If he is rated a "C" I would not consider him a novice. This is also his 4th year of wrestling and he is in the 8U division. Not many drive 2 hours for novice tournaments. Without seeing him wrestle, I would say he is no longer a novice. Too many people try to justify why there child should still be novice by getting others to say it is ok. Do him a favor and keep him out of the novice ranks. His wrestling will improve dramatically in the open division. I personally think there should not be a novice division under the age of 8.