One thing I would adjust at State

CoachZ · March 01, 2015, 10:32:33 PM

Hands down, Championship Saturday is the best in all of HS sports. The crowd and the energy is just awesome. I have one issue with it though. Every year it starts out great and there are good matches all the way through, yet not everyone see's them. It seems like every year right around 195 people start leaving. Then 220 comes around and more people leave, on to 285 and it seems as if the Kohl Center is almost half empty.

Why can't the WIAA random draw for the starting weight of the finals? Why shouldn't these heavier kids get to wrestle in front of a full house and feel that energy. The waiting period between matches obviously isn't a issue. Have the tournament start at 106 like normal, just draw for the starting weight at the finals.

Is this unrealistic?

Orca · March 01, 2015, 10:34:44 PM

I agree totally. We saw them do this at the collegiate level. Why not at the high school level? Every kid that made the final deserves to wrestle in front of a packed Kohl Center.

bfboy · March 01, 2015, 10:43:15 PM

I would like to change the 1-2-2 rule on the back side of the brackets. These are state caliber kids, not JV kids. They deserve to wrestle a full 6 minutes.

Numbers · March 01, 2015, 10:58:15 PM

Quote from: CoachZ on March 01, 2015, 10:32:33 PM
Hands down, Championship Saturday is the best in all of HS sports. The crowd and the energy is just awesome. I have one issue with it though. Every year it starts out great and there are good matches all the way through, yet not everyone see's them. It seems like every year right around 195 people start leaving. Then 220 comes around and more people leave, on to 285 and it seems as if the Kohl Center is almost half empty.

Why can't the WIAA random draw for the starting weight of the finals? Why shouldn't these heavier kids get to wrestle in front of a full house and feel that energy. The waiting period between matches obviously isn't a issue. Have the tournament start at 106 like normal, just draw for the starting weight at the finals.

Is this unrealistic?

Not sure this is realistic at the high school level. Don't think the WIAA wants to pick. Should the WIAA also pick which events go last for swimming and track & field the day of the state finals? That said - I would assume this year would have ended with the 170 pound finals (but maybe 126 with two returning champions in D2).

CoachZ · March 01, 2015, 11:18:21 PM

Quote from: Numbers on March 01, 2015, 10:58:15 PM
Quote from: CoachZ on March 01, 2015, 10:32:33 PM
Hands down, Championship Saturday is the best in all of HS sports. The crowd and the energy is just awesome. I have one issue with it though. Every year it starts out great and there are good matches all the way through, yet not everyone see's them. It seems like every year right around 195 people start leaving. Then 220 comes around and more people leave, on to 285 and it seems as if the Kohl Center is almost half empty.

Why can't the WIAA random draw for the starting weight of the finals? Why shouldn't these heavier kids get to wrestle in front of a full house and feel that energy. The waiting period between matches obviously isn't a issue. Have the tournament start at 106 like normal, just draw for the starting weight at the finals.

Is this unrealistic?

Not sure this is realistic at the high school level. Don't think the WIAA wants to pick. Should the WIAA also pick which events go last for swimming and track & field the day of the state finals? That said - I would assume this year would have ended with the 170 pound finals (but maybe 126 with two returning champions in D2).

We do a random draw for every dual meet. Team Sectionals they random draw. I would assume they do the same at Team State, correct me if I'm wrong, I've never been there.

What's the difference? I could understand if it's how it used to be and we always start at 106. I understand at individual tournaments we start at 106. It's not black and white, it's not always 106 for every event. I'm not familiar with track and swimming, so I can't really compare.

littleguy301 · March 01, 2015, 11:35:42 PM

Quote from: CoachZ on March 01, 2015, 10:32:33 PM
Hands down, Championship Saturday is the best in all of HS sports. The crowd and the energy is just awesome. I have one issue with it though. Every year it starts out great and there are good matches all the way through, yet not everyone see's them. It seems like every year right around 195 people start leaving. Then 220 comes around and more people leave, on to 285 and it seems as if the Kohl Center is almost half empty.

Why can't the WIAA random draw for the starting weight of the finals? Why shouldn't these heavier kids get to wrestle in front of a full house and feel that energy. The waiting period between matches obviously isn't a issue. Have the tournament start at 106 like normal, just draw for the starting weight at the finals.

Is this unrealistic?

Random draws are the norm now, I would love to see this at the state also. I think every weight class should have a chance to have a full crowd to see them do their thing!

Street Glide · March 02, 2015, 01:34:50 AM

Quote from: littleguy301 on March 01, 2015, 11:35:42 PM
Quote from: CoachZ on March 01, 2015, 10:32:33 PM
Hands down, Championship Saturday is the best in all of HS sports. The crowd and the energy is just awesome. I have one issue with it though. Every year it starts out great and there are good matches all the way through, yet not everyone see's them. It seems like every year right around 195 people start leaving. Then 220 comes around and more people leave, on to 285 and it seems as if the Kohl Center is almost half empty.

Why can't the WIAA random draw for the starting weight of the finals? Why shouldn't these heavier kids get to wrestle in front of a full house and feel that energy. The waiting period between matches obviously isn't a issue. Have the tournament start at 106 like normal, just draw for the starting weight at the finals.

Is this unrealistic?

Random draws are the norm now, I would love to see this at the state also. I think every weight class should have a chance to have a full crowd to see them do their thing!

Seems like a no brainier. One less thing to have to work on.

jchap · March 02, 2015, 04:50:53 AM

Quote from: Numbers on March 01, 2015, 10:58:15 PM
Quote from: CoachZ on March 01, 2015, 10:32:33 PM
Hands down, Championship Saturday is the best in all of HS sports. The crowd and the energy is just awesome. I have one issue with it though. Every year it starts out great and there are good matches all the way through, yet not everyone see's them. It seems like every year right around 195 people start leaving. Then 220 comes around and more people leave, on to 285 and it seems as if the Kohl Center is almost half empty.

Why can't the WIAA random draw for the starting weight of the finals? Why shouldn't these heavier kids get to wrestle in front of a full house and feel that energy. The waiting period between matches obviously isn't a issue. Have the tournament start at 106 like normal, just draw for the starting weight at the finals.

Is this unrealistic?

Not sure this is realistic at the high school level. Don't think the WIAA wants to pick. Should the WIAA also pick which events go last for swimming and track & field the day of the state finals? That said - I would assume this year would have ended with the 170 pound finals (but maybe 126 with two returning champions in D2).

Illinois does a random draw for the starting weight at their individual state finals.

woody53 · March 02, 2015, 04:59:09 AM

Take it to the Coaches association and see what they think.

fryguy518 · March 02, 2015, 05:42:31 AM

Draw for starting weight sounds like a winner to me. Also straight up double elimination. Otherwise all is pretty freaken awesome!!!

MB · March 02, 2015, 06:16:47 AM

I don't think it matters what weight class starts first, the last match of the tournament will still have fewer spectators in the stands. Fans generally leave when everyone on their Team has finished wrestling.

HMsDad · March 02, 2015, 06:32:51 AM

Quote from: MB on March 02, 2015, 06:16:47 AM
I don't think it matters what weight class starts first, the last match of the tournament will still have fewer spectators in the stands. Fans generally leave when everyone on their Team has finished wrestling.

I wouldn't say that is the case. Did you see the fans flocking to the exits after the D1 170 match was done?

Quack · March 02, 2015, 06:50:06 AM

Quote from: MB on March 02, 2015, 06:16:47 AM
I don't think it matters what weight class starts first, the last match of the tournament will still have fewer spectators in the stands. Fans generally leave when everyone on their Team has finished wrestling.

I am guessing this is the point. Let different weight classes find out what it is like to wrestle in front of a full house.

Paul Harvey · March 02, 2015, 06:53:36 AM

Quote from: bfboy on March 01, 2015, 10:43:15 PM
I would like to change the 1-2-2 rule on the back side of the brackets. These are state caliber kids, not JV kids. They deserve to wrestle a full 6 minutes.

Agreed!

jaguarwrestler · March 02, 2015, 07:12:55 AM

2 things I would like to see

after 1st round of D1 on Thursday - instead of another round of D1 and 6 mats of quarters have 2 mats for each division, they each have 4 matches at each weight to wrestle that night so it wouldn't take any longer. More fans in the stand when all 3 are going at once and makes watching a lot of good D1 matches easier on 2 mats versus 6

semis - not willing to put it on 3 mats like it was at the fieldhouse, OK how about this... leave the 6 mats set up, start your 1st semi at 106 on Mat 1 in D1, in D2 have your first match at 106 on mat 4 and in D3 on mat 5, immediately following the end of the match the next semi follows on the opposite mat that was open during the first match. So no break between matches but only 3 at once. Sorry but semis at state is a big deal and I have seen brothers and teammates wrestling at the same time more than once. Not fair to the coaches, wrestlers, parents and fans imo.