Ok I came from a public school who competed against private schools who probably recruited and amazingly we still managed to win state as a team several times, so I don't really believe in the validity of that arguement. So maybe STA did recruit ... big deal!!! They won state because their wrestlers worked their butts off and won matches, thus they are the legitimate champions. To try and take that away from them is an act of sad unsportsmanlike conduct.

Though I don't believe I have ever personally wrestled anyone from STA we did wrestle against BC and mopped the floor with them back then. A wrestling programs success depends on the kids program first of all, then the wrestlers themselves who take it upon themselves to get better, and lastly the instruction of the coaches. Just like at Clay Center, they are a great team and have been for several years, and they don't recruit anyone.

Please just let STA bask in their glory for awhile before you start the bashing, and give them credit for winning.

Congrats to STA.

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/16226115.htm?source=rss&channel=kansascity_local

seems to me like in this isolated instance, aquinas's academics in both reading and math standardized test scores are right on with the KC public schools. although you hardly can judge a school's overall academics by one year of testing, not to mention that this whole arguement is stupid.

jed maime has been decided on going to sta since like 6th grade. even if they do recruit slightly (i don't know if they do) they still have to practice, make weight, win, stay out of trouble, and stay elgible. Hayden supposibly recruits and they only took one kid to state so obviously recruiting doesn't matter anyway. I think that the people that started the conversation of recruitment by sta are just tired of getting whooped and needed an excuse to feel better about not winning a team title.

As for the Hayden allegation, I think that argument is more directed toward their football program than any other sport, considering they are the smallest school in their league by far and win their league title pretty much every single year.

But as far as wrestling goes, thetiger makes an excellent point about the kids clubs. STA has a very good kids club program, and it you look back to when STA got its kids club program going, their high school success followed suit about four or five years after that when the kids club guys entered high school.
Look at the strongest programs in the state year after year, and it's likely that they have strong kids club programs. That is no coincidence.

I agree that STA's kids club has developed many of these team champion wrestlers, and it helped make me a successful high school wrestler. If "everyone in the area knows they recruit" I find it odd that no punishment has been handed down accordingly.

These people try to say things like "Aquinas knows the real story..." as if somehow we are really good at deceiving people. The truth is most of these kids were set on coming here for awhile and very few kids came later by the choice of their families. Then add all the other positive parts of this team, like hard work and commitment, and please explain to me why your upset with their success?

Enjoy it Saints, you worked hard, and those that matter are extremely proud and have tons of respect for your accomplishments!

And anyone trying to say the Johnson county public schools provide a better education than STA have no facts to back that statement. The education departments seem pretty equal to me....The only thing better at johnson County public schools for a FACT is their lunches!!!

I would have to say STA's education is better just in the fact that they can teach the teaching of Jesus! How govt can support schools that teach evolution (anti-religion), against the constitution, and not support private schools is bull. Good job STA you guys really cleaned house. I was glad to see someone besides Carrol win it.

Right on 1086,

When the public schools make it illegal to question evolution, you have to know they are hiding something. Mandating a theory that says there is no God violates the separation of church and state.

http://www.scienceprovesit.com

one reason why im glad i go to a public university, i dont have to worry about any of that stuff and the teachers can basically teach whatever they like.

I dont see it as recruiting. What I see is one mighty fine kids program that feeds into the high school. These kids grow up together on the mat and become friends. It is not like that there are established wrestlers at public schools that suddenly transfer. They have been brought up together and it is only natural for them to go where they feel comfortable

Evolution schmevolution. The real truth can be found here:
http://www.venganza.org/

:-)

Very well said, Andy. I know the guys would have loved to had you there to see it. You would have really enjoyed that backside charge on Saturday.

You would have been especially proud of this incredible senior class who brought all the team together for a pep talk Friday night in a team only meeting and rallied all of them for their comeback on Saturday in the wrestlebacks. The seniors did it on the mat Saturday too. They scored wins and pins to take the team over the top. They fought their way to third and fifth place finishes. Most of them have been together for many years thru kids and high school wrestling. They gave it their all that day for the team. They really wanted it bad and they did it.

Congratulations to this special senior class: Ike Woodroof, Bo Noles, Brian Huston, Skyler Scott, Brendan Berko, Mark Millstead, Scott Markey, Paul Markey, Brian Sullivan, RJ Nill, Jed Mamie, Mike Hammer and Alex Lopez.

The Aquinas wrestling community will cherish this class always. Great job, guys!

That is absolutely true. My son started wrestling with this club in the fourth grade when this incredible senior class that I mentioned in my previous post were sixth graders. My son had been with another kids club and we wanted to have him go with another club with more open wrestlers for practice partners. A friend of mine at a kids club meet wanted me to watched a kid who he said was one of the most intense wrestlers he had seen. That was a young Phillip Henes who was probably in about the third or fourth grade then. My friend was right. I started watching the team and I saw many of these seniors as STA members in local kids tournaments. I saw from the results page how well this group along with Neil Cisper, Andy Hurla and others did in their kids club wrestling with the STA club.

We made the choice to switch my son to the STA club and we have never regreted that choice. He was thrown around a lot by this senior class of wrestlers. He really took his lumps in that wrestling room but he became a better wrestler. When it came time to make his choice two years ago he decided exactly how you described it on staying with his teammates from his STA club. He knew that it would make it harder for him to break into the varsity lineup but he also knew it would make him a better high school wrestler to be in that Aquinas wrestling room just like it made him better to be in the STA kids practice room.

He was never recruited by the Aquinas high school wrestling staff or other parents. He did not have to be recruited.

I want to add my congrats to STA. They wrestled an outstaning tournament. All day saturday we at BC kept waiting, or hoping, for them to stumble to give us a chance to catch them - but they never did. Not only was it impressive to win a team title with no individual champs but in the 3/4 and 5/6 medal rounds they went an incredible 8-0.

I think a parent said it best to me this weekend. He said, "There should be a Catholic school State so the rest of us can compete!" I'm not saying that they recruit, but, if the kids are to attend a Catholic high school, it should be the one they live closest to. That's the way it is for the rest of us. I know that when I was in high school (20 years ago), I had to receive special permission from the state to attend a different high school (the one in the district I was living didn't offer wrestling as a sport at all). But I agree with vikes. The KIDS deserve all the credit, as they were the ones out on the mat performing, and they performed well!

Congrats Aldon Isenburg on winning a State Title.

as a public school person i can say that i think having a seperate catholic or private school chmpionship is absolutly ridicoulous. if for no other reason the absolute best competition in the state needs to be on the mat. i am strongly opposed to dilluting the competition. look at all the great individual matches that wouldnt have happened if private schools weren't there. 160 final, 189 evans-mamie semifinal, wood-nowak heavyweight semi, wood-keller 103 semi, arnold-buehler 140 final, the list is much longer then this. take away these matches and our state tournaments are much weaker. plus its not like the public schools arent competing. its not like STA has won the last 10 team titles. plus some of the most dominant wrestlers in the state are from public schools(evans, caldwell, elliot, hansen, etc etc). i'm a huge supporter of public schools and personally i think there may be something to the allegations thats STA recruits, but who cares? sure they might have it a little easier, thats part of life. for kansas wrestling to reach its full potential we need to continue to keep the best product on the mat and having seperate state titles is certainly not that way to do that.

Well, I don't know whether they recruit or not, and don't care. What they do have is an outstanding kids program, great parental and community support and outstanding coaches. When you go up against STA, you had better bring your A game. My kids attended a rival school and facing STA was always a great challenge. Neither school failed to get excited about the opporutunity, which provided for some great EKL Championship battles. I have always viewed STA as a worthy advesary and one tough customer. Congratulations to Coach Parks and the good folks from STA...Job Well Done!

I'm going to weigh in on this a bit!

I agree with the diluted pool comments! Isn't our pool shallow enough since we claim 4 State Champs per weight in Kansas?

To those of you who choose to cast stones, Do you live in an USD that accepts out-of-district students? What is your opinion on that?

As a parent, I wanted to give my kids every opportunity to have every advantage my salary could afford them. I actually took a job in a different district with consideration to the type of education my kids would have.

The BC, STA, arguments are the latest but far from the first. In my school days (early 70's) Kaupan was the argument! And in a few years, I imagine St. James will be talked about.

If you think the private schools are the "only" opportunity to further your wrestling skills, I think you are wrong. I'm looking into real estate in North Central Kansas. I think Clay Center, Beloit, Norton, Smith Center are looking pretty attractive!

Someone always has to try to knock someone down from the top!

Forget the recruiting talk, its ridiculous