Maybe this is old news and I just missed it...but I just found out in another forum that Smoky Valley High School in Lindsborg will be adding wrestling for 04-05 school year! That is great news! Sounds like there are still two other 4A schools without wrestling...we need to fix that!

The SV youth club had to work hard for five years raising funds and gaining school board approval, but have been successful! Unfortunately, they have to pay for a bulk of the program cost, but it is a start!

Congrats to those in the SV community who helped make this happen!

Any other communities working on getting a program started in their local school? I know Cherryvale did recently...any others?

Coach Harris,

What are the two other 4a schools without wrestling?

I heard a month ago that Solomon High School is starting a program but will be yoked to St. John's military school. At least it is a start, someday I am sure they will take off!!!

This is my favorite thread - WRESTLING EXPANSION.

I believe the two remaining are Girard and Iola. (somebody fact check that please).

What is the status of wrestling at Doniphan County West (and when is it to open)?

What is the status of wrestling at St. James Catholic? (New school in Johnson County.) I believe they open with a Freshman only class in 05-06. (again, somebody fact check that please.)

On another note. There are two new NAIA programs opening 04-05. 1.) York College in York, NE and 2.) Morningside College in Sioux City, IA. More midwest opportunities! Hopefully this is a thread of more positive news to come.

I went through the 4A list of schools on the KSHSAA website, compared that to Regional assignments, and came up with this list of schools that do not appear to offer wrestling.

Girard
Iola
Kingman
Wichita Collegiate

I know sometimes a wrestler will compete for a nearby team if his school does not offer wrestling. He is allowed to do this until regionals/state, at which time he must represent his own school at his appropriate class tournament. I think this is how it works.

Can someone tell me if the transfer rules still apply to a student/athlete if they are going from a district that doesn't offer a sport to another that does?

Yeah, that is. Actually, 2 schools can combine to compete together as one, but they have to combine the enrollment and see what classification they end up in. I believe Pittsburg High and Colgan do that in soccer. I know that Sabetha and Wetmore did that in football. Of corse, why would a wrestler from Baxter Springs (they wrestle with Columbus) want to go to the Coffeyville regional when they have the Hesston regional as an option?

One other note to that, however. In individual sports like wrestling, the combined programs must seperate for regionals and state. Wetmore did that for wrestling a few times and when I was at Imac and we were sharing with KSSB, we seperated for Regionals as well.

My understanding is that Doniphan County West is starting a "pilot program" for wrestling at the middle school level at Midway for two years. From there, if all goes well, it should soon develop into a high school program soon.

its great to see wrestling expanding, espically in the college area. After a period of time where many colleges cut their program it is comforting to see colleges beginning to start up new programs. this will lead to more intrest and help fuel new programs for high schools.

AMEN to that!