Lots and lots of ideas have been thrown around to improve the state dual championships. Maybe yours is better than mine. PERFECT! The purpose of this opinion article is to get ideas flowing and in the public arena. Comment below with your ideas.
1. The qualification system is flawed (at best). Coaches are responsible to rank the 16 or 24 best teams in the state based on information that is “sometimes” accurate but often filled with inaccuracies and mistakes submitted by schools via Trackwrestling. Coaches are also supposed to have a vast knowledge of all teams across the state? I can tell you with great confidence that a lot of coaches don’t even vote. If we don’t have 80%-90% participation it turns into a popularity contest. Combining the IWCOA, IAHSAA and media would be a great combination for future voting. Check out this poll.
IF you could change who sets the "official" Iowa dual team rankings who would you put in charge? #IAhswr
— Tony Hager (@hagertony) January 23, 2017
2. The timing of the championships ARE AWFUL. Held the day before the individual state tourney, making for some kids having to weigh in four days in a row in the name of convenience! What statement does this send to our wrestling community about weight loss and doing it the right way.
3. This cycles back to the first point. Make it a real playoff, similar to football, basketball or baseball. Take your top 32 teams. 16 in the east and 16 in the west in each class. IAHSAA can seed these 16 teams on each half. Take a week in early to mid January and call it playoff week. Tuesday night at four regional sites on each half the of the state, hold a quad (semis and finals). Win both your matches that night, you finish in the final four on your half of the state. Thursday night. ONE regional site of four teams on each half of state. Win both of those, guess what, you are in the finals! Saturday we get the FINALS which is East vs. West! Take your finalists from all three classes and hold a championship Saturday at chosen site! Maybe east host one year and west the next. This would be exciting, great timing, and an awesome way to approach these dual championships!
Weight allowance. Would be +2 each time or even +3. Instead of having it all in one week it could be split into two weeks. Travel, logistics are all going to be the first issue but it doesn’t seem to be an issue in any other sport this is just something new and work would need to be put in to figure it out.
Biggest question that came up was, what do teams that don’t make the playoffs do that week..simple answer…PRACTICE..most those programs not in the top 32 needed a break or some practice time anyway.
This is just one idea. Do you have an idea? Lets hear your thoughts in the comment section below or on social media. (Tweet @hagertony #IAhswr)
There needs to be a change. It’s a no brainer. North Carolina does it exactly how you describe it in the article. It’s a great set up. Anything would be better than the current flawed system.
It’s not quite fair per class system. 3A doesn’t have nearly as many teams. I dare say a 1A school could beat many 3A. And a 2nd place 2A school could beat all the others. I think the top 4 schools in each class one bracket. Top 2 in state individual points regardless of class have bye. Seed the rest by team points. I think this settles WHO really is the best period!
Wrestling should be divided into districts preseason for duals just like football. Then you can take the top two in each district to compete in the playoffs. This would allow for better marketing of our sport because even someone who has never watched the sport can understand district team standings and the importance of a dual. This would actually give duals meaning the people can understand. In 3A if you had districts of 8 teams and did double duals you could be finished in 4 weeks. In 2018 it could be something like Jan. 5,12,19,26. State duals is scheduled for Feb 14 so you would have 2 1/2 weeks to have the playoffs before the actual date the duals are scheduled for. Now I would still like to see the date moved, but I think that might be a harder sell to the state unless you can show them that they can line their pockets better another way.
East west not good idea so you get the finals the semi final round
I like your idea! I think taking the final 8. 4 from each side of the state let IHSAA seed them and have them wrestle in Des Moines on Saturday. This would allow a more true placing and lesson the controversy/complaining of the 2nd-4th place teams were from the same side of the state as 1st place but were beat out and those teams would have beat the team that got 2nd from the other side of the state. We are fortunate that the largest/Capital city is all but centralized in Iowa. Keep it there! Because at some point some would be traveling the 6 hours from river to river!
Move it back to cr the week after state
Yes! CR is the ideal venue!
Have heard the playoff week plan before. Think it is the best scenario. Except, I’d get rid of sectionals and use that week. Make it happen Tony.