Our club along with some other clubs have talked about having a mid season championship tournament. I don�t know how many clubs would be interested. This what I was thinking for the tournament. All brackets would be an eight man bracket with only the top 8 wrestlers selected for each weight class. Criteria for the tournament would be state placers followed by best career record. One of the problems would be how many clubs would be interested in only brining one or two wrestlers to a tournament like this. We have thought about having novice tournament along with the championship tournament. It is just an idea and I would like to see what others think.

Dear Bob:

When you say "mid season" what date(s) are you looking at?

I think you would get into trouble only allowing 8 kids per bracket. Some kids may have a better record than others, but they may have not beat anyone top notch wrestlers!

I think you should just try to put together a "Championship" calibur tournament with an open invite for all the top wrestlers, and make sure the coaches understand that beginner or less accomplished wrestlers should probably not attend this tournament, unless they are comfortable with getting torqued on. That would also create some easier tournamnets around the state for the less experienced wrestlers to have a legitmate chance of winning or placing at.

That�s a good idea. We were looking at late December or early January. It just depends on what other tournaments are going on.

I like the way they determine the Open/Novice wrestlers in Oklahoma for their major tournaments.

I think If you were to have an open tournament for and advertise it for any wrestler who has placed in the top four in ten or more "Open" brackets.

If a wrestler has not met this requirement, then they would go into a seperate "B" bracket.

Another option might be to limit the open bracket to any returning State Qualifier.

Just curious of wrestlers from out-of-state would be allowed to participate or would it be limited to Kansas wreslters?

I think they could the tougher the better.

I think you should try and fill with in-state kids with the quality of wrestlers your looking for. Put a deadline on these wrestlers and if not full then open up to out-of-state kids. Just an idea.

Blake Arnberger
Colby wrestling Club