Let me introduce myself as a new member. I grew up in Wichita, attended and wrestled for Campus High (you won't find my name in any record books, I wasn't very good then), and later served as an assistant coach at OU from 1971-1974. I then moved back to Wichita where I helped Kapaun-Mt. Carmel become a wrestling power under the direction of Duwane Miller. After completing graduate school I moved to Phoenix where I still reside.

I checked the website because I'm coming home this weekend to visit my ailing mother. I was hoping to attend a local freestyle tournament but alas didn't find one.

It was a pleasure to read this topic about improving wrestling in Kansas. The civility on the forum is a decided improvement over the AZWrestler.com forum. I have intentionally stepped on a few toes because what I see in Arizona is inferior to what I know is being done in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Last Satudrday I said hello to a coach who I think does a good job and was berated for some of my comments, and was told I wasn't in the trenches like he was. I will write him a long letter listing my "in the trenches activities". The statement that really stuck in my craw was that it would take 2 or 3 generations to get Arizona wrestling to a significantly higher level. I disagree because I know the great strides that have been made in Kansas since I graduated from high school in 1963.

I got my nickname which I use as my log in name from the late Tony Bontz, who along with Dave Unruh, Bob Hershberger, Duwane Miller, and Ben Bennett (Junction City) were instrumental in developing kids wrestling first in Kansas and later on a national basis. Lee Roy Smith the Executive Director of the National Hall of Fame told me that USA Wrestling essentially adopted the bylaws written in Kansas.

What I'd like to know are what are the improvements that were made in Kansas wrestling since I left the state in 1978 to get it to the enviable position today where it has the highest ratio of USA Wrestling competitors per capita of any state (correct me if I'm wrong).

me email is warrenapplegate@yahoo.com

I would like to enlighten my compatriots in my adopted state on what can be done to make similar strides for improving wrestling through all levels.