I agree with that Chief.

All to often there are only one or two athletes to a class at open tourneys. So athletes are bound to place and not have had to wrestle very many matches. You could lose your novice status the very first tourney you went to in that scenario. I thought, I read where you had to place in an open tourney with 5 or more in the bracket.

This is especially true for the heavy weights, where finding athletes of comparable weights to wrestle is difficult. I find having to wrestle up an age group just to get matches in, is quite unfair to the kids. It essentially shuts out those kids from wrestling other kids of comparable age & experience.