Mark Maldonado

The second Feature Clinician is confirmed!
 

KATHERINE SHAI
2019-20 Team USA Ranking: No. 2 at 53 kg/116.5 lbs.
Years on Team USA: 6 (2009-10, 2012-15, 2016-17, 2019-20)
Residence: Denver, Colo.
Club: Titan Mercury WC
Regional Training Center: Northern Colorado WC
College: Menlo College
High School: El Granada, Calif. (Half Moon Bay)
Born: May 26, 1988
Height: 5-5
Past Age-Group World Teams
2008 University Worlds (gold at 51 kg)
Career Notes:
2019 Final X runner-up
2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion
Third in 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
Second in 2014 World Team Trials
2016 Dave Schultz Memorial International champion
Second in U.S. Open (2009, 2013, 2014, 2019)
2008 World University champion
Two-time WCWA Nationals champion for Menlo (2009, 2010)
2010 WCWA Wrestler of the Year
2020: Third in Matteo Pellicone Ranking Tournament (Italy)… Third in U.S. Open (Dec. 2019)…
2019: Fourth in Bill Farrell Memorial International… Fifth in Olympic Test Event (Japan)… Seventh in Poland Open… Final X runner-up… World Team Trials Challenge Tournament champion… Second in U.S. Open…
2016: Third at U.S. Olympic Team Trials… Eighth in Klippan Lady Open (Sweden)… Dave Schultz Memorial International champion… Third in Guelph Open (Canada)… Sixth in U.S. Open…
2015: Second in Mongolia Open… Fifth in Klippan Lady Open (Sweden)… Third in Dave Schultz Memorial International… World Cup team member…
2014: Second in Bill Farrell International… Second in U.S. World Team Trials… Second in U.S. Open… Second in Grand Prix of Paris… Second in Dave Schultz Memorial International…
2013: Fourth in New York AC International… Third in U.S. World Team Trials… Second in U.S. Open…
2012: Second in U.S. World Team Wrestle-Off… Third in U.S. Olympic Team Trials… Fourth in U.S. Open…
2011: Fourth in Sunkist Kids International Open… Third in Dan Kolov International (Bulgaria)… Second in Guelph Open…
2009: Third in Hargobind International (Canada)… Third in U.S. World Team Trials… Second in U.S. Nationals… Fourth in Dave Schultz Memorial International…
2008: Second in New York AC Holiday International… World University champion… Third in U.S. Nationals
College: Attended Menlo College, coached by Lee Allen, her father… 2009 and 2010 WCWA Nationals champion… Third in 2008 WCWA Nationals… Fourth in 2007 Women’s College Nationals… Named WCWA Wrestler of the Year in 2010…
High School: Attended Half-Moon Bay High School... Coached by Lee Allen…
Awards: Outstanding Wrestler at 2016 Dave Schultz Memorial International… 2010 WCWA Wrestler of the Year
Personal: Daughter of the late Lee Allen and Joan Fulp… Lee competed for the U.S. Greco-Roman Team in the 1960 Olympic Games, and the freestyle team at the 1956 Olympics… Lee was also coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Greco-Roman team... Lee is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame… Joan was 2019 USA Wrestling Woman of the Year… Katherine’s maiden name was Fulp-Allen… Has one sister, Sara, who is a past National Team member.… Married Mike Shai on Sept. 27, 2014…Mike and Katherine have a boy child…
Instagram: @fulpallenwrstlg
Website: fulpallenwrestling.com

At Hobart, we have a sports mural in our field house. Previously, Hobart had 21 sports represented in this mural. With the addition of girls wrestling, and boys volleyball there had to be additions to the mural. Girls wrestling on our sports mural forever. Even better that the art is based off Hobart's first ever girls wrestling state placer, Keirys Click. 

I'm pretty sure I've posted this idea on here before, but here it is again...
 
Let's start with some IHSAA philosophies, since they are the ones ultimately making the decision.  Bobby Cox and company don't like "wrestlebacks" so this is something different.  They are used to the one-and-done postseasons of football and basketball and have asked the wrestling coaches how many times someone should be allowed to lose and still move on.  Our answer should be 2 - double elimination.  The IHSAA views all 4 weeks as one big tournament.  So, make the whole thing as close to double elimination as possible, like every other wrestling tournament in the world.  That means we should guarantee that someone has lost twice in the tournament series or lost once to someone who has already lost twice (i.e., 4 over 1).  Right now, there are 2 times when this does not happen.  One is the pigtail round of Sectionals, which should be fixed by not pairing unseeded wrestlers against the top seeds.  The only other spot that happens is the ticket round of Semi State, where an undefeated postseason wrestler can lose to someone with 1 postseason loss.  That's what this solution will fix.  The IHSAA also doesn't believe in upsets.  They believe whoever wins must be the better wrestler.  We cannot use any upsets as examples, because in their minds upsets do not happen.  But if we can show them the fundamental flaw in their system that can be easily fixed with minimal effort, it has a much better chance of passing.  And finally, the IHSAA likes to make more money and loves it's own ideas.  This fix appeals to both of those philosophies, as well.
 
And now for the idea...
Qualify the top 5 out of each Semi State.  Several years ago, the IHSAA had one year when they added matches to 5th place, but it was only for team score purposes.  We bring back the IHSAA's own idea, so the ticket round losers pair up at the same time as the semifinals, and those winners wrestle for 5th at the same time as the 1st and 3rd place matches (like they do on Saturday of State).  If your SemiState ran the semis on 2 mats, then this would take no extra time.  If your SemiState ran the semis on 4 mats, then this would add about 45 minutes to the tournament.  This year, New Castle was done around 6pm with 10 minute breaks between rounds and a 30+ minute lunch break.
 
State will then have 20 per weight class, which will be more fans/money for the IHSAA without watering down the state tournament.  Pair up the 4's versus 5's for an opening round on Friday night before the usual first round.  Banker's Life can easily hold 6 mats to actually make Friday night go quicker.  Details about the 20-man state bracket can be worked out later, but there would definitely be some exciting 4v5 and 5v1 matches on Friday night.
 
Again, these would not be "wrestlebacks" - they are 5th place matches.  They are not meant to give kids who lost (or got upset or had a bad match) an extra chance.  This just fixes a systemic flaw in the "double elimination" of the tournament series overall.  If the Coaches' Association proposes it like this, it would have a better chance of being approved by the IHSAA.
 
A couple of additional benefits to this would be having a true alternate (6th place finisher) and more accurate team scores.

Beep beep. 
I’ll remind all of you what EdP, Northside Indy, and Hamilton County deal with in spades: Vaginitis. Little Johnny doesn’t get a bloody nose perhaps in his whole life unless he wrestles. No bike or skateboard accidents....they’re in the basement playing Fortnight. They’re on the iPad getting an allowance to make their bed.
The Carmel life is real and it’s an epidemic. I fight it daily with some youngster programs, but the struggle is real with these middle class kids. Kopnisky finally threw in the towel at Carmel. Most of the north side Indy schools are grinding to keep kids in the sport. Lacrosse, boys’ volleyball, and a slew of other sports are decimating wrestling. The CYO in Indianapolis has added 140 boys’ volleyball teams in competition with wrestling in the last 3 years. So, CoachP and many of us in Indy are marketing our asses off to preserve the sport. It might feel good for “The County” and the Indy County teams, but it is an assault to the sport. 
We’ll make it at Cathedral because we’ll find great, committed kids. However, I fear for the 75 kids in K-4 that end up prancing off to volleyball in 5th grade. Give me a violin, perhaps, but our sons are getting weaker. It pisses me off.