That makes at least 3 of us, so I don't see any way that KSHSAA can ignore us now.........

Agreed! Hays Chamber does an absolutely amazing job!