BrokenTowelRack

Anyone feeling so inclined can make a donation to Steve's family to cover his funeral expenses at the link below.  Steve was a great man with a kind heart who loved wrestling.  He meant a lot to many in the Northwest Indiana officiating circles.  He will definitely be missed.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/wmp38s-cover-my-dads-medical-bills

Didn't make much sense to me that Heartland Duals (Folkstyle) and USAW Folkstyle Nationals counted as a qualifier but the UWW 15U Freestyle Trials in Omaha didn't count (even though the UWW Junior Nationals counted as did the UWW Cadet Pan Am Trials a.k.a. FloNationals).  Sent several emails and text messages back and forth to @dstruck on this, who said he agreed and would follow up with me on this after he spoke with the ISWA, but he quit responding to my requests.  Any good reason from anyone in the know with the ISWA that this event didn't count?

Hendricks County Middle School (03/12 - 03/13/2014)
    85 (1st)
        Quarterfinal - Asa Garcia (Danville) 19-0 won by forfeit over Forfeit (Brownsburg West) 0-1 (For.) 
        Semifinal - Asa Garcia (Danville) 19-0 won by tech fall over Jaxson Thomas (Plainfield) 9-5 (TF-1.5 3:52 (16-1)) 
        1st Place Match - Asa Garcia (Danville) 19-0 won by decision over Brayden Mahan (Brownsburg East) 22-7 (Dec 7-0) 

Southmont Jr High Conference 2014 (03/15 - 03/15/2014)
    85 (1st)
        Quarterfinal - Asa Garcia (Danville) 19-0 received a bye () (Bye) 
        Semifinal - Asa Garcia (Danville) 19-0 won by fall over Gavyn Warren (Northridge ) 13-6 (Fall 1:48) 
        1st Place Match - Asa Garcia (Danville) 19-0 won by tech fall over Zack Brown (Southmont) 20-6 (TF-1.5 0:00 (19-4)) 

Grizzly Ironman Folkstyle (04/21 - 04/21/2013)
    Schoolboy/Schoolgirt - 77 (1st)
        Quarterfinal: Asa Garcia (Danville) over () (Bye) 
        Semifinal: Asa Garcia (Danville) over Dalton Craig (Dupont) (Dec 5-2) 
        1st Place Match: Asa Garcia (Danville) over Andrew Black (New Castle) (Dec 3-0) 

No doubt Slivka and Rodgers had ties to Catholic school before Cathedral.  A clarification could also be made for Littell, as he went to Center Grove in elementary and middle school before enrolling at Perry and then transferring back to CG.

My point is that people move around and this does not in any way diminish how special it is for these 8 kids to win a state championship, as the poster from Chesterton alluded to.  Everyone is doing what is best for their family.  Whether that is Slivka moving from Shenandoah back to Cathedral, Rodgers listing Noblesville as his home on his Trackwrestling profile and attending Cathedral, or Littell going back to CG after a short stint at Perry.

My point is each family should do what they think is best for their kid, both in what school to attend and what grade to enter in.  A few kids moved and a few kids are a little older.  Who cares?  Everyone is just trying to do what is best for their own families.  Best of luck to all these kids.  Many talented kids in this class.

I think that annually this is one of the silliest topics on the message board, where instead of making it about the impact freshmen, we see venom from people who are angry that some of these families moved to another district for a better opportunity in life for their child.  I can assure you that the following 8 kids did not feel any less "SPECIAL" when they got their hand raised Saturday night because they did not win for their original community or first high school:

Brennen Cernus- Columbus, OH

Jacob Moran- Crown Point

Brayden Littell- Perry Meridian

Jesse Mendez- Lake Central

Asa Garcia- Danville

Elliott Rodgers- Noblesville

Jordan Slivka- Shenandoah

Nick South- Jennings County

Additionally, I think the "redshirt" argument is way overdone.  As the poster above mentioned, one kid could be born in July and the other in August of the same year and they will be in different grades.  If the parent of the kid who is born in July holds their child back, they are one month older and now in the same grade as the kid born in August.  Not much of an advantage.  I think it is more telling to go through the list of 12 kids and see what year they are on the USA Wrestling calendar as they finish up middle school.  This paints a much better picture.

Lemley- 1st year Cadet

Schoeff- 1st year Cadet

Purdy- 1st year Cadet

Frazier- 2nd year Cadet

Carroll- 2nd year Cadet

Gilbert- 1st year Cadet

Lowery- 1st year Cadet

Goin- 1st year Cadet

Goodwin- 2nd year Cadet

Steenbeke- 1st year Cadet

Jones- 1st year Cadet

Willems- 1st year Cadet

They are available in the TIKATAP app, though only 1 session at a time.  I don't see an option to buy all sessions.  You can download the app on your phone and purchase them in app by searching for IHSAA.  They look to be $8 per session and there is an $0.80 fee per session for buying in the app.

I'm honored to be nominated.

I nominate:

My Sidekick from Day 1:   TorchedChair

Blake Harner Super-Fan:  Robbie Newkirk

MisterHappyPantz

"Who Should Keep the Bus Running"-   HOWDOG75 

Friday and Saturday, December 29th and 30th.

I was only a 3x Semi-State Champion (freshman, junior, and senior).  Missed sophomore year to shoulder surgery.  

I actually won more semi-states than regionals.  Only a 2x Regional Champion, freshman and junior year. (sophomore year was the shoulder surgery and a loss to Cosgrove senior year)

Bradbury lost to Ramos 13 times and he was winning 6 of them in the third period.  

 

This week is always a good time to talk about a great ticket rd match.  Bradbury vs Birge.  Andrew put it on youtube last year:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCJvKleM5ow

Thanks for sharing!  One of the most memorable matches I've ever seen at the Merrillville Semi-State.  It definitely left a lasting impression on 10 year old me at the time.

I scored it 13-12 for Bradbury.  Is that what everyone else had?

Who remembers this....

http://indianamat.com/index.php/topic/43859-seed-this/

#TeamBCA

#BaptistBeaters

Would have to go with the Harvest Classic. Can't beat the Pepinos sausage and homemade giardinarra.

Another excellent choice.

Last season was no contest.  It was a landslide victory for Lafayette Harrison's War on the Wabash.

This year, however, without the Oreo pudding at Harrison, I've got to give the nod to the Lake County Tournament at Hanover Central due to the roasted garlic potatoes.

Congratulations to a great kid who is very deserving of this honor!  I'm sure he will continue to make Indiana proud at the next level and beyond.

Greg Wagner- Fort Wayne Snider

https://www.amazon.com/2015-16-NFHS-Wrestling-Rules-Book-ebook/dp/B015ENSZ04/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1445440804&sr=1-6

This is last years..

Since I couldn't find my Region Rat t-shirt (thinking one of the ex-girlfriends stole it) I figured I'd wear the next best thing this weekend to identify as a proud member of the 219. Look for me in the DITKA t-shirt on Saturday.

Is Suite 33 in the upper level of suites?

It looks like the lower level suites are numbered 1-28...

Not exactly a fair comparison..

When you finish top 25 out of 77 wrestling schools, you're in the top 32.5%

When you finish top 25 out of 128 FBS football schools, you're in the top 19.5%

When you finish top 25 out of 351 basketball schools, you're in the top 7.1%

All told, finishing in the top 25 in the final basketball poll is the equivalent of a top 5 finish in the NCAA wrestling tournament.  This would and does pay any head coach a nice bonus.

Gabe Dean is wrestling with 2x NCAA Champion and 4x All-American Damion Hahn everyday and spent his first 2 years in Ithaca as a workout partner to NCAA Champions Cam Simaz and Steve Bosak.  That doesn't hurt.

Thanks,

Good stuff on here.

Tom,

Any way to get a copy of the PowerPoint presentation and video examples for those who cannot attend?

Thanks!