Regular Season Nov 7, 2009
|
|
|
|
What are your feelings on the recent modifications made to both the IHSAA individual and team state wrestling tournament?
Effective this season, the top-four individual regional finishers will advance to semistate, which will eliminate the first-round bye previously awarded to regional champions. At sectional, only the championship team will advance to the team regional, which eliminates team semistate. Previously, the sectional's top-two finishers earned a team regional berth.
|
Terry O’Neil
Westfield Wrestling |
 | Any time a kid has an opportunity to compete in another round it's good, but personally, I was not in favor of cutting the team regional tournament from 64 to 32. We have been fortunate enough, since I've been here, to be involved in the team tournament for four consecutive years - three years as a runner-up in the sectional and one as a regional runner-up - and our kids really enjoyed that. I was excited to get the fourth kid to the individual semistate, but I did not want to give up the 64 teams. |
|
Wes Hall
Shelbyville Wrestling |
 | I think we have three or four teams capable of winning team regional from our sectional. So really, I think it hurts our sectional because we go so deep with ranked teams. In that aspect, it's difficult and leaves a lot of guys home that probably deserve to be at that team regional. I like the individual changes. There's nothing better than semistate and the round-to-go. All four of the semistates offer a great atmosphere, and if you can get more kids there, it makes it better. |
|
Jason Smith
Mount Vernon Wrestling |
 | You're adding several more kids to the semistate this way. This is creating a big opportunity for a lot more kids. Once you make it there, anything can happen. I think it's only going to help the sport. It's going to get a lot more fans involved. In the aspect of the team tournament, I think it takes an opportunity away from a really good team. We have some sectionals around the state that are really stacked and have more than one good team where a runner-up can actually come out and make it to state. At least with the first- and second-place teams advancing in the past, you always had that opportunity. |
|
Cale Hoover
Center Grove Wrestling |
 | I am pleased with the changes made to the individual tournament. In many cases, I think having a bye in the first round of the semistate was a disadvantage. I also think advancing four individuals from regional is a great idea. The tournament is now consistent with the top four advancing at each level. The changes in the team tournament are interesting. Very few sectional runner-ups have advanced to the state finals. In the past two years, it has happened twice. The change will definitely have an impact, and the tournament might become more exclusive, which concerns me. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
