Minnesota High School To Vote On Eliminating Weight Classes

Champ Kind · 10-16-2007, 01:11 PM

Rick, heavyweight is 285 now!

1987 was the last time 98lbs was a weight in high school and that was 20 years ago. People are very different now and kids are hitting puberty earlier, therefore there are less lighter weights. I know if we had a 103lber last year he would have had 10-12 wins by forfeit.

I wouldn't be too upset if they dropped one weight class and went to 13, so we didn't have so many silly tiebreaker rules when we have a tie.

My ideal 14 weight classes would be.
108, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 146, 152, 160, 171, 180, 189, 215, 285

Basically make 103lbs into 108lbs and then in the middleweights make it a difference of 6lbs and cut out one weight class and add it at 180lbs.

chattwrestler87 · 10-16-2007, 08:23 PM

i have to agree with goherfan on this one. minnesota's had some spectacular lightweights come about recenly...it isn't broken so let's not tamper with it..

goferphan · 10-19-2007, 09:08 PM

Champ,

I am not a fan of trying to find four guys in the upper weights from 180, 189, 215 and 285...I think growing up we had a harder time filling those holes than the lower weights.

I

therick · 10-22-2007, 11:59 AM

http://http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/rglts/WR06-07.pdf

The weights are on the 2nd or 3rd page

I did see what you're talking about on the national website about it going up to 285. OHSAA has either not updated their website or aren't implementing it this year. I guess we'll see.

My point being that the increase of 10lbs. will help those wrestling coaches who are recruiting a football lineman to fill that spot.

Champ Kind · 10-22-2007, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by goferphan

Champ,

I am not a fan of trying to find four guys in the upper weights from 180, 189, 215 and 285...I think growing up we had a harder time filling those holes than the lower weights.

I

Start lifting your kids during the winter and you'll have an abundance of them. Football kids want to lift weights in the winter, but if a wrestling coach is preaching cutting weight and no weights it will be harder to find kids that size. Its also a lot easier for me to find a 180lb kid than a 103lb kid, that is for sure.

Champ Kind · 10-22-2007, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by therick

http://http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/rglts/WR06-07.pdf

The weights are on the 2nd or 3rd page

I did see what you're talking about on the national website about it going up to 285. OHSAA has either not updated their website or aren't implementing it this year. I guess we'll see.

My point being that the increase of 10lbs. will help those wrestling coaches who are recruiting a football lineman to fill that spot.

I don't know how much it will help, but with college football coaches wanting their linemen 300lbs, the 285lb weight class will help get those bigger athletes out. Last year was the first for the 285lb weight class and from my experience in Ohio, they don't catch on to things very fast. I heard they didn't have electricity until the 1990's.

graduated · 10-22-2007, 12:35 PM

Champ kind, just because something may be easier for you or your school to find, it's not that way for every school. Back when I was in High School, we actually had a harder time finding bigger kids that wanted to wrestle. I believe that my junior year was the first year that MN added the 215 weight class and we had no one to fill it.We had our heavyweight at the time cut to 215 and then throw an inexpirenced JV HWT out on the mat, which often resulted in 6 for the other team (which last time i checked was the same amount a team got for a forfeit). And please don't downgrade the ability of our wrestlers. Just because you may think that the ability of a 7th or an 8th grader may not be up to par with a junior or a senior doesn't mean it's true. It's your oppinion. I would rather watch Destin or Eric wrestle than alot of juniors and seniors.

Champ Kind · 10-22-2007, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by graduated

Champ kind, just because something may be easier for you or your school to find, it's not that way for every school. Back when I was in High School, we actually had a harder time finding bigger kids that wanted to wrestle. I believe that my junior year was the first year that MN added the 215 weight class and we had no one to fill it.We had our heavyweight at the time cut to 215 and then throw an inexpirenced JV HWT out on the mat, which often resulted in 6 for the other team (which last time i checked was the same amount a team got for a forfeit). And please don't downgrade the ability of our wrestlers. Just because you may think that the ability of a 7th or an 8th grader may not be up to par with a junior or a senior doesn't mean it's true. It's your oppinion. I would rather watch Destin or Eric wrestle than alot of juniors and seniors.

You mentioned two middle schoolers out of how many? For every middle school wrestler you would rather watch I can mention 50 juniors or seniors. Those two are prodigies that don't come along every year, they are the EXCEPTION, not the rule.

As far as not being able to find big kids vs. small kids. It is 10X easier to find a 103lber when you have two extra grades to search for one. There were probably 15 kids in middle school last year that wrestled that could have made 103lbs for us. Kids are hitting puberty earlier than they were just 10 years ago and it is harder to find a 103lb 15 year old kid, let alone finding one that is 17 or 18 years old. Look at the brackets for Fargo and tell me how many Cadets are at 105lbs and below compared to 130-152lbs.

If your school has a football team you can find upper weight kids. Its not hard to have a good relationship with the football coach if you lift your kids in the winter. Its a simple way to get on the football coach's good side and trust me it works pretty well!

graduated · 10-22-2007, 01:08 PM

You're location says you're in LA, so why do you care so much for MN high school weight classes? If were (MN) consistantly able to find kids that are able to wrestle at a high level in our state, why should we change it? Obviously they are the exception but if we eliminate the 103 lb weight we wouldn't have been able to see both of them last year, and may not have even been able to see Destin till last. I can think of many kids that we wouldn't have been able to see without that class.

And as for getting football kids out, if you go to a fairly big high school, where football is the popular sport it's not as easy as you say it is to getting them out for wrestling. My varsity wrestling coach was also the assistant football coach at the highschool, yet he could hardley get any of the bigger football players to STAY out for the team due to the a. hard work (not trying to disrespect any football players work ethic) b. lack of ability, or c. other commitments- whether it be football scholarships, track and field, etc. There's probably the same amount of Trevor Laws as there are Destin McCauleys.

Champ Kind · 10-22-2007, 04:39 PM

If you go to a fairly big high school you have more kids to choose from and don't have to rely on many football players to wrestle.

Who really cares where I am from? It has NOTHING to do with what is being discussed.

Minnesota High School To Vote On Eliminating Weight Classes

High School Wrestling