I'm only speaking for myself but 4a state in Salina!! I'd rather play pingpong. 5a and 6a state will be great as always but it was nice to watch 4a also. What will it be like for the specpatators in Salina this yr? Who knows they may like it.

Personally, I like ping pong. Arguably the most competitive class --- in its own venue. I can't wait. If you've ever been to a 4A dual at Clay Center, Concordia, or Abilene, you would understand that there will be no problem having a good crowd at the Bi-Center. And with Colby & Goodland only being 3 - 3.5 hours away now, it should be a full house. I know the chamber of commerce has already put a lot of work into doing this right, and they don't plan on it being just a 2-year commitment.

I think that the 4A state being in Salina will be great looking foward to it.

With the crowds that most of the good 4a schools brought to Wichita, and Salina being closer for most of those schools, I think the crowd for Salina will increase.

...while you're playing pingpong, enjoy your $6.00 "hospitality" room...

As a parent of a 4A wrestler that I hope will wrestle at state this year I think the whole Salina thing stinks. It’s not about crowds or atmosphere. Last year my son was not only lucky enough to win but we were present when my brother’s son Tim won a championship at 6A. We got to watch fellow freshman, good friend, workout partner, and teammate Romero win a championship at 6A. We were present when Tristin teammate and workout partner won his third championship at 5A. We were there when Josh won his 4th; and Joe won his 2nd championship at 5A. This year we won’t see Romero go for two, Tristin win his 4th, and a lot of other great competitors and matches. 6A and 5A will miss some great matches and wrestlers too. This 123A, 4A, 5A, and 6A debate is silly whatever A your kid is in it’s the best or toughest, fact is there are tough kids in all classes. Yea I didn’t like walking in flooded bathrooms or dealing with nasty security people. If I want atmosphere I can go to a fine restaurant if I want a crowd I can go to the mall. But I like to watch great wrestling and great wrestlers and I can’t help but feel that by going to Salina I’ll be missing a lot of both.

Well said, I agree!

I too agree with melliott!

Mr Elliott, I dont think it could be said any better. In a sport that sometimes gets over looked except by the parents and family and true fans this sport needs all the pup it can get and taking 4A away from 5 and 6 i think will hurt, they still may have big crowds and the atmosphere may still be great but like u said u will miss something, I know 321A is a great venue in Hays and enjoy I enjoy the 5 hr trip to get there.

I think some of the fans will be missing something, but the competitors will be gaining a great deal. Wiegh-ins which will take 45 minutes instead of 2 hours, room to warm-up or even lay down, not walking through trash from over flowing dumpsters on the lower level are all things the competitors will be "missing out on". I wrestled in the 3-2-1A state tourney at Hays and have been to the 4A-5A-6A tournament as a coach for 8 years, and Hays is by far a more competitor friendly environment. I think that once the adjustment is made you will find the 4a tournament even more exciting than before, since everyone in the gym will be focused on one tournament, and in the finals will be focused on one mat. There are definitely positives and negatives to the change, but most of the positives are for the competitors and most of the negatives are for the fans. I for one applaud the decision, even if I am still going to be in Wichita.

Are you suggesting that Altamont-Labette County, Andale, Andover, Andover Central, Augusta, Buhler, Chanute, Coffeyville, Columbus, Douglass, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Wellington, etc., do not bring fans to support their teams.

Balderdash!

The thing I'm excited about is that Abilene and Clay Center usually brought some of the biggest crowds to the state tournament in the past 5 years or so. Those two teams will bring even more fans now. Those Wichita area 4A schools will still bring a lot of fans, IMO, since Salina is what, an hour away.

I think dividing the states is a bad thing, and hope it is only temporary. I wrestled in the state tournament in the 90's, and attended everyone since. It was an exciting thing to be at.

The schools listed by Mr. Salyer have good followings, no doubt. But, it was my observation in the late 80's when Norton was 4A and again in 2002 when we were 4A that the majority of spectators at the 4A-5A-6A state tournament were from the 4A schools.

It will be interesting to compare the KSHSAA's financial reports of the Salina and Wichita tournaments. It should be a fair comparison in that 4A encompasses 64 high schools and 5A+6A also totals 64 schools. (Am assuming that all of these schools wrestle, but this os probably not correct.)

A further comparison of receipts of the 2006 5A+6A tournament to previous years' 4A-5A-6A Wichita could be also be enlightening (if weather this year is not a negative factor.)
to this discussion.

Sorry--the post regarding comparing financial reports was supposed to have been posted by Egg; this is the problem of sharing a computer with your children!

I just don't see anyway that the KSHSAA can come out ahead with the two venues. They have doubled their expenses. You will have a tough time convincing me that each respective class will double it's attendance and make up the deficit.

They probably wouldn't have to double the attendance to make up for the deficit. I'm not sure what the difference is now, but I really don't think you'd have to double the attendance.

One a side note, you hear of all the stories about the Kansas Coliseum being a less than gracious host to all the people (trash, bathrooms, etc.) perhaps separting them into smaller tournament is a better solution, where everything is more manageable is the better solution?

I must be in the sentimental crowd, which enjoyed having all 3 classes in the same building, at the same time. Now, having moved away, and can only go to one of the 2 venues, causes me to have to choose between classes. Hopefully, the financial issues, facility issues and employee issues can be ironed out so that we can all return to the same house, on the same weekend, wherever it turns out to be.

I have to agree with Mike Elliott on his comments of watching all the other classes. As Coaches and Wrestlers we build bonds and friedships that last a lifetime. I often roamed to the other end of the arena to watch kids we competed against during the year, or to visit with other Coaches from the larger classes. I will miss seeing alot of old friends this year as we go to Salina.

I was in on the original planning of this event back in 83 and 84 while Coaching at Andover. We talked about making this an Athletic Spectical for the entire State and while the accomidations were not always the best, I don't think anyone can say it wasn't impressive to see all those kids on the floor at once. And how exciting was it to look down the arena floor and see three finals going at once. I don't think anyother sport compared to this for a State Championship.

I'm sure Salina will do a great job in running the tourny and it will still be thrilling for the kids competing. But as one who promoted the combination of the 3 classes together, I feel we've taken a step backwards. I wish we could find an arena capable of hosting all classes together as some of our neighboring states have done.

Redstorm, I couldn't agree with you more on the hospitality issue. $6.00 what a rip. Not that I go to the state tourney for free food cause I don't but none the less its bull. Besides Richard Salyer bought my $6.00 lunch last year. :-) Thanks Richard. Now as for overflowing trashcans, standing in urine in the restroom facilities, thats nasty and I promise you its an embarrasment to Wichita. However I did enjoy watching the 4A guys and I think alot of people did. NOW BACK TO THE PINGPONG. Ohh ya last time I stayed in Salina it was kids state thats how long thats been. The motels were packed, one paticular motel had an entire wing that was rarley used and had raw sewage backing up in the bathtubs. ewwww guess it can happen anywhere.