SharkBit

Al Smith set up and War Ready....who's ready to enjoy two days of great wrestling?

Since Graham Calhoun is the original example, if you were wrestling Plymouth and had a pretty good kid, possibly ranked at 152, everyone would expect to see that match.  If for some reason your kid did not wrestle that particular dual or was bumped up to wrestle 160 (for the good of the team) it may be perceived as a dodge?  Again being impartial to both sides of the argument....if you bump your kid to 160 and win (or lose) the dual by six or less...justified coaching move.
 

Back to topic...agree.  If a wrestler (or his coaches) are more concerned with win/loss record and/or ranking I believe it will undermine the achievement of goals.  Now to be totally objective...not everyone has the same goals.  For some it may be to qualify for Semi State, punch a ticket at State, place at State.  A great win/loss record or high ranking will still not help you achieve those goals.  If a wrestler's goal is to wrestle under the lights, the best way to achieve that is to have first hand knowledge of the other 15 guys in the state bracket!  It is rare to go undefeated, and  those that have ended their season without blemish, are the least likely to have ever "dodged" a match up to get there.  "Best way to make a name for yourself...is by taking someone else's name away"  aka  "if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best".  Great example is Jacob LaPlace-Mishawaka 138# who placed 4th at State as a freshman. Jacob had 13 losses on his record going into State.  The reason that Jacob placed that high as a freshman WAS the 13 losses.  That is what prepared him to reach his goal. And I've never heard anyone stick an asterisk next to that accomplishment with a note that says....yeah but he had 13 losses.  Is there a wrestler out there that will not admit that they have learned more from a tough loss than from an easy win?  From a fans standpoint, we respect a wrestler that steps up for a challenge...win or lose.

Back to topic...agree.  If a wrestler (or his coaches) are more concerned with win/loss record and/or ranking I believe it will undermine the achievement of goals.  Now to be totally objective...not everyone has the same goals.  For some it may be to qualify for Semi State, punch a ticket at State, place at State.  A great win/loss record or high ranking will still not help you achieve those goals.  If a wrestler's goal is to wrestle under the lights, the best way to achieve that is to have first hand knowledge of the other 15 guys in the state bracket!  It is rare to go undefeated, and  those that have ended their season without blemish, are the least likely to have ever "dodged" a match up to get there.  "Best way to make a name for yourself...is by taking someone else's name away"  aka  "if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best".  Great example is Jacob LaPlace-Mishawaka 138# who placed 4th at State as a freshman. Jacob had 13 losses on his record going into State.  The reason that Jacob placed that high as a freshman WAS the 13 losses.  That is what prepared him to reach his goal. And I've never heard anyone stick an asterisk next to that accomplishment with a note that says....yeah but he had 13 losses.  Is there a wrestler out there that will not admit that they have learned more from a tough loss than from an easy win?  From a fans standpoint, we respect a wrestler that steps up for a challenge...win or lose.

Back to topic...agree.  If a wrestler (or his coaches) are more concerned with win/loss record and/or ranking I believe it will undermine the achievement of goals.  Now to be totally objective...not everyone has the same goals.  For some it may be to qualify for Semi State, punch a ticket at State, place at State.  A great win/loss record or high ranking will still not help you achieve those goals.  If a wrestler's goal is to wrestle under the lights, the best way to achieve that is to have first hand knowledge of the other 15 guys in the state bracket!  It is rare to go undefeated, and  those that have ended their season without blemish, are the least likely to have ever "dodged" a match up to get there.  "Best way to make a name for yourself...is by taking someone else's name away"  aka  "if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best".  Great example is Jacob LaPlace-Mishawaka 138# who placed 4th at State as a freshman. Jacob had 13 losses on his record going into State.  The reason that Jacob placed that high as a freshman WAS the 13 losses.  That is what prepared him to reach his goal. And I've never heard anyone stick an asterisk next to that accomplishment with a note that says....yeah but he had 13 losses.  Is there a wrestler out there that will not admit that they have learned more from a tough loss than from an easy win?  From a fans standpoint, we respect a wrestler that steps up for a challenge...win or lose.

This is not to point out or criticize anyone just a thought and some feedback. Are people more worried about rankings, records etc than they are getting quality matchups. I understand moving people around for the team but I’m hearing so much about not wanting a loss etc. I love the fact our coaches don’t care who the opponent is, how you should dream about getting a crack at the 52-0 kid. I know my kid is so jacked about dreaming of getting to wrestle the number 1 kid in the country. Is Graham on Braydon Lees level....? Of course not. But the fact it makes him dream and work etc makes him better (by the way Brayton  is a great wrestler but even better kid). My point or question is what value does it do a wrestler to dodge a great kid? Many has to,d us were dumb for going 52. We look at it in a whole different way. I love when I see wrestlers and coaches wanting to wrestle the best. Our head coach ( Bob Read) has always said you need to dream of wrestl8ng the 52-0 kids. I think we’re putting too much on win loss records. That will take care of themselves when your wrestling better kids

South Dearborn has 5 freshman in the Varsity lineup, 

Got a interesting email from our IHSAA Comish today.  Wrestling numbers have increased dramitically this year.
SchYear    Gender    # Wrestlers    
2013-14          F               47               
2013-14         M             6372    
2014-15          F               50               
2014-15         M             6200    
2015-16          F               54    
2015-16         M             6042    
2016-17         F              114    
2016-17         M             5853    
2017-18         F              168    
2017-18         M             6825    

Warren central is young. Tonte and staff  had a squad when they arrived now they have some kids who been in the club coming up. 
 

2017 Chris Traicoff Memorial Wrestling Invitational Pairings
@Calumet High School, Gary, Indiana
Saturday, December 9, 2017
1st ROUND PAIRINGS
Top Bracket                                                                                     Bottom Bracket
#1) Cathedral vs. Lake Station                                                    #3) Crown Point vs. Munster
 
#8) Westfield vs. Lawrence North                                               #6) Southmont vs. South Bend Riley
 
 
#5) Mishawaka vs. Valparaiso                                                     #7) Franklin vs. Lowell
 
#4) Floyd Central vs. Calumet                                                     #2) Portage vs. Hanover Central
 
Factors taken into consideration in pairings were:
1)       The most recent Indiana Mat Team Rankings.
2)       Early results from the 2017-18 season, thus far, as reported on Indiana Mat or other available online media outlets.
3)       Fairly separating the best teams, so that each team has the best chance of seeking their own level in the placement rounds.
4)       Avoiding 1st round rematches from last year as well as any Conference, Sectional or Regional match-ups in Round #1.
 
 
                                                                               

#TheCountyTMZ is reporting....,  The #AvonYoungGunz has been starting up to 6 Freshman in their lineup. 106, 113, 120, 132, 138, 285. Giving them some valuable Varsity time in one of the toughest schedule in the State . 
 
 

If you don't know Joey Walker 152 from Mishawaka you will soon.  Sat out most of last year due to a football injury.  Skipped football this year and focused on popping cans of whoopa$$ on the weekends!  
Crossword puzzle clue: 6 letter word for hammer - Levitz 170 Prairie Heights.  If you see a Levitz in a fight with a bear, help the bear.  
195 & 220 will be fun to watch from the first match on Friday thru the final.  Gonna be a gauntlet.
275... I am very curious - no love for the Blazer from Elkhart   time will tell

Great event at the Penn Palace as two NAIA top ranked teams with a lot of Indiana talent faced off before a sizable crowd for Friday Night college wrestling in Mishawaka.  #6 ranked University of the Cumberlands knocked off #3 Indiana Tech in a pretty dominant performance 31-13.  Penn did a nice job of hosting the event and had a huge crowd on hand,  Mishawaka brought a great following north of the river to support former Cavemen Jake Sinkovics and Tristan Macri.  Saw John Glenn brought a bus, Jimtown had a pretty good size group, Riley was there in force and many others from the surrounding communities like Bremen and South Bend to support many of the Indiana boys.  Good dual with some great match ups.  15 of the 20 participants ranked nationally in NAIA.  Good example for some of the High School and younger guys to realize that NAIA offers a great option for those wrestlers that have the desire to compete at the next level.  It was a good night for wrestling and in particular Indiana wrestling!

As the competition commences for the 2017 year, I first want to say good luck to everyone involved as they embark on their season. Additionally, I just wanted to offer my help/assistance on the "always" important topic of academics (pun intended). After a few years away from the sport as I played football in college, it seems the issue of being a "student"-athlete has improved tremendously yet still may have its setbacks. As a kid, I was fortunate enough to have a support system of family, friends, coaching, etc. that always placed academics first. Nevertheless, I always found myself confused when I would see some of Indiana's top wrestlers drop out of their college of choice due to grades as these were some of the most physically tough guys that I knew. This is why I always disagreed with John Smith's illustrious quote of "once you have wrestled, everything else in life is easy" as these skills learned from the mat must also be "learned" to transfer to other areas of life including the classroom. Anyways, I digress and apologize for the long-winded message, but I am helping out at Yorktown before I start my job and want to offer my hand in helping anyone wanting to wrestle at the next level or simply just attend college. While I may be more versed with the football recruiting scene (I may be on the wrong forum), I still have had first hand recruiting experience that ranges from Big 10 to academic elite institutions (i.e. Harvard, Princeton, UChicago, etc.) to D3 colleges to Service Academies. I can answer questions in regards to different schools, ACT guides (what's the cutoff scores for certain schools, how to prepare etc.), tuition/financial aid concerns, and do my best to answer a plethora of other questions. Essentially, I learned a vast amount from Indiana wrestling and want to pay it forward to make sure every other kid has the opportunities they so desire. It has been absolutely awesome to see some of Indiana's best go to the likes of Duke, Brown, Northwestern, Michigan, West Point, among other schools. Let's get Indiana more represented at Harvard and Princeton now :). All jokes aside, this has been an incredible trend and let's keep burgeoning it. To coaches, let's put a significant focus on academics as it starts with you guys. Talk to teachers, set up hourly study tables after practice, obtain progress reports, reach out to college coaches, create highlights and send to colleges early. These are just a few easy things that are simply a function of time but will have tremendous returns on the back end. My name, number, and email are below. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any kind of questions. We can set up a meeting, phone call, Skype, etc. One of my favorite sayings is "if you're the smartest guy in the room, you're in the wrong room" so even if I don't know the answer, I will do my best to point you to the older/more experienced coaches in the state of Indiana. I apologize again for the length, but I wish everyone the best of luck in their journey this season! 
 
Chandler Carroll 
University of Chicago '18
(765) 617-8845
chandlerc@uchicago.edu
 

Great event at the Penn Palace as two NAIA top ranked teams with a lot of Indiana talent faced off before a sizable crowd for Friday Night college wrestling in Mishawaka.  #6 ranked University of the Cumberlands knocked off #3 Indiana Tech in a pretty dominant performance 31-13.  Penn did a nice job of hosting the event and had a huge crowd on hand,  Mishawaka brought a great following north of the river to support former Cavemen Jake Sinkovics and Tristan Macri.  Saw John Glenn brought a bus, Jimtown had a pretty good size group, Riley was there in force and many others from the surrounding communities like Bremen and South Bend to support many of the Indiana boys.  Good dual with some great match ups.  15 of the 20 participants ranked nationally in NAIA.  Good example for some of the High School and younger guys to realize that NAIA offers a great option for those wrestlers that have the desire to compete at the next level.  It was a good night for wrestling and in particular Indiana wrestling!

Kyle...prayers for you and your family.
Sincere condolences from the Sandefers and the entire Mishawaka Wrestling family.

Jake Sinkovics will be making his next stop on the Northern Indiana RTC tour tonight at Mishawaka.  Make sure you are here at 6:00 and ready to roll with the 3X All-American.  Enter through door L on the west side of the building.

Steve Balash from Hobart. Great guy that gave an 18 year old and a 1st year head coach in Middle School a lot of advice, practice tips, and an open room at Hobart to help my kids get better. Never had him as a coach, but it has been great competing against him now for 27 years.

Lisa and I had a great time last night.  Drove from Mishawaka to Kokomo to support our son's Middle School team in a Triple Dual and ended up scoring and running the clock.  What made it even more enjoyable was working with and talking to JD Minch who happened to be officiating.  Nice to catch up and reminisce with him.  While doing so he mentioned several guys from our area that don't seem to be able to step away any more than he can.  Guys like Henry Wilk, Jeff Colburn, the legend himself Al Smith.  Got me to thinking, earlier this week I saw Tom Dolly coaching at Grissom Middle School to add another.  We are blessed in Indiana at all levels to have individuals that have spent most of their lives advancing our sport.
 
I have always believed that the level of satisfaction and contentment that you are able to realize in your own life is a direct result in the difference that you make in the lives of others.  To the gentlemen mentioned....and many more....thank you for everything you do for our sport.  It was great seeing you last night JD!
 
Please share others that have inspired you with lifelong service.  I guess it hit me most watching one of your own transition into a new phase of giving back himself and realizing the impact that individuals like these had early on in that development.
Steve & Lisa Sandefer

We have met so many great families that have become great friends through this sport.  Wrestlers, coaches, officials and their families that became part of your journey as you became part of theirs.  Our own family did not always understand the commitment, the practices, the travel, the expense, the sacrifices that were made....but our wrestling family did.  Because they were making those same sacrifices.  State is a special time to catch up with our wrestling family and pick up right where we left off years ago.  The kids are grown and many still involved and giving back to the sport, just another confirmation the sacrifices were worth it and maybe we did something right!
 
Our time has come and gone and left us with so many precious memories, but for those in the arena now....remember to take the time and ENJOY every aspect of your journey with your family and your wrestler.  Good luck to all the participants and families that are taking a few extra steps in your journeys this weekend, for when you look back years later as we do now, you will realize how great this moment really is!  Look forward to seeing you all there.
Steve & Lisa Sandefer

We thought our time had come and passed also..... But as life moves forward and the grand babies have come, it looks like we are only a few years from starting the long journey again..... 

We have met so many great families that have become great friends through this sport.  Wrestlers, coaches, officials and their families that became part of your journey as you became part of theirs.  Our own family did not always understand the commitment, the practices, the travel, the expense, the sacrifices that were made....but our wrestling family did.  Because they were making those same sacrifices.  State is a special time to catch up with our wrestling family and pick up right where we left off years ago.  The kids are grown and many still involved and giving back to the sport, just another confirmation the sacrifices were worth it and maybe we did something right!
 
Our time has come and gone and left us with so many precious memories, but for those in the arena now....remember to take the time and ENJOY every aspect of your journey with your family and your wrestler.  Good luck to all the participants and families that are taking a few extra steps in your journeys this weekend, for when you look back years later as we do now, you will realize how great this moment really is!  Look forward to seeing you all there.
Steve & Lisa Sandefer

Wawasee program....agreed!  Commented at Regionals and again at Semi State about the how impressive these guys were wrestling.  Well prepared, aggressive and passionate.  Great Job Coaches!!

Eleven years ago we were the center of controversy and criticism as a result of a family decision to build a new home that happened to be in the School City of Mishawaka district.  Previously we lived in Penn District a mere three miles distance.  This was not a spur of the moment process, it was in process for six months.  During that six months we told NO ONE of our intentions.  We contracted the construction and bought the land for our new home, leased temporary housing (within the SCM boundaries) and contracted for the sale of our home in Penn Twp. During this time I also sent all of the information of our move: current address, temporary address and final address once the home was complete, with time frame to Blake Ress at IHSAA.  There was no formal ruling at that time he simply confirmed that we were meeting ALL of the requirements of a BONA FIDE FAMILY MOVE according to the guidelines established by the IHSAA.  Six months later, in one weekend we vacated our home (moved absolutely every item)  and moved into our temporary townhome while the new house was completed.  Monday morning after moving, I again emailed Blake Ress and the IHSAA to keep them comprised of our progress.  AT THIS TIME I also CC'd the Atheletic Director at Penn High School Ben Karasiak all of the correspondence that had b previously been sent to Mr. Ress and the IHSAA.  Approximately around 11am I went to Penn High School and filled out the appropriate paperwork to dis-enroll Steven from Penn. From Penn I drove directly to Mishawaka High School and enrolled Steven at MHS.  Next I stopped in to the Athletic Office and spoke with Athletic Director Kirby Whitacre to discuss the appropriate process for Athletic Transfer procedure.  KEEP IN MIND, UP TO THIS POINT....NO ONE OUTSIDE OF OUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY KNEW WE WERE LEAVING PENN....AND NO ONE KNEW WE WERE COMING TO MISHAWAKA. So Mr. Whitacre was very professional but I must admit the look on his face was priceless when I walked in that morning.  The request for release paperwork was faxed to Penn and I left.  Before I got back to my office which is only 10 minutes from the High School, my phone rang and I saw that it was Mr. Whitacre.  He informed me that he had just received a fax from Mr Karasiak from Penn....signing off on the athletic transfer.
This is the first time I have shared this publicly in eleven years.  My point for sharing this now is to possibly help someone that may consider a move or transfer in the future.  I don't know the circumstances of the Moran's, but sure don't like to see kids not being able to do what they love.  So the advice for everyone else....is simply do it the right way.  Meeting all the requirements of a bona fide family move is as close to a 100% guarantee you can get in this situation.
To all of those that mention, said or whispered that we moved purely for athletic reasons....Steven was at MHS three short years......eleven years gone by and we still love our Mishawaka home and community.  As a family we continue to support our Mishawaka Schools, all of the atheltic teams and extra curricular student activities.  We moved to Mishawaka to be part of this community, and proudly are!
Best wishes for the Moran boys, hope to see both back on the mats.
Steve & Lisa Sandefer

Eleven years ago we were the center of controversy and criticism as a result of a family decision to build a new home that happened to be in the School City of Mishawaka district.  Previously we lived in Penn District a mere three miles distance.  This was not a spur of the moment process, it was in process for six months.  During that six months we told NO ONE of our intentions.  We contracted the construction and bought the land for our new home, leased temporary housing (within the SCM boundaries) and contracted for the sale of our home in Penn Twp. During this time I also sent all of the information of our move: current address, temporary address and final address once the home was complete, with time frame to Blake Ress at IHSAA.  There was no formal ruling at that time he simply confirmed that we were meeting ALL of the requirements of a BONA FIDE FAMILY MOVE according to the guidelines established by the IHSAA.  Six months later, in one weekend we vacated our home (moved absolutely every item)  and moved into our temporary townhome while the new house was completed.  Monday morning after moving, I again emailed Blake Ress and the IHSAA to keep them comprised of our progress.  AT THIS TIME I also CC'd the Atheletic Director at Penn High School Ben Karasiak all of the correspondence that had b previously been sent to Mr. Ress and the IHSAA.  Approximately around 11am I went to Penn High School and filled out the appropriate paperwork to dis-enroll Steven from Penn. From Penn I drove directly to Mishawaka High School and enrolled Steven at MHS.  Next I stopped in to the Athletic Office and spoke with Athletic Director Kirby Whitacre to discuss the appropriate process for Athletic Transfer procedure.  KEEP IN MIND, UP TO THIS POINT....NO ONE OUTSIDE OF OUR IMMEDIATE FAMILY KNEW WE WERE LEAVING PENN....AND NO ONE KNEW WE WERE COMING TO MISHAWAKA. So Mr. Whitacre was very professional but I must admit the look on his face was priceless when I walked in that morning.  The request for release paperwork was faxed to Penn and I left.  Before I got back to my office which is only 10 minutes from the High School, my phone rang and I saw that it was Mr. Whitacre.  He informed me that he had just received a fax from Mr Karasiak from Penn....signing off on the athletic transfer.
This is the first time I have shared this publicly in eleven years.  My point for sharing this now is to possibly help someone that may consider a move or transfer in the future.  I don't know the circumstances of the Moran's, but sure don't like to see kids not being able to do what they love.  So the advice for everyone else....is simply do it the right way.  Meeting all the requirements of a bona fide family move is as close to a 100% guarantee you can get in this situation.
To all of those that mention, said or whispered that we moved purely for athletic reasons....Steven was at MHS three short years......eleven years gone by and we still love our Mishawaka home and community.  As a family we continue to support our Mishawaka Schools, all of the atheltic teams and extra curricular student activities.  We moved to Mishawaka to be part of this community, and proudly are!
Best wishes for the Moran boys, hope to see both back on the mats.
Steve & Lisa Sandefer