Well, we have arrived! The Jubster, Tom Peterman and I are checked in!!

We are getting ready to go grab a bite and will return!!

Right now, we have wireless in the dorm we are in!! Hopefully, we'll keep that!

Good Morning Kansas!

At my last report, we were on our way to dine. However, that was delayed a bit as Coaches Chaz Thompson and Mike Church were scheduled to arrive. Once they did, we were off to sample the culinary delights of Buffalo Wild Wings.

Our pallets preferred a wide range of sauces, from the "mild" of Coach Church to the "blazin" of Mr. Juby. Of course there was a bit of cross sampling and a few interesting stories but those will be saved. After all, they are best told when a group is gathered around the sovereignty of a table full of beverage.

It was a beautifully mild night and the window fan is blowing in a refreshing coolness. From what I am told, we best enjoy that because it is predicted to change.

Later this morning the Cadet team will arrive. They have a workout scheduled with Ike Anderson. Ike is a Greco guru from the OTC. Later in our stay, the Juniors will have the pleasure of a session with Jamill Kelley, the newly named manager of the NCEP program and a recent silver medalist in the Olympics.

Traditionally, my anticipation is barely containable. Thus, I am anxious. It's with a bit of a grin that I listen to Coach Church talk about his anticipation of his first coaching experience at the Big Show!! He will be a great addition to Team Kansas.

The schedule this year is brutal. At the suggestion of the membership, USA Wrestling has trimmed a bit of the "down-time" out. From a look at the result, a few of us, think it will be visited again.

This year, one of my assigned duties will be to instruct a Bronze clinic over the next few days. Those sessions will be during a few of the only breaks in the wrestling!!

Now, it is off to a few personal duties.

TTFN

Oh Mylanta ... that was refreshing! The showers on the 3rd floor haven't been used in a while, so the water, more precisely the hot water, hasn't been recirculated for a bit. My shower reminded me of a cool mountain stream that one might wade into, up to their ankles before relenting!!

The soda machines in the basement offer a wide variety and they saved one spot, for the nectar of the Gods. A few of you know that I can't exist very long without my Diet Mountain Dew!

The Cadets have arrived. They will be checked into their rooms, where the Jubster was up till 2 am making door signs! At 10 am, registration begins. USA Wrestling and North Dakota State University have been shuttling athletes through the process for several years. As long as the i's are dotted and the t's crossed the procession is fairly seamless.

I seem to want to spend this "free time" in this quasi-conversation with you. For one, it is a way I handle some nervous energy. For another, I don't know how much time we will have once wrestling starts.

Wrestling starts at 9:30 am tomorrow!

The Cadets are filling the halls and the "hollas" are bombarding the floor. No doubt they have some "nervous energy" too! Some are bemoaning some hunger, some are just moaning, but all appear to be healthy!!

TTFN

Hello All! The Cadets are all registered and have rooms assigned. Most are taking a bit of a siesta until 2:30 pm when they are scheduled for their Team Kansas picture. Then it is on to the aforementioned practice session.

Monsieur Juby and I made a WalMart run to pick up the items we forgot and a few we decided we needed.

I am logged on now through an Ethernet cable in the room. The wireless I had been on was actually owned by an RA of the dorm.

Those of us who don't have to make weight, have lunch in a few minutes. Hopefully the always good food remains unchanged! I need to take advantage of the meal plan today because the next two days, I will spend 14 hours solid in the Fargodome.

The weather forecast indicates our climate will get a bit testy over the next few days. Maybe we should be glad we have very little time to spend in the dorms!!

TTFN

Glad to see the post brother Randy! My Roswell friends and my kids all want to recommend the Alien Cafe to you. They have some weird looking bbq pork things that are, pun intended, out of this world!

With all the Kansas crew in spirit, wish we were there but still recovering a bit from NM. What do this years shirts look like?

Klint

Good to hear from you Klint!

The predominant theme is surrounding the Big Red 1.

Wish you were here too but good luck with the recovery!!

well, i have a new favorite big red 1,,,we both know her or it

The Cadets just finished a practice session with OTC Coach, Ike Anderson. Ike, who is a past Olympian, in one of my favorite clinicians.

He spent over an hour with our Kansas young men, teaching them some of the finer points about Greco.

Now, a bit or rest, maybe a meal, and a practice session at 8 pm. A team meeting at 9 pm and in there rooms at 10 pm. Lights out are scheduled for 10:30 but I imagine some won't last that long!!

I took a few pictures of Ike Anderson (USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman Developmental Coach) working with our Cadets and have posted them in the Photo Gallery. This was done as part of a new program where USAW's key people commit a few hours to working with our kids. Ike agreed to work with eight states for one hour each, and Kansas was one of the states selected.

Tomorrow the Juniors will get to work with Jamill Kelly, Manager of the National Coaches Education Program for USA Wrestling. Jamill just recently left Harvard University, where he was the Head Assistant Wrestling Coach, to take his current position at USAW. Like Ike, he is also working with eight states in one hour spots.

These are the only two USAW staff members that are offering this opportunity this year, so we are very fortunate to be able to benefit from them both.

I heard there were 86 wrestlers in the Cadet 112 bracket!

The brackets are being filled out as we speak. The first five weights are set.

# of wrestlers in bracket:

84 - 15
91 - 28
98 - 45
105 - 42
112 - 86!

Randy & Mike -
I am stuck in a trial in Western Ks. I am actually west of Steve Woody's stomping grounds if that gives you any indication. My coverage of Fargo this year will be by web and web alone. I know we have Track wrestling but I very much enjoy reading the coverage you guys put on. Track wrestling gives the results. You guys give the story. I am depending on you!!!
Barry Disney

The brackets are complete!

# of wrestlers in bracket:

84 - 15
91 - 28
98 - 45
105 - 42
112 - 86!
119 - 79
125 - 72
130 - 68
135 - 62
140 - 51
145 - 58
152 - 62
160 - 57
171 - 37
189 - 48
215 - 27
285 - 35

Barry, I think you are in Colorado! You might want to check to see if you are licensed to practice there.

Good Morning Kansas ...

I am just getting set up in the Dome and will be reporting as we go along!

At 7 am, I had my first session of my Bronze Clinic. It was over at 9:20 and wrestling started at 9:30.

This years tournament will using some new technology! First, connection to security coded wireless that seems, as this early point, to be working!

Next, all the matches will be sent to the mat by monitor screens. This will have a lot of benefits and a few challenges.

Jeff Vesta won his opening bout!

Cadet Greco Nationals Results for Kansas
Cadet-91 -
Match #1 Jeff Vesta (Kansas) over Marcus Banducci (Idaho) TF 6-0,6-0

Cadet-105 -
Match #1 Sharky Slyter (Kansas) over Kolt Rinehart (Oklahoma) TF 7-0,7-0

The first glaring change, outside the absence of most PA announcements is that the early rounds of this tournament are being competed with "one man" mechanics.

Cokeley wins, 3-2 and 5-0.

This was necessary I am told due to the change in schedule.

Cadet-105 -
Match #1 Shayden Terukina (Hawaii) over Nathan Reed (Kansas) TF 6-0,6-0

Cadet-112 -
Match #1 Ryne Cokeley (Kansas) over Aaron Morgan (Missouri) Dec 4-2,5-0

DeShazer lost a heart-breaker while leading in the 3rd period.

The floor of the venue seems less congested than years past. They have added two mats to the floor which has brought the total up to 25! Gone in the "lounge" area in front of the brackets.

Cadet-112 -
Match #1 Alan Callahan (Kansas) over Kaare Stokdal (New York) Fall 2-1,0:30