I have received a couple of calls on this thread, so let me respond to a few of the questions. They are definitely valid and all of the questions, concerns and sides of the issue are valid and worth considering.
A. Hugoton did not "recruit" these kids. Their coaches, due to their travel concerns, asked if they could participate in the Kansas Kids Qualifier series. They called someone in the state office and were told they would need to write a letter which would be brought before the executive council. They asked if the Hugoton club that, if approved, they could practice and wrestle with and for the Hugoton club (because that is how the exective board told them it would have to be.) We expected their request to be turned down. I, actually, was shocked that it was not turned down. Quite honestly, I would have turned it down. I do not even buy into the travel item, for years, the Hills, Lissolos, I, and a few others traveled 3 - 7 hours back east to get some mat time against tough competition.
B. Should we have asked for the variance? The Guymon club wrote the letter asking for the variance explaining their position and circumstances, we agreed that if, okayed by the executive
council, they could wrestle with us. The benefits to us were more practice partners for our kids and more coaches to help with practices. That has happened. After they received their variance from the executive council, they began to come to our practices.
1) How many OK kids wrestle for your club?
I entered 8 Guymon kids into the sub district tournament, 1 scratched. The other 7 were in the 8 & U division.
2) How long have they been wrestling for your club?
They began to wrestle for our club for the sub district tournament after receiving their variance.
3) Do you enter them into the tournaments your club goes to?
Our club alot of times goes to two different tournaments, a close one for the new kids (due to travel time and expenses and a second one 3 - 7 hours away for our more advanced kids who need more mat time or need to see the tougher competition. Even though the Guymon kids were at several of the tournaments our kids wrestled at, we did not enter them. I assume this is because they wanted the variance before making this commitment. I do not know this, I assume this since they began coming to our practices and checked out a team singlet after they received their variance.

C. Weston Maravilla is a Hugoton kid. His mom is a nurse in Hugoton and his parents own a house here in Hugoton. They moved to Hugoton from Liberal before Weston started preschool here. Even though Weston is not a second grader, he is in First Grade here at Hugoton Elementary. He is my grandson and has a great time wrestling with his Uncle Derek (a couple of nights ago they were practicing submission holds..too much UFC!)

D. Was it shady? The Guymon club went through the proper channels and were given the variance. They were told the only way they could wrestle in the Kansas Qualifier series was to wrestle under the Hugoton Club. Should Hugoton have turned them down? Maybe........I wouldn't have made that decision because of my bias, my thoughts went to exactly the same place, what if one of them took Derek's chances of competing at the state tournament away? It is a great thing to watch your child work hard and have that work rewarded by competing at the state level. I was glad the decision was left to the executive board who I felt would be less biased. If we do not like the ruling or trust the council's decision making and want more control over it, lets change the rule and make it more specific and restrictive so that there are no gray lines.

I think all the posts on this subject have been well thought out and deserve answers, so if you have other questions or thoughts you can post them here or email me and I will do my best to respond. I appreciate the respectfulness of all who have posted here.

I should say I am not posting this as an official club response, but I have been the Hugoton Wrestling Club secretary for a few years. They are a great group of people and coaches.

Thea Schnittker
ziprosel@hotmail.com or tschnitt@pld.com