I was reading on the Dakota Grappler about the colleges that have dropped wrestling in N and S dakota through the years (U of North Dakota dropped it while I was up there). I was wondering how, and which, schools have dropped wrestling in Nebraksa. I remember Wayne State had wrestling back in the early 70s, but could not remember any other schools. Thanks.

I know Peru State had a wrestling team I believe until the early-mid 1980's. Then of course Title IX ixhayed that idea. The mat they used to wrestle on is currently used by the Auburn School District.

Pain is temporary, pride is forever.

Wrestling is a sport that many schools consider to be expendable. It is one of the oldest sports known to man, and it has survived through the ages. It's not as popular as basketball or football, because not everyone can do it. It takes a special kind of person to get out there, and battle another person in one-on-one combat. Not everyone can do that, and that's why wrestlers are special individuals. I have great respect for any wrestler, and the sport itself. Wrestling is the best thing in my life besides my family, and my religion, so I believe if others give it a chance, they will understand how great it is. That's my opinion, and I'm sure others agree, and others don't agree, but I know where I stand.

Nebraska Weselyn had wrestling back in the late 60's and early 70's.

From what I have been able to gather, pretty much every college in the state had wrestling until Title IX began its raping of the sporting countryside. Even the jucos here in Nebraska (McCook, SCC, Central, Northeast, Mid-Plains and Western - Metro never has had college athletics as far as I can tell) had wrestling programs at some point in time.

I'm reminded of Al Bohaboj from Howells, who was a two-time champion and was arguably one of the better wrestlers out of Howells whose last name wasn't Vering. He was an outstanding wrestler, and he wound up going to school at Northeast Community College if memory serves correct. Had Northeast had a wrestling program, he could have continued wrestling in junior college and, most likely, done very well.

How many wrestlers are there in the state of Nebraska that wind up at an SCC, Central Tech or Mid-Plains for whatever reasons? It seems a damn shame that there is no place at the junior college level in Nebraska for wrestlers to continue after high school.

It seems kind of funny to me that directors of the juco athletic departments in this state have no problem letting their coaches travel to all points of the globe -- many times at taxpayer expense -- to recruit basketball players who wouldn't be able to find Nebraska on a map. But there is nothing -- NOTHING -- in the state juco athletic system for our wrestlers who might not be four-year material (or not have the grades for it) and would like to wrestle without having to start up an intramural program.

Recently, Peru State College had a golden opportunity to give the state another option for college wrestling. They did add another men's sport -- VOLLEYBALL. Now I have nothing wrong with volleyball (just spent the day at state covering C2 for the Norfolk paper, in fact), but what kind of meth are they dealing down in those parts? VOLLEYBALL??? What next? Women's football? Underwater polo (assuming they can find horses that swim)? Arena tiddly winks?

I think those of us adults who went to school at Peru, Doane, Wayne, or any of the jucos (SCC grad here, BTW...) should contact our athletic directors and our school presidents and try to start up a dialogue to get wrestling added at some of these schools. Nebraska Western CC recently added soccer, and this would be a viable addition for the rest of the jucos to add women's soccer and wrestling.

Based on area talent alone -- without recruiting out of state or area -- I'm confident that most of the state's jucos could field very competitive programs. But we'd better hurry...Doane might add men's indoor mud volleyball next season. I hear it's really hot in NAIA right now...

Hastings had a wrestling team in the 70's.

As a memeber of Wayne State college, it deeply saddens me that they took up rugby last year and not wrestling. Last time I checked Northeast Nebraska has the best High School Rugby teams in the nation(if you didn't pick it up, that was sarcasm).

Tim...watch out for those rugby guys. Remember...they don't wear helmets out there on the gridiron, and you know how too many shots to the head can scramble the ol' noggin.

Yeah...Wayne State rugby, Peru State men's volleyball...and I hear Nebraska Wesleyan has got a killer men's crocheting program.

And then we wonder why the higher you go up the administrative ladder, the dumber people tend to get. Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Dilbert Principle at its finest.

Besides the point about adding men's volleyball....but also they've added women's golf AND soon to come is soccer. Why they haven't added wrestling is cuz of the conference affiliates they have. The MCAC and CSFL (strictly a FB conference) both have zero ties to wrestling. And to be quite honest, I don't see wrestling in the future at PSC.

Oh, by the way Mikey.....we don't hit the meth trail here: it's your good ol fashioned green here my man......

Pain is temporary, pride is forever.

You mean....

Asaparagus?

Which reminds me of a joke...

A businessman is looking to kill three of his associates so that he can assume control of his company. He hires a hit man -- a not-so-bright guy named Artie -- to off his associates and says he'll pay him a dollar to do it.

Artie, not being the brightest bulb in the chandelier, asks the guy how he he wants them killed. "I don't care," he said. "Choke 'em to death if you want."

That night, Artie went out and did his deed, asphyxiating the three pour souls to death. But a security officer was passing by and caught him in the act. He subdued the attacker and called police.

The headline in the paper the next day:

<b><i>Artie chokes three for a dollar</i></b>

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen...I'm here all week...don't forget to tip your waiter...

As a WSC grad (and former women's rugby player) I just wanted to clarify that Rugby in Wayne is a club sport. The school would not recognize it as a collegiate sport, so the kids have to pay their own way and raise money for everything they do. Luckily they don't have a men's volleyball team yet, they aren't THAT brain dead. As I recall, when I was a junior (2001) the formation of a wrestling club was presented to the student senate. We voted to recognize it as a club and they got some money. Rugby did not, by the way. As I understood, this was going to be the first step in trying to influence the Athletic Dept. to adopt it as a varsity sport. I am not sure if the club is still up and going or not. Unfortunately, with the colleges being as cash-strapped as they are, it would take a major intrest by the students in a particular club sport for it to be considered as a varsity sport. There were 40 girls that played rugby my senior year, and that wasn't enough!! If the wrestling club showed that enthusiasm though.....

I'm not trying to dis WSC rugby, as a matter of fact it is very successful right now, I'm just making the point that Northeast Nebraska put alost 20 kids in the finals every year. Recruiting would be a piece of cake and the team would be amazing I think. At one time last year, this campus had 8 Nebraska state wrestling champs that I knew of, and many more placers. I think it would be worth the colleges money to recognize it as a sport. I don't think thought that any other school in the conference has wrestling(so that hurts our chance), plus title IX says there has to be a womens sport that will attract a lot. I think the Rugby team has enough people on it to make up for the mens rugby team and the wrestling team, besides, wrestling is coed; so if women want to join, they can.

...tell the Title IX folks that wrestling is co-ed, and they'll laugh you out of the room. Not that you aren't CORRECT, mind you...after all, football has become co-ed as well with women handling placekicking duties in some schools. But until feminazi groups influencing the OCR and other government entities are put in their place, or women's wrestling is started at WSC, wrestling will always be considered a men's sport.

Please, oh PLEASE...do not let me get loose on a Title IX rant today. I've got a newspaper to get out...LOL

I agree that WSC should have a wrestling squad. I also knew a few former state champs that went to school at Wayne. I was just trying to state that getting a non-traditional varsity sport (one that is not track, football, volleyball etc.) is going to be up to the students. If you take it into your own hands and start a successful wrestling club, where members are willing to pay their own way for a while, wrestle in open tournaments, and generally run the club like a varsity sport, then your case for being recognized by the college as a real team is much improved. You will have your work cut out for you, as was my point by bringing up the rugby numbers. Sitting back wishing and hoping will get you nowhere. Being proactive and trying to reestablish wrestling as a collegiate level sport on the Wayne State campus is the only way that it would happen. BTW- if you can get it to happen in the next year, I would really appreciate it! I have one brother at Wayne currently, and a brother that is a senior wrestler. I would love for him to be able to go to there and continue his wrestling career.

But I only have 2 years left of college, by the time this college sees wrestling, I'd be gone. I got here a year to late for the wrestling club and fromt he sounds of things, it wasn't very successful because the meets were to expensive. Plus, unlike rugby, people will be cutting weight for basically no purpose, you can't win a national title being an unattacted wrestler at open tournaments. On top of all of this, we would have to have a coach to organize practices and go to seeding meetings and I think the old club was lacking a coach(don't quote me on that though, this is what I heard). In order to practice on the mats up at Wayne, you need a supporvisor that is qualified to perform this job. It's not like rugby where you can just go out on the practice field with a group of people. So there is a lot that is out of the students hand that we can't do anything about.

Midland Lutheran College dropped their wrestling program in the early '80's.

As much as I enjoy watching girls H.S. volleyball and hope that my daughter will someday be out there on the court, I couldn't help to see that there were barely any people in the stands during the state tourney and that goes for other very costly sports in college such as swimming, volleyball & gymnastics. Not much return for the colleges if there is no crowd. However the state H.S. wrestling tournament is at full capacity every year, U.N.O. does well for wrestling crowds, same for Nebraska, U of Iowa, Oklahoma, packed crowds for duels and tourneys every time, (you get the idea). Thats not the case for many other sports that are NOT in danger of being cut. I am not against women's sports, I think it's great. But the reality of it is Colleges and Universities will cut a women's sport if it is a financial burden, with Title IX it means having to take away a men's sport too, just because of very vocal rights activists. WE NEED TO BE MORE VOCAL THEN THEM!!! The fact is there are just not as many women athletes as men, that right there makes Title IX unfair. What can we do? Keep protesting this obsurd ruling with an iron fist and keep supporting the greatest and oldest sport in the world best you can. Maybe then we will see more USA medalists in the Olympics. I wonder if the ivy league schools would ever let rowing (crew team) be cut? NOT!NOT!

...at Ron Powell's post-tournament column in the Journal-Star when he suggested that the state volleyball tournament be moved to the Qwest Center in Omaha.

I didn't go to this year's state finals, but if it's been like every other year I've been there, I'm sure there was plenty of good seats available in Pershing Auditorium, which seats about ONE-THIRD the amount Qwest does. Now, imagine that same group of 2,000-3,000 fans, who would fill up about half the seats in Pershing, sitting in the 15,000-seat Qwest Center.

You make a great point on T9, T-Bone, and one other point I'd like to make is this: as much as the feminazis hate to admit it, the fact remains is that women's sports IS NOT as popular as men's sports, NOR WILL THEY EVER BE.

You just aren't going to get the kind of support from people to watch ANY women's sport the way people watch men's sports. For one thing, leagues like MLB, NFL and NBA are a part of the American fabric. They are as much a part of our nation's society as apple pie, grandma and calling the Democrats (or Republicans, depending on your persusasion) for being the political frauds that they are.

Women's sports have grown considerably in the last 30 years, and I think that's great. But the fact is that women's sports will never match men's sports -- not on a popularity scale and CERTAINLY not on a talent scale. Want a good example? Watch an NBA game, and then watch a WNBA game right after. The game is slower, it's not as skilled and, aside from Lisa Leslie, nobody dunks (which is the only compelling reason to watch an NBA regular-season game in the first place, but I digress...).

But the liberal morons in this country DEMAND equality, and if they could pull it off they would DEMAND that we buy as many high-price tickets for women's sports as we do for men's.

Here's another example...several years ago I did a story on high school athletic departments IN NEBRASKA that were being strong-armed into adding softball by the Office of Civil Rights. One of the demands the OCR was making was giving more "prime time" dates to girls (i.e. 8 p.m. games on boy-girl doubleheader nights, with the boys at 6:15).

One athletic director I interviewed said he asked the OCR rep what they should do when a capacity crowd that comes for the 6:15 boys game leaves before the start of the 8:00 girls game. The OCR rep's answer? Lock the doors and make them stay for the girls game (What, you think I'd make something like that up????).

A perfect comparison in Nebraska is to compare attendance figures for the girls and boys state basketball tournaments. I don't know what they are off the top of my head, but I'd be willing to bet that the boys outdraw the girls by AT LEAST a 2-to-1 margin. I don't ever recall a state tournament game at Devaney being sold out when the girls played. I've sat in on several full houses during the boys tournament over the years, though.

Maybe when Bush gets re-elected next year we can really hit him and the GOP hard on Title IX and get some REAL changes made. Of course, it could be worse...Al Gore could be the one re-upping in 2004. (although the thought of Billary taking ACTUAL control of the Oval Office - you don't think BILL was in charge for eight years, do you??? - in 2008 is a frightening thought...the website might become Canada Wrestling Illustrated by then)