Chief, I appreciate you explaining what you'd seen at the end of the 220 match. I left the meet with a sick feeling in my stomach, and later when I re-watched the film and tried to objectively review what I thought I'd seen live, I still didn't like what I perceived to be an incorrect judgment call. I wish I could do something to help correct the situation, to help ease the pain and disappointment and my kid's feeling that he'd let down Team Kansas, but like Alec himself said afterwards, "It is what it is."

Instead, I want to focus on the positives. I've coached kids in the past who have turned down the offer to wrestle in the Metro Classic or other senior all-star events. My kids -- Cade Holtzen and Alec Younggren (also a product of the Olathe South wrestling community) -- chose to accept this honor. They worked to make weight and try to stay in wrestling shape weeks after their seasons had ended. They made the commitment and sacrifice to represent Kansas, Louisburg High School, Olathe South High School, and those communities. They took advantage of the opportunity to bond with area wrestlers, some of whom they grew up wrestling with and against. They came together with a group of young men under the guidance of some of the best coaches in the state and made our state proud.

In a sport where micro-seconds matter and spur-of-the-moment choices are impacted by conditioning and the fact that your opponent is trying to impose his will on you at every turn, anything can happen. Those close decisions we won could have gone the other way. The tech fall losses could have resulted in pins, and the pin losses could have ended up as regular decisions. What matters is that our Kansas men gave one heck of a show last night, and I'm very grateful that they had the courage and dedication to give it a try. Our community, our state, and our sport has been blessed with some great athletes, coaches, programs, and families.