Allowing Middle Schoolers to wrestle in HS division at Preseason State

[benaskren]

Just wanted to let you know that we have decided to allow 8th graders to wrestle in the HS division at AWA Preseason State, however only if they won state in the 2000-2001 age group at WWF Folkstyle State last year.  We have gotten a lot of questions about moving kids up and I think this was a good compromise.

I am not sure exactly how many kids this even applies to.

Which 8th graders do you think will be making noise in the HS division?

Thanks
Ben

[silent_but_deadly]

Sounds like registrations are low?  How about releasing who is registered or at the very least the matrix.

[EIUwrestler1]

This tournament had such great brackets last year and I know of a whole bunch of good kids going this year, I am sure a couple of young studs just wanted in. I am sure numbers will be fine.

[benaskren]

SBD why does it sound like that??

Registrations are solid, close to what they were last year at the same point.  We are expecting a good turnout like we had last year.

Some of the brackets like 126 and 138 are STACKED already.  I will be releasing some of the competitors soon.

[silent_but_deadly]

It's been my experience that any tournament that suffers from low numbers usually keeps the matrix and wrestler list hidden.  Then anytime someone extends the registration or opens it up to more people (in this case junior high school) it gave me the impression that numbers were low.  

After posting the message I was told it was opened up to 8th graders so two AWA kids could wrestle at the event.  I checked last year's tournament and you had 135 with some good sized brackets in most of the weights with some really good wrestlers.  I now feel better about the numbers and sounds like an excellent event!

[benaskren]

Well I am glad that you are excited.  Last year we had 209 total participants, I think it was 135 in the HS age group.

That is a nice assumption you made and it will be fun to see some of the 8th graders compete against HS kids.

145 is stacked already Yde, Yde, Wichman, Cheloni, Eric Peters and Jordan Boettcher already entered.  Whoever comes out on top of that one is a stud.  Hope we can add a few more studs to that bracket.