I have heard that back in the 90's we had regionals to qualify for Freestyle state and that Folk Style state was not even in existence. Was Greco Roman right along with Freestyle or was Freestyle the only thing? When did it start? When did it end? How many regionals did they have in the state for it? Are there records of placings somewhere?
I remember(I have a chart and i use to write things down)in 1981 I qualified from Sparta and wrestled AAU freestyle state @ river falls. The next year it was at wisconsin rapids
In the 80's freestyle state and Greco state were held at Rapids HS. I seem to remember some years when there were regionals and some when they were not. State tournament used the same bracket format that Fargo uses today. Not sure what that type of bracket is called anymore. Seems like I remember more than 16 kids in a bracket though.
All community tournaments were folkstyle but state was freestyle and Greco. I think it was the only time we competed in freestyle or Greco but we practiced it a lot.
The goal at state was to place in the top 4 to qualify for Northern Plains regional which seemed to always be in Iowa at that time. I remember going to Buena Vista college in Storm Lake, IA a few times. Qualifying for Northen Plains was a goal and big deal then.
Small little circles with all the refs wearing the white shirts with one shoulder red and one shoulder blue.
Not real sure about greco, remember going to West Bend once for state, didn't have to qualify. I graduated in 1990 and FS had six regionals when I was in youth and the # of qualifiers was based on the amount of wrestlers in the class. I remember getting through in sixth once but a huge weight class, at least 6 or 7 matches. I'm pretty sure at least 2 wrestlers for every class. I think the mid weights that were full had up to 36 per class at Rapids.
Early 80s freestyle state at Wi rapids i can remember many long days and really big brackets.Everything done by hand(no trackwrestling lol).I can remember yrs when wrestling was still going on 10/11pm,and nobody complained.(wouldnt fly nowdays lol).The good old days!!
They also had greco state in Racine .. freestyle I dont remember as much? Was at Racine Park in the field house. Mid 1990s/ 1994-5?
i remember having to qualify for state freestyle (late 70s) state was held at Wisconsin Rapids and got done at 3 am! don't remember greco. i also remember wrestling aau at river falls high school. In fact the kid i meet in the finals (i think we were in 7th grade) we meet again as seniors in high school for sectional finals to go to wiaa state! i also remember wrestling freestyle at uw river falls at karges gym, not sure if that was regional for state. Not sure how it worked out but i qualified for nationals aau at council bluffs IA. don't remember when aau dropped wrestling but it was big for a while.
We had several organizations ....
USWF, AAU etc.
In the early 80's like doc said, we transitioned from folk to free. State was at rapids. Top two went on to northern plains. One year was at Williams arena, I lost to some guy named Matt Demeray. Next year I think it was in Storm Lake, Iowa (Buena Vista).
I also recall a "regional nationals" AAU meet at the Dells. I remember winning freestyle and we stuck around the next day with the Hall brothers, I won the Greco against one other person. Freestyle meets typically had 40 plus kids in a bracket.
I think it was that tourney that then qualified you for Indianapolis, I believe 1983, Dennis would have been in 6th grade and was already a known wrestler, it was fun hanging with WI guys.
Back in the mid to late 70's AAU and USWF sponsored. Greco state was for the oldest group only. The youth only had freestyle. Many a time wrestled 4th or 5th match around midnight in River Falls. Attended regionals also in Mineral Point and Lodi.
Everything was scored as black points. Accumulate too many and done for the day. Just the opposite of today's.
Correct, sometime around '82-'84 we went to good points.
Quote from: howavi on March 26, 2013, 10:12:52 PM
We had several organizations ....
USWF, AAU etc.
In the early 80's like doc said, we transitioned from folk to free. State was at rapids. Top two went on to northern plains. One year was at Williams arena, I lost to some guy named Matt Demeray. Next year I think it was in Storm Lake, Iowa (Buena Vista).
I also recall a "regional nationals" AAU meet at the Dells. I remember winning freestyle and we stuck around the next day with the Hall brothers, I won the Greco against one other person. Freestyle meets typically had 40 plus kids in a bracket.
I think it was that tourney that then qualified you for Indianapolis, I believe 1983, Dennis would have been in 6th grade and was already a known wrestler, it was fun hanging with WI guys.
Wow - that brought back some memories :)
I wrestled Northern Plains freestyle one year at Wisconsin Rapids, probably 1979 or 1980. I think there fieldhouse was brand new at the time. For some reason, I think the state freestyle was in Lax one of those years. And we always went to G-E-T for freestyle regionals. The high school freestyle and greco was held in Wisconsin Dells.
Late 80's early 90's you had to qualify for freestyle state and state was held in rapids. The quilifying tournament had cross bracketing so there were a lot of kids and the state tournament was held over two days....friday you wrestled two matches and then saturday you wrestled a heck of a lot more and got done pretty late. You had to place top 3 to qualify for Norther Plains. Wish someone had the results from that long a go!?!? :)
There was also the Northern Plains Juniors in La Crosse. You saw some of the best wrestlers from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and a smattering of other states sprinkled across the field. First day was Greco and the second day was freestyle. That was an open tournament, and some of the weight classes had 75+ kids (two brackets: A and B).
As for Rapids (freestyle) in the late 80's and early 90's, I remember Ellsworth was one of the regionals to qualify. I don't remember how many from each regional went to Rapids, but the top four at Rapids earned a trip to the Northern Plains Championships (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota were participating states). They rotated states to host each year. Freestyle state in Rapids was my favorite tournament of the year.
Greco in the same time frame was an open tournament, and I remember Fort Atkinson hosted it a few years and also Middleton.
Houndhead....79 Northern Plains was at Rapids. I remember, I not old enough to wrestle in it "but" somehow got to wrestle, my birth certificate must have gotten switched with one of my older brothers .. ;)
I remember going to Holmen for state freestyle regionals
Quote from: DocWrestling on March 28, 2013, 08:11:50 AM
I remember going to Holmen for state freestyle regionals
I may have reffed your matches! Seriously.
Quote from: DocWrestling on March 28, 2013, 08:11:50 AM
I remember going to Holmen for state freestyle regionals
From Fond Du Lac?'
I was always in the Milwaukee area, I recall Hartland.
Quote from: howavi on March 28, 2013, 09:11:35 AM
Quote from: DocWrestling on March 28, 2013, 08:11:50 AM
I remember going to Holmen for state freestyle regionals
From Fond Du Lac?'
I was always in the Milwaukee area, I recall Hartland.
We had relatives in Lacrosse and our family reunion was always in Lacrosse on that weekend. Only way we could do both. Whole family would come to the regional to watch so it was great. Got many excited that they then would come over to Rapids for state tourney to watch and occasionally picked up my uncle as we drove through Lacrosse to take him with to Northern Plains. My brother and I were the first wrestlers ever in our family so it was new for everyone.
In 1981 and 1982, the Freestyle State Tournaments were in June. There were 6 qualifying regionals. Top 4 qualified to state from each regional. The State Meets were held at DC Everest in 1981 and at Holmen in 1982.
You had to qualify at one of the regionals to wrestle at state. And you had to place in the Top 3 at State to be on the Wisconsin Team that went to Nationals in Iowa.
It is my opinion that the folkstyle state tournament is the best thing to happen to youth wrestling since my time but it has hurt the numbers for the freestyle state tournament. The length of the folkstyle season really compresses freestyle and greco into the end of the year and not everyone competes
When there was no folkstyle state tourney, there were a lot of good wrestlers who never competed at state because their clubs did not have coaches or dads with freestyle experience and they just taught folkstyle to compete at the Saturday tournaments. Some kids went to freestyle regionals and state without ever having spent more than an hour on freestyle. Those clubs with freestyle coaches and actually spent some time on it excelled. For many it was simply the advice that you could not do a roll as you cannot expose your back ;D
Some matches went very quick when an experienced kid leg laced up an inexperienced kid and rolled him around the mat for 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2.. LOL or at least it seemed like that. Was 15 points the end?
WWF,
I'm almost positive that in '82 it was Rapids. True story on this one, a really good wrestler from Reedsburg and I were in the finals (round robin), he ID because he ran into the bleachers at rapids.
The bracket I have says "state freestyle". the date says 4-4-81. the regional was at sparta-have bracket for that also
Quote from: gablesgrip1 on March 28, 2013, 10:05:10 PM
The bracket I have says "state freestyle". the date says 4-4-81. the regional was at sparta-have bracket for that also
Where was '81?
Doc, I think a "tech" was 10 points.
Quote from: gablesgrip1 on March 28, 2013, 10:05:10 PM
The bracket I have says "state freestyle". the date says 4-4-81. the regional was at sparta-have bracket for that also
LOL! I can't decide if that is cool as heck or very strange that you still have those brackets! ;D
Quote from: howavi on March 28, 2013, 04:54:40 PM
WWF,
I'm almost positive that in '82 it was Rapids. True story on this one, a really good wrestler from Reedsburg and I were in the finals (round robin), he ID because he ran into the bleachers at rapids.
I will check with my brother who went with me. It may have seemed like it was at Rapids because they had so many wrestlers in the tournament !! I was in the finals at 154 in 1982.
I know there were AAU State Tournaments I went to in Wisconsin Dells in the spring. The State Freestyle I am referring to was always in June back then for the July Nationals.
I still have some old brackets as well !!
I do believe the first "state" freestyle meet occured in 1972 (although it might have been actually a year or two before that). I particpated in the state freestyle meet in 1973 (held in Greenfield). There were regional qualifying meets held around the state for that meet. I am not sure exactly with governing body sponsored the event, AAU or the other competing organization at that time (I forget its name). Top place winners at that state meet went on to a national meet in Iowa held the next week.
In 1979 they were in wisconsin dells...got my first ticket for running a red light on the way out of town...still irritated about that..1978 went to schofield...1977 was in stoughton..1976 was a sausage and must not of qualified...
Quote from: uncle Fester on March 29, 2013, 12:50:00 PM
In 1979 they were in wisconsin dells...got my first ticket for running a red light on the way out of town...still irritated about that..1978 went to schofield...1977 was in stoughton..1976 was a sausage and must not of qualified...
couldnt convince the officer it was really an orange light?
Wwf,
I was in 7th grade, I won 95# perhaps that is the difference?
I was at the dells those years too for the AAU tourney. I may be odd too but I think somewhere in the basement I have the bracket as well. Kinda cool to list some of the guys on there.
Kevin Kull
Greg Lewis
Tim Berndt
I still remember Dennis Hall whipping me up pretty good at state. I don't have that bracket. ;D
In 81' it was in river falls
Quote from: uncle Fester on March 29, 2013, 12:50:00 PM
..1977 was in stoughton..
Remember competing in this. God I am old !
Woody,
Your just a puppy yet.
And people say youth wrestling doesn't mean anything because nobody will remember after youth. ;D ;D
Quote from: Mat Warrior on March 30, 2013, 09:19:25 AM
And people say youth wrestling doesn't mean anything because nobody will remember after youth. ;D ;D
Agreed.
Quote from: Mat Warrior on March 30, 2013, 09:19:25 AM
And people say youth wrestling doesn't mean anything because nobody will remember after youth. ;D ;D
I think you are misinterpreting what some have said on this topic. The comments typically relate more to keeping things in perspective; the rest of a kid's life shouldn't be defined by his/her win in some schoolboy tournament 25 years ago (or a state WIAA meet 20 years ago). It's all about perspective - rather than that it doesn't matter.
I have some old programs from the WWF freestyle state tournament in Wisconsin Rapids. If I can get them scanned to a photo sharing site I'll put them up. There are a lot of good names in there.
Many have posted already, but from my recollection, there were six qualifying regional tournaments with age groups of 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under and Cadets. Between two and six qualified for the WWF state tournament from each regional depending on how many kids were at the regional. I only remember wrestling on Friday night at the state tournament as a Cadet. Regionals were in early April and the state tournament was a week or two later, I seem to remember it being the 3rd or 4th weekend in April.
When I participated, early to late 1980s, the top four qualified for the Northern Plains meet, which we all referred to as "Nationals." As a Cadet, if you were in the top two, you qualified for Northern Plains as well as Cadet Nationals. Northern Plains was in June and Cadet Nationals later in the summer. They gave medals to the top four and ribbons to 5th and 6th at the state meet. Northern Plains was in LaCrosse, Lincoln, NE; Storm Lake, IA and Bismark, ND if I remember right.
Matches were either 1-1-1 or 2-2-2 and at some point switched to a single four or five minute period. I think a tech fall was 15 and I know one year Rocco Marchionda put me in a leg lace and got to 15 really quickly!
To funny Recon.....I remember wrestling Brandon Paulson one year at the Northern Plains in Rochester, MN.....was about a 15 second match with him putting me in a leg lace and walking me around the mat. At least I got to say I wrestled an olympian! Ha! :)
Quote from: Recon on April 01, 2013, 09:18:01 PM
I have some old programs from the WWF freestyle state tournament in Wisconsin Rapids. If I can get them scanned to a photo sharing site I'll put them up. There are a lot of good names in there.
Many have posted already, but from my recollection, there were six qualifying regional tournaments with age groups of 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under and Cadets. Between two and six qualified for the WWF state tournament from each regional depending on how many kids were at the regional. I only remember wrestling on Friday night at the state tournament as a Cadet. Regionals were in early April and the state tournament was a week or two later, I seem to remember it being the 3rd or 4th weekend in April.
When I participated, early to late 1980s, the top four qualified for the Northern Plains meet, which we all referred to as "Nationals." As a Cadet, if you were in the top two, you qualified for Northern Plains as well as Cadet Nationals. Northern Plains was in June and Cadet Nationals later in the summer. They gave medals to the top four and ribbons to 5th and 6th at the state meet. Northern Plains was in LaCrosse, Lincoln, NE; Storm Lake, IA and Bismark, ND if I remember right.
Matches were either 1-1-1 or 2-2-2 and at some point switched to a single four or five minute period. I think a tech fall was 15 and I know one year Rocco Marchionda put me in a leg lace and got to 15 really quickly!
I remember qualifying for freestyle state from the DC Everest regional one year and later at Lakeland College (mid 80s). Yes the top four at freestyle state in Wisconsin Rapids qualified for "Nationals" which really was the Northern Plains Regional. I remember wrestling at Northern Plains in Lacrosse at the civic center in 1984 I think.