What many do not know having not been around Kansas wrestling long enough is that the point system we currently use is a vast improvement over the previous system that was used. Before the point system, schools were allowed 8 dual dates (which could be either a single or a double) and four tournament dates whether they were one or two day events. That is it! Now, do the math. If you wrestled all double duals you could get 16 matches in and if you wrestled all two-day tournaments you could get another 20 matches in for a total of 36 matches. Realistically, there aren't that many two-day tournaments out there and you would have to do some constructive scheduling to accomplish this.
So, on the average a wrestler got between 30-32 matches before regionals and state. Now, wrestlers are getting over 40 matches in the regular season easily. So, try to explain to me, how the point system has not been a vast improvement over what we had for years. Lastly, I know I am old, but my senior year I wrestled 22 matches. Yes, I would say we have made progress.
I don't know the year they changed this policy but I wrestled under the one you described. It was doing something to get 140 matches in your four year career. This change was definitely a positive change but it took years to make happen. The problem with the new system is that it eliminates the weekday duals. Those are the events that can spark student support and popularize our sport. It is also a problem to me that Rick Bowden says there is a medical concern for our athletes "joints" if they wrestle more matches. I guess he must believe that HS wrestlers have stronger "joints" in Indiana, Texas, etc. than they do in Kansas.
