NPSmith

From my understanding, he is done wrestling but still in school at IU. However, I do not know if it was a release or a medical release(still get to keep his scholarship).

I don't understand how people in the state can put together 10+ teams to go to VA Beach or Disney but we can't fill the SB, Cadet, and Junior teams. I know the fact that they are FS/GR makes a difference but what else?
I'm not trying to start a major debate but it is disturbing to see 4 forfeits out there. It would be a major disappointment for my wrestler to be on a team that walks in with a 24 point deficit.
I know my son has let teams down by choosing not to or being unable to participate once or twice so I fully understand the many reasons that could keep someone from participating. That does not make it any less frustrating though.
Congrats to these young men that got out there to represent and put in work,

I don't understand how people in the state can put together 10+ teams to go to VA Beach or Disney but we can't fill the SB, Cadet, and Junior teams. I know the fact that they are FS/GR makes a difference but what else?
I'm not trying to start a major debate but it is disturbing to see 4 forfeits out there. It would be a major disappointment for my wrestler to be on a team that walks in with a 24 point deficit.
I know my son has let teams down by choosing not to or being unable to participate once or twice so I fully understand the many reasons that could keep someone from participating. That does not make it any less frustrating though.
Congrats to these young men that got out there to represent and put in work,

5th place out of 150+ teams is pretty impressive for an all IN team!   I believe that Team Kong United won the whole thing and that was their only loss.  Congrats to IN High Rollers Black!    Awesome job to all of the other boys that went out and represented IN on the other teams also.   It is a great way to start the Summer.

I echo everything that Joe said about the event.  Our wrestlers were treated like royalty leading up to the dual.  Lots of great wrestling and fan fair, BUT it was clear that we were wrestling a PA team, in a PA gym, with PA officials.  Jordan Vaughn had the takedown with about 1 second on the clock and they waived it off.  In another match the PA coach (with his wrestler holding onto a 1 point lead and on the run right in front of the coaches) screamed as loud as he could to his wrestler (with the ref right in front of him)... "get to the edge and stay there... get to the edge and stay there!!!"   They didn't even put it in code.   That seemed to be the strategy in a number of the matches in the Team IN vs PA undercard dual.  All-in-all a great event, but there would have likely been some different outcomes had that dual been wrestled on neutral ground.  The Indiana boys wrestled hard in a hostile environment.  It was a pleasure watching them in this showcase event. 

Why would this win over Pletcher be different than his last 2 wins over Pletcher?

Can't say this enough. Also, if you are a parent, please watch your children during the day, or at least check on them. I don't know how many were sneaking off into back hallways, jumping on stuff they didn't need to be on without a parent in site. If you can't watch them, please find someone to watch them while you attend. It is out of courtesy and respect to the school, the ISWA staff and volunteers.
 
I was coaching one of the last matches Saturday night in the main gym with the Cadets. I can't believe how much trash people leave sitting behind without putting it in a trash can. I know their are custodians paid to clean, but isn't it just common courtesy to throw your own mess away?

The Junior groups seem larger than usual which is great!   Did anyone else notice Nathan Walton's jump to 195?

Make sure you are looking at the 2016 blog posts.  The 2015 ones are not very far back.  I made the same mistake.

I've read through the thread, and the intention for switching the starting weight class wouldn't necessarily be to have the best match last.  The intention would be to give different weight classes the opportunity to experience more fan support. 

Just added some Andy Hughes fella to the roster, heard he is decent.

Except that mean mug he was trying so hard to put on in the intros.  I was dying watching him because he was almost straining to keep that serious mean face.  It is unnatural for him since he is almost always smiling.

Very nice.
 
Mr. Streck,
 
I am a fan of Indiana HS wrestling & wish nothing but the best for you. Even though I am one who has criticized your actions on this board, I want you to know that I do not believe those actions define you. You are human & as such will make mistakes. I know that I have & will again in the future. I will leave you with one thought - it is not your mistakes that define you, it is how you deal with those mistakes going forward that matter most. It is clear that you have dealt with this mistake extremely well.
 
One last thing - Congratulations on your 2nd title & good luck to you!

I think we take it for granted how highly anticipated a Red\Lee match-up is, being avid fans of the sport.  I also think it would have taken more than a short paragraph to explain the importance, especially considering Lee's accomplishments would need to be detailed to convey the challenge he poses.  Why even bring Lee into the narrative when there's no guarantee the two meet in the finals?
 
More likely than not, Doyle isn't even familiar with the importance of that potential match among hardcore wrestling fans and it really isn't an article aimed at the hardcore fan.

Amen. This is about Chad Red. Bringing Nick Lee into the article would have required way too much technical explanation. This was about 179-0 and getting more eyes on wrestling.
 
If Nick Lee pulls off the upset, then they have a second article to write that is set up by this article. If Chad Red wins the second article is confirmation of the first.
 
Seems like basic storytelling to me.

Yeah it wasn't a normal wrestling piece. I liked it. 
 
I don't mind that it didn't mention Lee, I think it now makes a great match even bigger.
 
Remember all win, lose, or draw lets celebrate these two kids, two of the greatest from Indiana of all time. While I'm excited about the match, I worry about the boo birds coming out. 

Ruberg and Warren in the ticket round?  That is just not right.

Hughes is as much as a lock as Streck is.

Rypel did not get taken down twice.   Rypel scored 3 takedowns and 2 escapes.   Jones scored 3 escapes, 1 takedown, and 1 penalty point.    They will see each other at least 2 more times and it could honestly go either way depending on which one decides to step it up the most.   Jones has come a long way and Rypel appears to be suffering a bit with the injury and weight cut. 

I don't post very often on this board.  To be honest I don't post at all but I follow it religiously just like I follow High School wrestling in Indiana.  It amazes me how quickly people want to overlook the accomplishments of Red.  He has nothing to prove to anyone and has beaten everyone that has stepped on the mat to face in High School and on the national stage (minus a few hiccups).  I take nothing away from Lee (who is an outstanding wrestler on the High School stage and nationally in his own right) but Red is ranked the number 1 wrestler in his weight class not only in the state but the nation for a reason.  I heard the same thing a few years ago when Micic and Lee were in the same weight class, "Micic is going to get beat by Lee"  Yet it didn't happen! Now a few are underestimating another good wrestler in a similar scenario in Chad Red.  Let this unfold on the mat I promise you the best wrestler will come out on top that day.  Both are outstanding wrestlers and deserve the high expectations that are bestowed upon them.  If this match does take place I look forward to it.  But neither wrestler has anything to prove to any of us.

I understand that some people are trolling. I guess you have the right to do that, if you please. But please be mindful that we are talking about a couple of high school kids here. Please do not bash either wrestler's courage or mental toughness.
 
Both wrestlers' have resumes that are shaping up in fashion for them to mentioned as some of the best wrestlers in Indiana history. Let's discuss their potential match up with the respect it deserves.
 
If this match up takes place and it isn't under the lights, it will be one of the biggest shams in IHSAA Wreslting history. I am all for a making a match like this the main event. If we can figure out a way to do so, I am all about a vote or petition. Maybe we could do something where fans voted the order of the weight classes in the championship match? It'd also be nice for the big guys to not have to go last and have half of the fans in Banker's Life already in their cars headed home.
 
Best of luck to Nick Lee, Chad Red, and everyone else at 132, especially all the seniors. I hope you all have a great state tournament run. Stay healthy, have fun, and leave it all out on the mat.

Nick, along with his coaches, parents and physicians decided to wrestle at team state.  As you know, team state is very important to Mater Dei. 
 
Nick is far from fully recovered and we really don't know when he will be "back".  We really appreciate the well wishes and those that encourage Nick to come back to the sport, but I know everyone wishes he only comes back when he is physically ready.  He has many years of wrestling in front of him and we do not want to risk those years.  Nick is doing everything he should be doing to make the quickest but most complete recovery.  His prognosis is very good but I do not want him to feel pressured to return before he is physically ready.
 
I hope this ends this discussion. Thank you again.  Chris Lee

I think the smarter move would be to extend the freestyle season a couple weeks, even have state after central regionals. That would get away from things like prom and give kids the opportunity to still hit up the national level events while also going to a few local ones too.
 
I like folkstyle state for cadets and juniors as it is a good event for JV kids or incoming freshmen to test the waters. It also gives some kids a little redemption if their season didn't end the way they wanted it to.

Many schools have been in session on Saturdays due to snow make up.  Is there any provision for these kids? 
 
I like the idea of attending a certain number of RTCs in order to qualify. 
 
I understand and appreciate the intent of this new rule.  It was slow to get out (at least for me) and will now mean that Indiana will have less participation in wrestling.  Not more. 
 
As an aside, I am not sure there is a real appreciation by some for those who do not live close to Indy.  I am certain those in the center of the state are tired of hearing this, but the cost and time associated with travel to Indy is significant.  I know our family travels to Indy at least 6 weekends a year for wrestling.  I think this type of mandate will cause (and is causing) less participation from outside Indy since many must travel to Indy to just qualify for state.   
 
In my humble opinion, we should try to make it EASY to go to freestyle/Greco state.  Beg people to come to state.  More participation the better.  Be inclusive not exclusive.  Give a state meet discount to kids that attend multiple local tourneys and clubs that bring multiple kids.  But don't exclude a kid because they (usually the parent) can't make it to two local tourneys. 

It sounds as if you are taking a thorough and systematic approach, which is good.  I don't think the answer is simple enough to be answered on a message board.  It's not as simple as academics vs. athletics as you know.  You definitely have to factor in the likelihood his path of study could change.  It may not seem like it now, but a change in majors, even multiple times is more common than not.  I don't think you can look past the quality of life issue as well.  Where will he more enjoy living for the next 4-5 years?  A college should not be chosen just for the parties, but college should be fun!  Where can he find the best balance?  Could there be additional connections made at the first school despite it not being perfect (at least for now) academically?  Could the major wrestling program help provide more alumni connections?  Or in his hoped field, would they even be necessary?  Would the city/state of the chosen school be more advantageous after graduation or is that a non-issue?
 
On the athletic side, how would he react if he goes to the top school and never becomes a varsity starter?  Will he handle the competition well in terms of how it affects his overall enjoyment of the school?  If things don't go well with wrestling, how will that affect the decision?  Will he regret not choosing one option if things don't work out?  Either way?
 
What about the size of the school and his comfort level with that?  I preferred a smaller school, but others may prefer the big university.  Does he like the general atmosphere of one school more than the other?  
 
Obviously, in a highly technical field, some of these issues may not matter as much.   I agree that long term academics is generally more important, but there has to be an overall balance.  An athlete that takes care of the academic side and uses his sport connections can open a wider path than one simply focusing on academics alone.
 
I'm sure you've thought about much of this, but hope it helps a little.