Congratulations to all wrestlers who qualified to wrestle for Team Kansas at the 2019 Heartland USA National Duals. Please work on getting me the required paperwork that was handed out at the awards podium in Salina. I will be compiling an email list (from Trackwrestling) and keep everyone up to date on any changes to the teams.
I expect all qualifiers to wrestle in this event. If there is anyone who qualified and is not going to Iowa, I need to know ASAP, so I can find replacements. The 7th place finishers all have the option to go as alternates. If you finished 7th and want to go as an alternate, let me know asap. Alternates get the same Team Kansas gear, travel and stay with the team etc
The dates for this year’s event are Friday April 12th, Saturday April 13th and Sunday April 14th. It is held at the Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. This is one of the nation’s elite team events with top notch competition guaranteed. Our middle school teams and girl’s teams attend this event also. The cost is $250.00 and includes entry fee, transportation, lodging, meals and Team Kansas singlet, shorts and t-shirt.
The teams, starting with Team 1, will be voting for which singlet they will wear. After Team 1 votes, Team 2 will vote on the remaining 5 singlets, Then Team 3 will vote on the remaining 4, etc. There will be a link posted on the Kansas Wrestling talk forums and your wrestler can vote either on the forum or by emailing me.
Every year there are changes to the teams because of injury, etc. If a wrestler who finished above you at the qualifying tournament can’t go, you automatically move up one spot. In other words, if you finished fourth and the second place wrestler drops out, you move to third team and the third place finisher moves to second team. The placers below you all move up one spot and the 7th place finisher moves to Team 6 – the 8th place finisher then has the option to go as an alternate.
We will meet at the Capital Plaza Hotel – 1717 SW Topeka Blvd - Topeka, KS 66612 - Friday April 12th between 9-10 am to pass out gear and load up on chartered buses for the trip to Council Bluffs. We will leave by noon in order to arrive and get checked in to our hotel before weigh-in. Weigh-ins start at 6pm and we will be there early to be one of the first in line to weigh in. ALL WRESTLERS MUST WEIGH IN ON FRIDAY FROM 6-8:30 PM – there is no Saturday weigh-in. YOU MUST MAKE WEIGHT – THERE IS NO MOVING UP
I understand Topeka is not convenient for everyone. If it’s out of your way to come to Topeka first, let me know on your sign-up forms. Please meet us at the hotel before weigh ins - or make sure you are at Mid America Center by 5:30 pm Friday, ready to weigh in. Any wrestler meeting us in Iowa will get their gear at the hotel – either before or after the weigh in.
We will have 2 charter buses for the elementary wrestlers to ride on.
The wrestlers (both elementary and middle school) will be staying at the same hotels as last year – Best Western Plus at 2510 Abbott Plaza and Candlewood Suites at 2601 Abbott Plaza. These are right across the street from each other. I will have a block of rooms for the parents at both hotels and will also have additional block at the Holiday Inn Express– a couple blocks away.
Keep an eye on the talk forum for additional information as we get closer to the event.
