6.  KWCA Award winners were announced:
    a.  Coach of the Year
         6A--Ryan Jilka--Goodard
         5A--Jamie Finkeldei--Bishop Carroll
         4A--Dennis Charbonneau--Clay Center
         321A--Larry Gabel--St. Francis
 
    b.  Senior Wrestlers of the Year
         6A--Tommy Edgmon--Goddard
         5A--Josh Baldridge--Haysville
         4A--Ross Taplin--Abilene
         321A--Levi Younkin--Oakley
 
    c.  Asst. Coaches of the Year
         6A--Brett Means and Joey Vrana--Goddard
         5A--Corey Jones and Ben Jiminez--Valley Center
         4A--Kirk Wiscombe--Sante Fe Trail
         321A--Steve Jenkins and Daryl Loyd--St. Francis
 
    d.  Media of the Year
         Burlington--Jeremy Gaston and Lee Bates
         Kansas Preps Weekly--Christian D. Orr
         Holton High School and Tom Sextro
         Shawn Lindenberger--Tonganoxie Mirror
 
     e.  College Wrestler of the Year--tabled
    
      f.  Contributer of the Year
          Rick Bowden
 
      g.  Official of the Year
           Aron Wiechman
 
       h.  Doug Moore and Eldon Zimbelman were chosen for the KWCA Hall of Fame
 
  7.  Fall Clinic
       a.  In 2005--Oct. 28 and 29
 
             
 
  8.  KCA Coach of the Year
       Dour Vander Linden
 
 9.  NWCA Award
        Coach--Bill Johnson--Norton
         Athlete--Danny Grater--Clay Center

That a way to represent Goddard!!! Hurray for Coach Jilka, Coach Means, and Coach Joey...also hurray for Tommy!!!

Coach of the year for 4A went to Randy Bahe-Goodland

When will the All Academic team be announced?

Randy Bahe of Goodland won the Sporstmanship Coach of the Year Award voted on by the officials. The coaches voted Dennis Charbonneau of Clay Center as the 4A Coach of the Year. They are different awards.

Congrats to all award winners.

All-Academic Team will be sent to Bob Phillips on Wednesday, March 9.

What's the criteria for All-Academic team?

All Academic Team criteria can be found at the KWCA website http://www.holton.k12.ks.us/tech/kwca and by clicking on the AAT nomination form and reading what is listed as the criteria, I think it is 4.0-3.5 is 1st team, 3.4-3.0 is 2nd team/honorable mention?

Thanks.

Thanks Alex.

Congratulations to Goddard. Not sure what criteria was looked at for this award. But I would have thought Parks from STA would have been the odds on favorite for 6A COTY. I'm not basing that solely on their 1st place finish. The fact that there has only been 3 Eastern KS schools win the title in something like 30 years or so. Not to mention winning the title with the majority of wrestlers in 10th grade.

I would have also thought the Maize HC would have a shot at the award. I'm not sure how they did as a team in season, but the results at state were much improved from last year.

I just don't see the love affair with Goddard this year. While they are a fine program and Edgmon is a very good wrestler. I feel there are others more deserving of these awards. I can't speak about assistant coaches but for Wrestler of the year I'd go with two others before Edgmon. 1st being Kellerman after an undeafeted season. The other Cisper, after winning the title with one loss and the only member of STA (state champ) to come away with a gold.

Just one guys opinions.

Agreed and well said.

Maybe it 'politics' or something. . .

I don't know about that. But I would like to know what criteria is considered. One would think, when a coach wins COTY it's related to their performance during the current year and how they've improved from the previous year. I think everyone would agree that the State tourney is the litmus test we all hold our teams too. Based off of those results Maize and STA's teams both improved over last year. Where as Goddard dropped from 3rd to 7th. Just caught my attention.

Don't take this as me bashing Goddard. Goddard is a very good team and obviously good coaches if they continuely place high in state. Just not sure this is the year I'd award them this many awards.

Blitzkrieg,

I don't disagree with you at all on the coach of the year award. I would have voted for Coach Parks or Oeser too. However, only coaches that are members of the KWCA are eligible for the award. More 6A coaches need to become members.

As for the assistant coaches award. Head coaches nominate their assistants for this award. Brett and Joey do an awesome job and deserve this award. I realize state is the litmus test for awards, but remember, we pulled a state champion out of the tournament for injury or we may have placed a little higher.

As for Edgmon not deserving this, I think that is crazy. I realize there are other great wrestlers. He was the only 3 timer in 6A. He came off of an injury to win his third. He won a Brute National title last year. He deserved it. He has lost 3 matches in two years. Two of which were to a 2x Prep National champion. The other was to a 5A state champ when I bumped him up to 125. He beat the 4A and 5A state champ last year. Kellerman and Cisper are great, but Tommy is deserving as well.

There is no love affair with Goddard. I don't think I was all that deserving of the award, but the other two awards were given to great candidates.

Have a good one,
Ryan

Comment on forum:
Doug Moore and Eldon Zimbelman were chosen for the KWCA Hall of Fame


Two better gentlemen of the sport of wrestling can hardly be found anywhere in the Midwest.
Hooray! Thanks for choosing two great men selection committee. I have watched them both for many years work in wrestling and it has always been a pleasure. Coach Sprague

Coach Jilka-

Good post. Thanks for the info. I have a few questions. How was the state champ that you guys pulled from the tourney this year?

You wrote:

"He has lost 3 matches in two years. Two of which were to a 2x Prep National champion. The other was to a 5A state champ when I bumped him up to 125. He beat the 4A and 5A state champ last year. Kellerman and Cisper are great, but Tommy is deserving as well."

I ask - can you provide the name of the prep national champ mentioned above? I'm just curious. I think the 5a champ you are talking about is Crumbliss. And, i imagine that the 4a and 5a champs were DeShazier and Wall. I have to agree that Tommy is very deserving. Anyone that can beat Tristian D two in a row has all the respect in the world from me. Unfortunately for me, i didn't get to see Tommy much (only in state finals). However, i have seen Tristian several times and he is quite impressive. Thanks coach.

dwelsh,
Thanks for the reply. Tommy lost to Ben Ashmore of Bishop Lynch. He lost to him in the Derby finals as a junior and in Dallas this year. Crumbliss did beat him this year in our dual with AC this year.

Freeman is still getting opinions on his elbow. He tore the ligament, and the doctors are trying to figure out if it might heal or if they need to cut on him. He hurt it the week of state, but toughed it out, wanting to help the team. He goes to another specialist on Monday, and hopefully we'll know more then.

That's for clarifying whom the award goes to as far as coaches. Which was my original question of criteria. I was not aware that the award only goes to members of KWCA. In which I do not know who belongs.

But the criteria for Wrestler of the year still perplexes me. Is the award given to the best wrestler of that year? Or, to the wrestler who has finished with the best career? I'm not going to argue that T. Edgmon is a heck of a wrestler, to do otherwise would be absurd. However, while he has had an astounding career and off-season, I do not think his KS wrestling season is as good as Kellerman (my pick) or Cisper. I do know for a fact that Cisper was also asked to wrestle up (or maybe volunteered for all I know) and beat the 6A state champ at 215. This isn't to single out Tommy or to criticize the program. I suppose I simply question the title of the award. Maybe he deserves the "LIfetime Achievement Award" then.

The wrestler of the year award is the Senior Wrestler of the Year and the winner is decided entirely by coaches vote. KWCA member coaches vote at state and 6A only had 12 members this year. Hopefully, the KWCA can get more 6A coaches to join our organization in the future.

Hope this helps answer your questions.

12 out of 32? Sounds like a 6a state qualifier!