It happens every year, some quality wrestler does not qualify when others from a different regional that they beat during the season qualifies for state.
Four years ago, freshman Chase Sanchez, Emporia, did not qualify for state at 130. The top four repeated the next week at state. Graham, Mertins, Mainz and Pittsburg stud. (cant remember his name at moment)
It happened the next year to Hoover from Salina South.
Last year it happened to Zack Litvack at 130 where the top four in his region were in the semi finals the next week at state.
Here is the kicker:
I bet if you asked those young men what was the result of that experience, they would say "being left out made them work their butt off to make sure that did not happen again and in the end it made them better wrestlers".
I love the sport of wrestling for that very reason!
True dat, obviously I know that because that is pretty much the point that I have been making with several previous posts.
But an added point is that it can happen just as easily in an 8 man regional as it can in a 16 man regional especially when the regionals are not balanced. And 6A is the worst when it comes to unbalanced regionals.
And I love the sport of wrestling for several reason but not necessarily that one. Yes, I love it when a kid is hungrier, etc. because he didn't make it to state, but I don't love it at all when a kid that should be at state is not at state because the regionals are not balanced. To me, that's getting "screwed". The best kids should be at state and the regionals need to be balanced for that to happen.
But they are regionals aren't they.
