WIAA Individual State Seeding

[shouldvewrestled]

I can tell you the girls basketball players sure liked the videos and how the brackets were announced like the NCAA tournament.  Better than a coach or AD tweeting it out.  Some had watch parties.

It would be cool if they did this for wrestling

I tweeted that directly at the WIAA when I saw the girls seeding. They responded that this was the first year for girls seeding. When I responded that this was also the first year for wrestling, I got no response.

42 separate brackets to make is probably their reasoning. If willing to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday to have them released in a big video send out it could be done.  Personally I like getting the brackets Saturday night at midnight like it is scheduled to go out currently, but get your point how it could make it more exciting for the kids to do it this way. 

[Ghetto]

I can tell you the girls basketball players sure liked the videos and how the brackets were announced like the NCAA tournament.  Better than a coach or AD tweeting it out.  Some had watch parties.

It would be cool if they did this for wrestling

I tweeted that directly at the WIAA when I saw the girls seeding. They responded that this was the first year for girls seeding. When I responded that this was also the first year for wrestling, I got no response.

42 separate brackets to make is probably their reasoning. If willing to wait until Tuesday or Wednesday to have them released in a big video send out it could be done.  Personally I like getting the brackets Saturday night at midnight like it is scheduled to go out currently, but get your point how it could make it more exciting for the kids to do it this way.

I get that the production of it is difficult. I just hate that we aren't ever really thought of when it comes to promotion. There's a WI Wrestler podcast that would love to do it. If we as a wrestling community were given the opportunity to make it happen, we'd figure out a way.

[padre]

At the individual state tournament, seeding criteria will be used for all competitors. Trackwrestling will seed all 16 wrestlers in D1
and seed all 12 wrestlers in D2 and D3 at the Individual State Tournament using the following criteria:
(1) Head-to-head competition
(2) Competition against common opponents
(3) Returning state champion
(4) Returning second or third place finisher in previous season
(5) Returning fourth through sixth place finisher from previous season
(6) Sectional champion
(7) Returning state qualifier in previous season
( Winning percentage in the current season

There are going to be a lot of sectionals where the champion has no chance to get a bye at state no matter how well they did this year due to not making state last year in a Covid year where many kids had 10-12 matches wrestled at best leading up to state.

[littleguy301]

Seeding d1, 16 man bracket will be just fine. Seeding d2 and d3 with 12 man brackets leaves much to be desired. Your bound to run into your same sectional kid way early instead of finals. The problem is in the 2 lower division is some kids may wrestle the same opponent maybe 7 times, which in a 35 match season is like 20% of your matches in a year with one kid.

I am sure they work it out but in the 2 lower division I think seeding the top 4 and having the opposite sections on the other side of the bracket is in order.

I personally think winning your sectionals is worthy of a bye. Other wise we are really down playing the importance of everything up to the state tournament. I think the state series is the most important tournaments a high school team has.

Just my 2 cents

[WaupuWrestling]

I also think sectional champs should get a bye, but the problem with this is that the highest seeded second place wrestler (#5 seed) will end up in the same half of the bracket as the top seeded kid. Often times the two best wrestlers come from the same sectional.

[Sudden Death]

I also think sectional champs should get a bye, but the problem with this is that the highest seeded second place wrestler (#5 seed) will end up in the same half of the bracket as the top seeded kid. Often times the two best wrestlers come from the same sectional.

I'm glad sectional winners do not get a bye as there some that just doesn't have as tough competition as others and with that being said that already benefited them as is.  Just look at D1 Sun Prairie 145 where you have 3 top 10 wrestlers and only 2 make it. As there are others like this one too.

[padre]

I also think sectional champs should get a bye, but the problem with this is that the highest seeded second place wrestler (#5 seed) will end up in the same half of the bracket as the top seeded kid. Often times the two best wrestlers come from the same sectional.

I wouldn't say often times but it can happen.  This is why I thought they'd just seed the top 4 sectional winners and their opponents went on the other side.

I was looking at a weight that had the 2,5,6 ranked kids in the same sectional.  Two previously went to state but not last year. They've wrestled each other and 2 of them wrestled the two time state champ number 1 ranked kid and both lost close matches.

In other sectionals there are a total of 4 kids that placed at state last year and most likely make it...this means the three in this sectional are getting no chance at a bye...kind of dumb really.  The 2nd ranked kid could end up 5th seed and then will get number 1 in the semis...so it made 0 difference.  It also gives freshman nothing to use to get a bye unless they wrestled previous state placewinners and won.  There is definitely a flaw especially since last year wasn't what seeding should go on.

[wrastle63]

I also think sectional champs should get a bye, but the problem with this is that the highest seeded second place wrestler (#5 seed) will end up in the same half of the bracket as the top seeded kid. Often times the two best wrestlers come from the same sectional.

5 should wrestle 12, 6 should wrestle 11, etc. This should hopefully get the kids into the tournament where it is double elimination. This problem would be solved if we just went double elimination brackets with no byes and equal divisions.

[padre]

I also think sectional champs should get a bye, but the problem with this is that the highest seeded second place wrestler (#5 seed) will end up in the same half of the bracket as the top seeded kid. Often times the two best wrestlers come from the same sectional.

I'm glad sectional winners do not get a bye as there some that just doesn't have as tough competition as others and with that being said that already benefited them as is.  Just look at D1 Sun Prairie 145 where you have 3 top 10 wrestlers and only 2 make it. As there are others like this one too.

That is D1...different since no one gets a bye.

[padre]

I also think sectional champs should get a bye, but the problem with this is that the highest seeded second place wrestler (#5 seed) will end up in the same half of the bracket as the top seeded kid. Often times the two best wrestlers come from the same sectional.

5 should wrestle 12, 6 should wrestle 11, etc. This should hopefully get the kids into the tournament where it is double elimination. This problem would be solved if we just went double elimination brackets with no byes and equal divisions.

Totally agree!!!

[padre]

My point really was that if kids and coaches are kind of going to know where they are getting seeded as it's in black and white and can't get a bye someone could manipulate the system.  Like if seeding rules hold true And you know your kid is basically locked into the 5 seedwhy would I want to keep the 5 seed when really the 6 or 7 seed is better as you wouldn't get 1 seed in the semis...I really don't want the sport to go that way but it could.

[Army Ant]

My point really was that if kids and coaches are kind of going to know where they are getting seeded as it's in black and white and can't get a bye someone could manipulate the system.  Like if seeding rules hold true And you know your kid is basically locked into the 5 seedwhy would I want to keep the 5 seed when really the 6 or 7 seed is better as you wouldn't get 1 seed in the semis...I really don't want the sport to go that way but it could.

Sometimes 6 or 7 is better than 5; like when the #1 is clearly way better than everybody else. Often times #1 and #2 don't have a huge separation though, so it really depends. USUALLY #5 is better than #6 or #7 because you at least have a better chance of getting to the next round and therefore placing higher overall. Moving down to #6 or #7 when #1 is clearly head and shoulders above everybody else is a legit seeding strategy and there is WIAA guidance on this. I've rarely seen it happen though; maybe because a lot of coaches are more focused on winning in the early rounds.