I don't think the qualifiers are the issue.... I think it's a decent concept, i think the planning of the events were not great. the main issues are as follows
1. Next to no promotion of the event when they knew along along they were having them and the dates they were having them.
2. The flyers for the event say $20 the cost is $30 for a qualifier and $40 for state, and $40 or so for a wrestling card. $110 to compete at MS state... Most likely only ELITE kids and the parents of those kids would want to pay that.
3. If the goal is to promote MS wrestling and get as many wrestlers as possible, run it like IHPO and the kids don't need cards. I will say, this is my first year coaching MS wrestling and the majority of my kids had never bought a usa card before this year. Most MS wrestlers wrestle in season and very little out of season (especially the big guys).
4. Right now Central has 17 126, south has 2 at 126... when the brackets are made for state they wont be full brackets even though there is enough kids at the qualifiers to fill state brackets.
Its not perfect, but regardless, we are taking our kids because we are wrestlers and wrestlers wrestle.