It is this simple, the best four or rather the top 4 from each regional go to state. The real sad thing is when kids like Lambotte of Rossville, Gardner of Wellsville and White of Sabetha who are all seniors and excellent wrestlers don't get the opportunity to compete in their last state tournament because of bad luck.

Maybe I am just reading between the lines here but if I got it right the regional with Sublette, Quinter, Stafford, Cimarron, Deerfield, Elkhart, Trinity, Kinsley, Lakin, Leoti, Lyons, and South Gray that average about (what 4 or 5 kids) per team is just so tough, it is unfair to have to qualify in that regional? Just asking. Or am I mistaken about their rosters?

fanatic,
I'm willing to bet most of those schools you listed have students that don't even know they have a wrestling program.

Some correct and factual comments. I can only talk about the 321A Regionals and give some facts about it. If you ask the state they will tell you they are trying to get the best wrestlers from the 4 REGIONS of the state to the tournament- not necesarrily the best kids. This mirrors what Les Brown said. Also about 10 yrs. ago there was a big push to mix the regionals up. All coaches from NW Kans. in favor and some from SW.and these very willing to travel. They knew if this happened they could get more kids in the tourny. All others said no(why not it would cost them kids). Wectfahl says you can not predict from year to year who is going to be tough and what regional will be tough. In 321A you sure can. The 2 west regionals will be much tougher than the eastern regionals. Add it up any way you want-state placers, team champs and placers or whatever and the majority come from the west and predominantly the NW. It has always been that way and always will be. Some excuses can be made but ask any team from a western regional any year if they would trade places with a team from an eastern regional and see what the response is. Then flip-flop the question. That tells the tale

I hate to say you sound like a bunch of whiners, but you do. Those two regionals may be the toughest, but until you can present a fairer way to do things, you have to quit whining. It still comes down to the fact that you think the wrestlers are tougher out west (I am not disagreeing!). Why should they have a chance to monopolize the state tourney more than another area of the state. The system we have may have flaws, but it is what we have. I would be interested in knowing how many wrestlers are specializing in only their sport. Some guys wrestle to help themselves out with the other sports they compete in.

Solution: (Pardigm shift - bear with me)

1) Do away with Regionals.
2) Keep State but...
a. Take each class and have a 4,3, or 2 day tournament as needed per size or the schools(i.e. 64, 32, or 16 man bracket). Pig tails may have to be wrestled, but governed strictly by state rules/officials, etc.
b. Each school brings one wrestler per class. Seed and bracket accordingly. Probably seed top 16, 8, 4.
c. Best wrestlers at end of tourney are 'really' that - the best in the class.

Advantages:

1) No more piss-ant arguments about easy regionals or improper seeding, etc
2) Each KSHSAA class can keep/claim permanncy on State site (i.e. Hays, Wichita, Salina, etc).
3) Frees up a week to execute alternative event (Grand State, Dual State, whatever)
4) Heck of a lot easier for college recruiters - one stop shopping.


Disadvantages:

1) No more Regional trophies - this might seriously impact/stunt/mar some coaches', fans' or wrestlers' egos (tongue in cheek)
2) Seeding session would be kind of fun to watch -probably better than a lot of the matches
3) All schools would have to participate - at cost -
4) Revenue loss for Regional site and (indirectly) KSHSAA.

Anway, just thoughts.

I don't know if that idea was truthful or not, but I like it!!

The NE regional has been every bit as competitive as the other regionals in recent years. I do think the Phillipsburg regional is probably the deepest regional this year but the Lakin regional is absolutely nothing special even if they do have a couple of good teams.