crazyotto

Phenomenal tournament as usual. Congrats to the boys who stepped up and took the challenge. I know the results, overall, weren't as expected, however this is THE meatgrinder of the year. This is where Fargo champs go to die. No shame in losing in this event. As a matter of fact (well not really, just my opinion), a poor showing at Ironman is not necessarily indicative of a wrestler's ability. Carr lost two close ones. I saw the match w/ Heffernan. Carr kept it close which is saying a lot as Heffernan is expected to have a great year. Blackwell hung with Kolidzik who seemed a bit out of sorts both days. Although he did make the finals, so what do I know? I saw the last part of that match as the score was announced over the P.A. Another tough pill in consis for Blackwell. Blackwell will roll this year. Sorry to hear Cooper was injured, did not know that. He was the one KY boy I wanted to see the most. Hope he recovers soon. Ervin showed his mettle. Nice tournament. Two of his losses were to eventual champ and super-stud Dance, and 4th placer McClary. The bar has been raised, hope to see more entries next year. Mr Preusse, hopefully, took notice.

Indeed, Preusse has been a bit hesitant to invite KY wrestlers. So, not only did a few get invited they also got SEEDED! Very impressive. Good luck to all.

Is there a club program in place? If no, then get it started....................

Danishek will be a good test for Hamilton. Stephen will smoke Globke.

Could be right about that. A jump up of one class is probably a bit easier to assess.

Nice work Jayce!

Yes!

http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_21480647/prep-wrestling-2-time-champ-mark-hall-ii Thought some might find this interesting.

In my opinion, Kentucky is on the rise. Right now the trend is towards Minnesota, Wisconsin, adjoining states. The rise in popularity and high level of competition at both Clash and Cheesehead has given the powers that be cause to take notice. Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, California, Texas, Florida.....Take a look at the hometowns of the D1 collegiate All Americans. This will shed some light. The greatest factor holding Kentucky back is simply numbers, as in population. The recent growth of the sport has the state looking better than it has in a long time. Guys like Cooper that compete on a national level give the state credibility.

Agree with above. I brought it up because he is a great wrestler with ties to the area. In my opinion (granted I have followed him from a distance with no first hard or even second hand knowledge of any wrongdoing) he has used the rules to his advantage. This does not mean he broke any rules. Looking forward to the season. AV attends Clash and Cheesehead which receive good coverage. I'm sure Flo videos will be up.

Notre Dame College is loaded with strong Ohio talent. I don't know where they find the $$$, but they have a very impressive roster. There is more $$$ available outside of the D1 realm, this includes NAIA as well. Remember, D1 is limited to 9.9 (I think) schollies. So very few, if any, are on full athletic rides. Campbellsville (KY) has put together a nice program and has newer facilities.

Nice list, and I assume more to come!

Perhaps my "who really gives a crap" comment could have been better worded. We are all on the same pager here though. Wins and glory are fleeting. Trophies get dusty. The lessons learned are for life. I have not been associated with another sport that provides the opportunity for such great lessons that can be carried throughout your lifetime. I believe Forbes (?) ran a piece on the benefits of wrestling as it applies to the business world. This is the best sport in the world.

I've never heard a negative word about him.

I'm sure he would win a geography bee!!!

Awesome

I see where you are coming from and I agree with what you are saying. Kids need a discipline. Whether it be sports, music, etc. However, the greater point being made is that we are raising VEAL. We give kids "participation ribbons". The minimum GPA to be eligible is what, 2.0? I know that if I came home with straight Cs my arse would get whooped. There would be NO extracurriculars, as sports were looked upon as a priveledge when I grew up. Nowadays, I see folks complaining that they have to pay for little Johnny to play. It is an EXTRAcurricular, a priveledge. Back to topic. I wish the Halls all the best. Have they worked the system to their advantage? Sure. As long as Mark is happy and advancing academically and socially I see no problem with it. Whether he is or not I do not know.

Right on. Success at the amateur level is fleeting. Life is a long distance run. Enjoy the journey. Who really gives a crap about Jr Hi awards, or even high school for that matter. This passion we share for wrestling should be nothing more than a life lesson.

I was kidding in my coach G comment. The Wads coach goes by Coach G as many struggle with his last name. We are so fortunate to have so many top notch individuals giving so much of themselves to this great sport. I believe Colerain has hosted a Jordan camp in the past. It must be successful as they are offering one again.

Of course, you are referring to Gramuglia from Wadsworth. Right?!

Goebel has not wrestled at all, on football schollie. Not sure if he is a senior or perhaps a junior. All good points re: football benefitting wrestling.

I have not heard of any college wrestling coach encouraging/discouraging a wrestler from playing football. We all know of the benefits wrestling has on a football player. What are the benefits of football as it relates to wrestling? I would guess not much relative to what wrestling provides the football player. Personally, if I were a college wrestling coach I would not encourage a recruit to play football. I would not discourage it, but in no way would I want a recruit to risk major injury. As Ranger123 said above, the OSU staff loves the football player with wrestling experience. One of the most dominant HWTs to come out of Ohio is co-defensive coordinator Luke Fickell. In that vein, keep an eye on Garrett Goebel #53. Kid was a stud HWT from Montini Catholic, Illinois, I saw him win Ironman in 2007 in dominating fashion. He is starting D-line and captain for OSU. Sorry to get off on a tangent.

Wholeheartedly agree

Early bird discount ends Sept 1, get after it fellas!

Nice!