For the past four years I have stated and supported with data that the Rocky Welton was the toughest Kansas High School tournament. People argued for Newton and The Bobcat. This year Garden City was not tougher than The Bobcat. Just a fact. No offense to anyone who won but not every tournament can be the toughest one, only one can. I don't believe there was a two time state champ in the gym (active HS wrestlers). Last year 140,145,152 were won by Moeder, Himmelman, Cokeley. All three D1 wrestlers and 10 state championships between them. I could list more data for each of the past three years if you need to see it. Just the facts.

In this stream a discussion regarding the status of Kansas wrestling versus surrounding states was created and I said this tournament would be an indicator of how we matched up against Colorado. Not totally but some data to work with. I admitted that Colorado was down.

Hats off to Greg Buckbee. He had his boys ready to go and they bested all comers. He told me before the tournament they were going to win and I predicted Pine Creek (I didn't know they were missing three starters). I told him he was right and congratulated him. He took a video of this and said he was going to post it on youtube.com.

I do everything I can to elevate the level of Kansas HS wrestling starting with kids on up. I am not out to ridicule but the facts are the facts. Why make someone feel falsely secure about their status if you know it is not the truth?

I would give up trying to post facts but then the nameless, faceless posters like nastyway wouldn't have anyone to take cheap shots at. Then there would be no fun on the forum.

No disrespect meant to any champions but the winner of the SMN Invitational is not normally going to be on the same level as a champion at Garden City, Newton, or the Bobcat.

(Butch, Cash is a great wrestler and I think 220 might have been as good at GC but as I stated, TOP TO BOTTOM. If Justin McPhail would have been there I would have said hands down GC was tougher!)

I have never tried to glorify a tournament just because SJA was there. That was a ridiculous statement. I will tell you that SJA wants to attend the toughest tournaments they can so we hit the Bobcat and Garden City just as Andale does. If you want to be the best you have to wrestle the best. Nasty go ahead and argue with that!