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Congratulations to the following Indiana wrestlers for placing in this tournament. If I missed any, please add them to the list. Cadet 112 Josh Fuqua - Team Indiana - 8th Place Cadet 130 Tommy Forte - Mishawaka WC - 2nd Place Cadet 135 Tre Marler - Team Indiana - 8th Place Cadet 145 Simeon Teague - Penn WC - 8th Cadet 189 Mitch Sliga - CIA - 4th Ty Webster - Team Indiana - 8th Junior 98 John Mills - Team Indiana - 4th Junior 119 Alonzo Shepherd - Team Indiana - 8th Junior 125 Cameron Halstead - Region WA - 5th Junior 135 Collin Crume - Jimtown WC - 5th Junior 160 Sean Mappes - Team Indiana - 4th

We have had circumstances out of our control the past 2 years: Medical issues, children and their shananigans, and glitches in track wrestling! We talked about many ways to speed the tournament up. We felt that matside pairings was the best way to do so this year. Anybody willing to lend a hand who has experience in matside pairings is will be welcomed with open arms!

Sunday, February 27th We will be using Matside Pairings this year. Cost: $10.00 Entry Fee Spectator Fee: Adults $5.00 Students and Seniors $3.00 IMPORTANT 1. Registration/Weigh-ins: February 26th From 5:00-7:00 Only (Saturday) 2. Satellite Weigh-ins: Must be done by Registered Club or High School Coach by Thursday at 8:00 p.m. 3. Satellite Weigh Forms: Email Mark Kerrn at mkerrn@baugo.org 4. You can return satellite weigh in by email to mkerrn@baugo.org or by faxing them to Mark Kerrn at 294-5596 5. Look for a confirmation from Mark Kerrn Friday morning. If you do not receive a confirmation, we have not received your form. If you have any further questions please contact: Mark Kerrn Daytime: 574-295-2343 ext. 269 Nightime: 574-850-5808 Email: mkerrn@baugo.org Fax: 574-2945596

Sunday, February 27th We will be using Matside Pairings this year. Cost: $10.00 Entry Fee Spectator Fee: Adults $5.00 Students and Seniors $3.00 IMPORTANT 1. Registration/Weigh-ins: February 26th From 5:00-7:00 Only (Saturday) 2. Satellite Weigh-ins: Must be done by Registered Club or High School Coach by Thursday at 8:00 p.m. 3. Satellite Weigh Forms: Email Mark Kerrn at mkerrn@baugo.org 4. You can return satellite weigh in by email to mkerrn@baugo.org or by faxing them to Mark Kerrn at 294-5596 5. Look for a confirmation from Mark Kerrn Friday morning. If you do not receive a confirmation, we have not received your form. If you have any further questions please contact: Mark Kerrn Daytime: 574-295-2343 ext. 269 Nightime: 574-850-5808 Email: mkerrn@baugo.org Fax: 574-2945596

Congratulations to the 3 Jimtown Jimmies who wrestled in the state tournament. They had a great season and a remarkable tournament. 125 - Nick Crume - 3rd Place 130 - Collin Crume - 2nd Place 285 - Eric Forrest - 4th Place Great job this season guys! Your hard work and dedications has paid off.

1. College rules for takedowns 2. Classing the Team State Tournament, not Individual

On behalf of Mark Kerrn and the Jimtown Wrestling Coaching Staff our thoughts are with all that were close to Coach Friedt. There are no finer coaches, fathers, husbands, and men. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Jimtown Folkstyle Wrestling Open Jimtown High School will be hosting a folkstyle wrestling tournament on February 28th. A few reminders about the tournament: There will be 2 ways to register and weigh-in for this event: 1.We will host an on site registration and weigh-in on February 27th from 5-7 p.m. Be sure you have your USA card with you. 2.A club may also fax (1-574-294-5596) or email (mkerrn@baugo.org) a list of their wrestlers. If you are faxing or emailing you must use the attached form and it must be typed. Once you send your list via email or fax we will send you a confirmation notice letting you know we received your list of entries. All emailed or faxed weigh-ins have to be sent by Friday, February 26th at 8:00 p.m. Please bring the confirmation letter with you on Sunday morning as we will not be accepting any registration or weigh-ins on Sunday morning. We will accept cash or club checks only when you arrive on Sunday Morning. We will bracket the tournament on Saturday night and we will not accept any wrestlers on Sunday morning. Please arrive by 8:30 and check the brackets to be sure your wrestler is in the correct age and weight division. We should be able to start the tournament at 9:00 sharp in two gyms on at least 12 surfaces. We will definitely need clubs to help with tables, please notify me if you have people in your club who are willing to help. Sattelite weigh in form can be found at www.iswa.com, or email dgaskill@baugo.org or mkerrn@baugo.org If you have any questions please contact Mark Kerrn (1-574-295-2343 ex 269 daytime, 1-574-850-5808 evening) or Dave Gaskill (1-574-322-1086).

What are we debating here, because many of us post about class but have different ideas. Is it... 1. No Class at all 2. Class the Team portion and leave the Individual the way it is 3. Class everything I love the class wrestling discussion, but which discussion are we having. If people supporting #1 are arguing with people from #3 this will go on forever. If #2 is the option we are talking about at least there is a middle ground. All of these posts about class wrestling and how many of us are even talking about the same team. Option #2 at least seems like a good middle ground to start the discussion from. I think even most CLASS Wrestling supporters like our individual tournament, how could you not!

The main goal of the smaller schools is to get better, build a stronger program, try and close that gap with the best schools in the state (big, medium, or small). One seemingly logical avenue (coming from a small school) would be to class the TEAM Portion only. It may draw more kids to wrestling if there is that chance to compete on a team that makes it into the state tournament, which in turn may help wrestling numbers. The more numbers, the better quality over the years as they develop which makes for more competitive rooms, more competetive teams, and better over all wrestling in Indiana. All schools no matter the size have quality kids if the work in the off season. The problem is how many quality kids can you get.

Do spring sports count- not as far as the wresting aspect is concerned. I don't think playing summer baseball helps a kid on the mat. Those spring sports are part of what makes the small schools vulnerable. Bigdanteague made the comment, "spring sports? spring is for freestyle" (not verbatim) The reality is that smaller schools or weak wrestling areas get hurt a bit more by this. We want all the kids to participate in freestyle/greco, but at small school it is easier for good athletes to shine in multiple sports. It is easier for a kid to make the baseball team at a 2a school than a 5a school because typically the talent pool (at least numbers to choose from) are much greater. Survival of the fittests. Everything the "big school" people are posting is accurate. Everything the "small school" people are posting are a reality. To answer the question of what we need to get better is....... Get as many kids in your freestyle/greco/folkstyle/summer wrestling programs. I personally think the best compromise is: - Keeping the individual portion the same. Most small school teams will even admit our individual state tournament is fine. -Classing the team portion. Most small schools can find 14 quality guys, the problem is finding 14 quality guys in 14 different weight classes. Lets get more kids wrestling either way!

At Jimtown we started this Monday and Wednesday in the evening. Our Junior High team is 6,7,and 8. We will keep this schedule until about Ind. Regionals, then we switch to everyday after school. It gives kids a chance to get into the room and learn some technique without running them through full practices every day. We combine our 4th and 5th grade club kids into this group. We try and keep these kids pumped up and it allows them to have something to look forward to. It makes for a nice transition from Club only into Jr. High.

Being a coach of Wrestling and helping out with the Jimtown football team, I can assure you that the coaching staffs (football/wrestling) respect the Penn programs much more than you may think. I know in wrestling we envy the opportunities Penn has with having so many wrestlers to choose from that can wrestle year round. We are always fighting baseball, track, etc. because at a small school a good athlete has more of an opportunity to shine in many sports. From the coaching side of the coin (I can not speak on behalf of the players and fans) just because Jimtown may have won state championships in year X or Y doesn't mean they thought they could beat Penn's or Warren Central's of the state...believe me...too much respect for the elite programs along with every other program. Jimtown is a school with alot of pride. The district is only a 3x6 mile rectangle (any kid we get in any sport is a blessing). The kids are very proud of their accomplishments. It is a school with alot of "school spirit." If there were not class football who knows if Jimtown would have won any state titles, but having the opportunity to be the best amongst schools your size has kept many kids coming out, kept the programs numbers and success up, and built a strong tradition (in our class). If wrestling were to have class for at least the team portion we might see our wrestling numbers go up. Kids just want the opportunity to compete and make a name for themselves. To be part of something. If the coaches from small schools had more kids to choose from, the smaller schools would become a more competetive group.

Agreed! Now what does your club do once season is over if you lose many of your kids to little league baseball/high school baseball, track, golf, etc... Do you just get those kids in the room when possible? If you are left with only a few kids do you keep your club running? Do you merge with another club?

103: Dominic Garrett- Jimtown :09 189: Dustin Chafin- Jimtown :10 130: Collin Crume- Jimtown : 10 112: Nick Crume- Jimtown :13