Just wanted to say thanks to all involved with this year's District 1 championships at the Expocentre in Topeka. Great venue and atmosphere—-best I have participated in 12 years.

The mat space, parking space, floor space, spectator space, and quality wrestling was well worth the $3.00 parking and not getting any chow at the hospitality room because I missed lunch.

Also appreciate Districr 1 for providing the opportunity for our senior high school wrestlers to participate in the East classic.



Super Job!

Thanks to all volunteers for a fantastic event for our wrestlers.

Mike Flynn

Thank God someone who feels the same as me GOOD NIGHT TO ALL and Good Luck next week.PWA

Very nice and LARGE medals that depicted the capitol rotunda in the background ! ...Thumbs Up !!

I would like to echo Mike Flynn's comments. GREAT TOURNAMENT!!!! Thanks so much to all the people that put this tournament together. Mark, Tuff, etc., my hat is off to you!

I do have one request though....next year can we make a rule that Ned cannot wear those pants? I'm still having problems seeing correctly they were soooo bright! (Just kidding)

Also, would like to compliment the same group of people for the 6U tournament they put on the day before. It was also a great venue and a very will ran tournament for those little guys!

Great weekend of wrestling. Thanks a bunch.

Shawn Budke

I think it was a good tournament. There were ups and downs about having the tournament at the expo center. For instance for the D1 wrestlers they will have wrestled there so they may not be as nervous but also it dont have the same effect as the big stage anymore. Otherwise I thought it was a good tournament and it was put on very well.

Ned - are you wearing the "hot pepper pants" to Kids State this year? It is always a good conversation for the Head Table -

Love those pants!!!



Your Pooh Bear

Private Thank you notes are being sent out, but I want to publicly thank a few people who were instrumental in making the D1 Tournament, our 6 and Under event, and the East KS Senior Classic a huge success. The club members and families of the Jr. Viking Wrestling Club, Topeka-Thunderbirds, and the Jackson Co Wrestling Club stepped up to the plate. Planning these events was a year long endeavor. When I asked them to do something I very rarely got a “no” in return. Their club leaders and event coordinators did an outstanding job coordinating the work efforts. I would also like to thank Greg Murry of the Topeka-Blue Thunder, Brian and Traci Dultmier of Silver Lake, and the Seaton’s and their Bonner Spring’s crew. These folks helped haul mats, lay them out and set up clocks. We were short handed for this task because so many people had commitments at work and these individuals and clubs answered the call for help, BIG TIME.

I want to make a special thank you to the City of Topeka, Linda Briden, Tamra Scheid, Richard Forester of Visit Topeka, HR Cook and Kylie Smith of the Kansas Expocentre. All of these folks were very helpful. They more than proved through their efforts leading up to this event that USA Wrestling is important to them, their organizations, and the entire Topeka/Shawnee Co community.

Thank you Ned Price, Dallas Holloway, Richard Forester, and Randy Hinderliter for stepping up to the microphone and providing PA help for these three events. Randy, your play-by-play and color commentary on Friday evening helped make the night a very special occasion for the East Kansas Seniors participating in the event.

We had many individuals and businesses that stepped up to sponsor our event…Topeka Sports Council, Cargill, McPherson Contracting, Sports Clips, Sunrise Optimist Club, Window Design Co., Young’s Plumbing, Ken Chertow, Pepsi, Visit Topeka, Expert Tees, B&P Propane, Baum Motors, Complete Car Care, Payless Auto, Lovvorn Bros Body Shop, Holton Farm and Home, YR Fowler Photography, CD Electric, Pit Pass Liquor, Todd Schreiner Construction, Keating Mud Jacking, Senne Co., Mrs. Robert Torrence, The Pad, CiCi’s Pizza, Performance Tire and Wheel, HME-Inc, Payless Car Company, Denison State Bank, Rebound Physical Therapy, American Home Mortgage, Dee Anderson Realty, Heartland Title, Roy Frey’s, Morton Building, Pia Friend Realty, Reliv International, Absolute Janitorial, Dave’s Auto Sales, and Dean’s Books. Thank you Bob Lorson for helping to bring food in from Hooters, Wendy’s, Wingmaster's, and The Blind Tiger. It was very much appreciated. Please patronize these businesses and the next time you do tell them thank you for supporting youth wrestling in Kansas.

My final thank you is to all the wrestlers and their families that made the journey to Topeka. The wrestlers all competed hard and showed great sportsmanship throughout the day. I have made this statement before…but without the wrestlers and their families it doesn’t matter how great the planning or grand the venue; you can’t have a quality event without them. Thank-you and GOOD LUCK THIS WEEK AT STATE.

Mark Stanley
jrvikingwrestling@yahoo.com

Great job Mark! What a luxury it was to have major mat space and great seating. Thank you to all who contributed toward a smooth running tournament. Early on, I was in the camp that was concerned about using up that big arena feel for the D1 kids, but I actually think it will be a positive. Having been there before, the D1 kids will have less distractions and can focus more on wrestling.