"Comment number 2 - though I'd hate to see it happen, dropping the 16 year olds and adding 6 year olds could be a smart move. Hear me out though. As a person that looks for a long range plan for our athletes wanting to go on to the next level, wrestling the kid's state tournament as a 15/16 year old is not where it's at - period. With that being said, I don't know exactly where the six year olds would fit into the state tournament. Remember, their weights go by 3 lbs(?). That's a whole lot more participants. The concept is interesting, the practicality is in question."

Jeremy,
I believe some proponents in D2 have already worked the numbers on this. If we drop 16U and reduce 14U to middle school weights it works out to about the same number of matches at the qualifiers and state. I believe the tournament that was held in Lincoln this year is just the start and these type of season ending tournaments will be there regardless if USAW sanctions them or not. If I am right, the best wrestlers in the 16U age group will not be wrestling qualifiers anyway. I would like to see the 16U kids take some time off after high school season and come back ready to wrestle freestyle rather than wrestle diluted competition in the qualifiers.