quote:

Originally posted by wrestling friend:
There's 6 pages of complaints and everyone's opinion on how it should have ran and who should have been chosen. The wrestlers did their best - the Iowa wrestlers were impressive. It was a first time event but was organized well. It's time to let go and move on!

quote:

Originally posted by Frank Ryan:

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Originally posted by Hammerlock:
I know I mentioned something about this earlier, but the difference wasn't the matchups, timing of the state tournaments, etc...it was the approach the Iowa wrestlers took to the matches. They came out with a punch you in the mouth mentality, and when you combine that with physically and technically strong kids, it was too much for NE.

If you're searching for a reason why it turned out the way it did when the kids were fairly evenly matched, look no further than the qualification process for the two state tournaments. It's much more difficult to qualify in IA (top 2 finish in a sectional tourney to qualify for district tourney and a top 2 finish at districts to qualify for state versus a top 4 finish at districts in NE), which I believe makes the level of competition at the IA state tourney more difficult, and in general a better wrestler is standing in the same podium position than say in NE.

The difference isn't in the number of qualifying tournaments. For example we could take a class C or D district and cut it into 2 sectionals and have the top 2 or 4 placers from each sectional advance to district tournament and send the top 4 to state. In nearly all cases the same 4 kids would go to state as in the district only qualifying system.

The difference is how many wrestlers start into the state qualifying meets. In NE Class A districts have 8 wrestlers per class (unless there are opens) and 4 of them go to state. If you are state champ you are the champion of 32 wrestlers. In IA 3A there are 8 districts with 8 wrestlers per weight with the top 2 advancing. If you are state champ in IA you are the champ of 64 wrestlers. The best champions in NE are as good as the best champs in IA. But overall the IA champs are going to be better because they came out of a pool of twice as many wrestlers. We saw champs from NE beaten by low place winners and non-placers. But we must ask, if that NE champ was competing in a tournament of twice as many wrestlers would he have been a state champ? The other classes: IA 2A has 96 teams and 1A has 130. In NE B has 48 teams, C has 68, and D has 81.

The wrestling tradition in IA is extremely strong. Let's take Eagle Grove, a small town in north central IA. 2 of their wrestlers scored pins in the Border Brawl. I have been privileged to coach and referee in the Eagle Grove Invitational, which has been going on for nearly 55 years. The gym was absolutely packed, the fans are very knowledgeable, and there is an electricity in the air that makes it a special place to wrestle, coach, referee, or watch. I'm sure I am overlooking several people but I can think of 7 NCAA champs who have come out of that school, including 2 father/son combinations. That type of tradition takes a long time to build.

I think 2 men have been very instumental in building the IA wrestling program. Dave Harty had been a college wrestler, high school coach (at Eagle Grove), and official when he was hired to head up the wrestling portion of Iowa High School Athletic Association. I believe that was in 1964 and Dave just retired last year. He did a fabulous job of running rules meetings and educating officials and organizing and promoting the sport.

The other man was a basketball player who saw the light. In 1960 Iowa State Teacher's College became the State College of Iowa. About 3 years later it became the University of Northern Iowa. As a side note, I started to ISTC, graduated from SCI, and have my masters from UNI. So I've been around. While it was ISTC every one who graduated automatically had a teaching certificate. It was the only purely teachers college in the state so a huge number of Iowa teachers and coaches came from there. I don't know the exact time but there was a basketball/baseball player at ISTC named Dave McClusky. He had a great deal of interest in wrestling and when the ISTC coaching job opened in the late 30's he applied and was selected. He had a magnetic personality and filled the wrestling room with athletes who soaked up his enthusiasm. He created a national power and won the NCAA in 1950. I doubt if any of his athletes were on scholarship; I doubt if any school gave wrestling scholarships in those days. So his wrestlers had gone to school there with the express purpose of teaching. As they graduated, and practically all of them did in, they went out to teach and coach in Iowa high schools. They carried McClusky's enthusiasm and love of wrestling to their coaching jobs, many of which they coerced their local school boards into starting. So the state's programs were populated by coaches with experience and enthusiasm. McClusky left ISTC in about 1954 to take over the program at Iowa U. He was replaced by one of his 3 time national champs, Bill Koll, and everything continued. Incidently Bill is the father of Rob Koll, the highly successful coach at Cornell U.

I believe Mike Denny is our answer to Dave McClusky. I just haven't seen anyone who seems to want to fill Dave Harty's role.

Sorry to ramble on like this but if someone in a position of power can pick up one small idea that will improve the program it is worth it.


One last trivia question. Does Red Rocker have 6 fingers on his right hand?