I hope so.

wow this seems he to be one of the toughest tournaments in Kansas, where does it rank and is there any tougher or close to it

Originally Posted By: nastyway
newton and garden city go year to year on which is tougher i would say in past basehor could come in third but derby seems to be tougher these days than basehor

Originally Posted By: Ricky Bobby
This year could have been tougher with the addition of Shawnee Heights and Emporia, but the "bad" weather kept them from attending Derby. One problem that Derby has in terms of competition is that only around 20 teams attend. While at Basehor you have 32, which helps to add to the depth in the field. Basehor also has two very tough out of state programs with Oak Park, MO and Glenwood, IA. I've decided I will rank the 5 toughest two-day tournaments in Kansas just to help fuel this discussion.

1. Garden City
Awesome out-of-state competition and some of the best in-state programs butting heads. Not to mention some the top wrestlers in the country with Trujillo of Rio Rancho, Snider of Ponderosa, Cokeley and Moeder of Saint James. It would be nice if they could make this a 32 team tournament, 27 teams went last year. I say add good team from Oklahoma.

2. Newton
Best mix of large and small class programs in Kansas who annually compete for state placements. Also, draws from nearly every region of the state. If only Bishop Lynch, TX and Perry, OK still went to this tournament I'd give it the nod as Kansas' Toughest 2 Day. They should add a few more teams anyways and make it a 32 team field.

3. Basehor
Good out of state programs, along with several state contenders from Kansas. The bottom half teams aren't quite as talented as the aforementioned tournaments bottom halfers.

4. Derby
This tournament has had some of the best individual matchups of any tournament in the last few years with Blair/Cokeley, Moeder/Nitcher, Caldwell/Nelson/Detmer. Weather hurt the quality of Derby for this year. It needs to get a better mix of elite smaller programs to attend.

5. tie: Eudora and Rose Hill
Eudora's an early tournament that gives your team plenty of chances to wrestle with a pool format. Some pretty decent programs attend and there are some marquee matchups in the finals.

Rose Hill is the last major tournament before the state series and matches some of the top 4A programs and 5A programs in the state.

It is official. St. James Academy will not be competing at Garden City. 130 and 145 just got a little lighter.

Where will they be competing?

Shawnee Mission North

That is too bad about St.James not coming to Garden City. Their talent would have contributed to the already awesome matches that we will be seeing there.

Sounds like they are running from the competition!

they bumped down a weight last weekend and missed out on matches with Trujillo and Snider at the top of the rockies.

With the certification rules and date change, how could they drop down below certified weights last weekend?

obviously they run to and not from competition, just didn't realize dropping down could be done.

Wow why would such a team with good talent not come to the toughest tournament in Kansas, I was looking for the 145lb. championship match.

the president of the school pulled them back in. He was concerned about the number of school days missed. They would be there if they could.

Come on these guys go all over even to other states to wrestle, I don't believe that one more day of missing school is the reason there has to be something else. I know I hate when people speculate on here, but maybe it is cause of competition.

At first thought I was dissapointed, but actually I am personally glad they are not traveling to Garden City. The schedule has been brutal and is starting to take a toll on the boys. I know Taylor is exhausted and fighting sinus and throat problems since prior to Derby. So along with missing school for travel, he has a couple sick days in there as well. Some time at home to rest and heal up will be well welcomed prior to regionals and state.
Selfiously, I would also like to see these young men wrestle in person as well. I've missed more matches of Taylors this year than I have in the 11 years he's wrestled combined, and I know there are other parents in the same position.
Lastly, this is not a team like Goddard or Andale that is full of experienced wrestlers from 103 to 285. It is a new program with alot of wrestlers new to the sport. Yes they have great coaching and have had some great exposure this year and benefited from it, but I know they are ready to win some matches and see some of the rewards for what they have been through!
Good Luck to the St. James team this weekend, glad to have you in town.

Why don't they just take Cokeley and Moder to Garden City and let the other team members wrestle at Shawnee Mission North?

Last time I checked sleep was the best thing to recover from an illness. I do not see how going to SMN instead of GC could benefit them health wise. When I wrestled a few years back, if I had a long trip I was sleeping to be rested up. You can't sleep during school. So going to GC in theory would be better health wise for the kids then going to SMN. I just hear you guys talk about how you always seek out the best competition but yet when you went to the tournament in Colorado your two studs moved around weights to avoid two studs out there. Then you pull out of the next tournament that your athletes will face these same kids. In my opinion sounds like they are running.

haters

Mouse and 2coach-You are way off. Those two wrestle the best competition of any wrestlers in KS and move INTO competition many times. They are not running and I know for a fact, they were pulled by the president of the school so they did not miss Friday. Going to SM North is Saturday only. And mouse I question your experience level for long trips if you believe that a two day competition with a 8 hour drive is not more tiring than a one day tournament 30 minutes from the house.

I am done defending them, their record speaks for itself.

mouse: I'm very disappointed in your post! What business is it of anybody other than Will and Tim, and the son's where they wrestle? These are 2 very fine young men with a bright future.Why are you so hatefull. Sorry. Matt

Mouse...

The top two wrestlers in Kansas that seek out the toughest competition are Ryne Cokeley and Taylor Moeder. Everybody else is a DISTANT third. They were the ONLY KANSAS wrestlers that wrestled Super 32. Ryne wrestled in the college bracket at the Missouri Open. He wrestled at the Oklahoma Open against multiple state champions. He wrestled Himmelman in Colorado who had beaten him FIVE times. The St. James schedule is by far the toughest schedule that I've seen in many years.

You lost all credibility when you said they are running "from" competition. In reality they are running "to" it.