News September 2003

Huskerland Wrestling Changes for 2004

1.         Camp Team Insurance Program Adjustments

     * We have made some changes that we feel will make things easier:

A.        All payments for club dues, tournament sanctions, season coverage, and one day coverage to be mailed to our Office Manager, Linda Hill.  No payments will be made out to Camp Team this year.  All checks will be made out to Huskerland Wrestling this year.

B.         Clubs will pay one fee that covers both Huskerland dues and Camp Team club sanction.  Note the dues have been increase to $60 to include the Camp Team sanction.  Actually clubs will be paying $5 less than last year when you paid $40 to Huskerland and $25 to Camp Team.  Note only the clubs that pay dues will be mailed the state meet entry forms in March that have the $15 entry fee.

C.        Wrestlers not belonging to a Huskerland/Camp Team Club will not be able to get season coverage.  We get very few wrestlers attending the Huskerland State Meet from Non-Huskerland Clubs anyway but feel those wrestlers caused Camp Team most of their calls.  They can still enter the state meet with the Non-Huskerland entry form and we will just pay the one day coverage fee on them.  Note the Non-Huskerland entry fee will be $25.

D.        Wrestlers and Coaches will not be given Insurance Numbers this year.  The new system doesn’t have Insurance Numbers but have created a makeshift number by giving each club a “Club Number” and each wrestler a “Roster Number”.  We have also given each coach a “Roster Letter”.  The “Club Number” and the “Roster Number” we feel will be very helpful for keeping track of everything for Linda, Darrell, Fred, and Camp Team.  Note you will be able to enter wrestlers from only your club that have Roster Numbers.

E.         Club Directors won’t need to call to see if their wrestlers have got coverage.  By just putting completed rosters in the mail with payment they know coverage is in force.  Coverage begins one day after the postmark date.  Linda Hill will record the postmark date on the roster form when she opens the mail.  Clubs will also be given roster update forms for move ins and wrestlers that come out later.  Season Coverage for wrestlers and coaches will still be $5.  Coverage will end on April 11, 2004.

F. Clubs will be required to send $25 Tournament Sanction Fee before we post their on our website calendar this year.  Shouldn’t have the problems we had with clubs posting their events on our website but not requiring Camp Team coverage for their event.  Also have made it clear that all sanctioned events must require all wrestlers to have or obtain Camp Team coverage to enter their meet.  One Day Coverage for wrestlers and coaches not having season coverage will be $2 each.

G.        Club Directors should carry copy of Roster Form/Roster Update Form as their proof that their club has Camp Team Coverage for all their wrestlers.  Camp Team is not going to post names on their website and we won’t on our website either.  On our website we will have which clubs have paid dues and paid the tournament sanction along with the number of wrestlers with season coverage and the number of coaches with season coverage that they have paid for.  We will also post assigned “Club Numbers” & “Meet Numbers”.

2.         Returning to Old Score System for Team Points:

4 points for 1st place

3 points for 2nd place

2 points for 3rd place

1 point for 4th place

1 bonus point for COC win

Last year wrestlers that were challenged and lost still got 3 points.  This created confusion and was tougher to verify scoring.  All wrestlers that lose challenge for true second will just earn 2 team points.

3.        New Award Picture Format: 

The contracted photographer will take award pictures in the Zikmund Room located in the southwest corner of the UNK Sports Center.  No parents or cameras will be allowed in this room.   After the contracted photographer has taken award photos the medalists will be sent to a second award stand just north of the Zikmund Room where parents can take pictures.  This format will allow contracted photographer to take pictures without any interference but still allows parents to take pictures of the four medalists.

4.         Huskerland Duals VI Site & Dates:

We plan to return to Lexington on March 6-7, 2004 provided that we can get their facilities on those dates for similar arrangements that we have had the past two years. We are looking at running the same schedule that we did last year.  Note that we have raised the entry fee for one team to $150 and for two teams to $275.  If we unable to obtain the Lexington site we will explore having the meet at Grand Island.  Darrell Jennings will again serve as the meet director.  Harold Houser has been made the head official and will hire all registered officials for the Duals.

5.         Huskerland XIX at Site & Dates:

We are returning to the UNK Sports & Health Center at Kearney on April 9-10, 2004.  Note April 9 is Good Friday.  Adjusted schedule that has Grades 7-8 on Friday with session times at 11 am and 3 pm.  Grades 5-6 will be on Saturday with session times at 8:30 am and 11:30 am.  Grades 3-4 will be on Saturday also with session times at 2:30 pm and 5:30 pm.   We are looking at contracting to have Huskerland 20 & 21 at UNK also.  Fred Hall will again serve as the meet director.

6.         Kearney Area Huskerland Booster Club: 

We will attempt to organize a group of supporters made up of club directors from the Kearney area wrestling clubs who want to help Coach Bauer with both the Huskerland State Meet and the Midwest Classic.  The goal of this effort is to take some of the load off Coach Bauer yet increase the quality of both of these events.  Clearly having these two events at Kearney is great deal for the clubs in the area and hope they will pitch in.

7.         Young Officials Program: 

A.. Require attendance at NSAA Wrestling Rules Meeting being held this fall. 

B.  Send $10 to Chuck Sherer for current rule book and open book rule’s test. 

C.  Return completed rule’s test  by same due date used for NSAA to Chuck Sherer.

D.  Must score at least 80% on open book test. 

E.  Must attend Huskerland officials training session in October. 

F.  Must turn 16 by March 1, 2004 to apply. 

G.  Individuals that complete all these items will get Young Officials Card and have name, phone, and address placed on our website. 

H.  Young Officials will be assigned to a Huskerland State Meet Official to mentor them.

Huskerland Notes and News

2004 Huskerland Hall of Fame Nominations due by Jan. 1, 2004:

We plan to have the 4 new inductees for our third class selected by Feb. 1st next year.  Please think hard on individuals who have made a difference for youth wrestling in your area and forward to Craig Hellwege ASAP so they can be properly recognized.

We lost two individuals with strong Huskerland ties this summer:

Kyle Sorensen of Weeping Water, 18.  Kyle along with two of  his friends were killed in an auto accident on June 21st.  Kyle was a 5-Time Huskerland Champion for the Lincoln Warriors and a 3-Time State Champion & 4-Time State Finalist for Weeping Water.  Kyle was named the 2003 NWI Wrestler of the Year and and the 2003 NSWCA Class D Wrestler of the Year.

Bruce Schoepf of Seward, 55.  Bruce passed away on August 12th from complications created by a staff infection.  Bruce and his wife Karel were long time directors for the Seward Mat Club.  Bruce was an avid Nebraska Husker and Seward Bluejay wrestling fan.  Two of Bruce’s sons, Jeff and Jeramie, now work as officials for both the Huskerland State Meet and State Games.

2006 AAU Grand Nationals at UNO Sapp Field House in Omaha:

The event is held in mid-June.  Let Doug Denson know if you want to be on the meet committee or wish to work on a table.

Result Adjustment:

The records for the Grades 3-4 Bracket A-54 have been adjusted because Alan Taylor from the Islander Wrestling Club has been disqualified.  It has been determined that Alan was a 5th grader for the 2002-03 school year.

The adjusted results for Bracket A-54:

1.         Brodie Kring - Minden 

2.         Michael Shoff - Cambridge 

3.         Grant Kubik - East Butler 

4.         Colten Fales - Sargent     

*Note both Brodie Kring and Bodie Moeller of Tri-County, Bracket A-53 Champion, will be recognized as Champion of Champions.

* Team scores were not adjusted. 

This is the first time in the 18 years of the Huskerland State Meet that we have had to deal with a wrestler that participated in the state meet at a lower grade level than he should have.   We had requested the parents of Alan Taylor to return the ill gotten medals along with a letter of apology to Huskerland Wrestling in order for Alan to enter the 2004 Huskerland State Meet.  Neither has happen so Alan will not be allowed to enter Huskerland 19 at Kearney next April.  The Huskerland Board feels very badly that this happen.  We know someone was cheated out of their arm being raised in a Champion of Champions match.  We know someone was cheated out of their hand being raised in a Bracket Championship match.  We know someone was cheated out of wrestling in Bracket Championship match.   We know someone was cheated out of wrestling in a Consolation Championship match.  We can’t recreate those experiences now.   The best we can do now is provide the cheated wrestlers with the adjusted placement in the finalized records along with the upgraded medals that we have already mailed. 
 

Tentative Future Dates 

Huskerland 19 - April 9-10, 2004        (Good Friday)

Huskerland 20 - April 9-10, 2005           

Huskerland 21 - April 8-9, 2006          (Palm Sunday)

Huskerland 22 - April 6-7, 2007          (Good Friday)

Huskerland 23 - April 12-13, 2008      

Huskerland 24 - April 10-11, 2009      (Good Friday)  

Huskerland 25 - April 2-3, 2010          (Good Friday)

Huskerland 26 - April 9-10, 2011  

Huskerland 27 - April 6-7, 2012          (Good Friday)

Rationale for going on Good Friday when possible:

1.  UNK Sport’s Center should always be available.

2.  Addition financial support from Kearney.

3.  Feel its better to go on Good Friday than on a Sunday.

4.  Feel the Good Friday dates that fall on the first weekend in April will help boost our numbers that year.

2003 CSG WRESTLING RECAP

Rulon Gardner giving a moving speech, giving the Athlete’s Oath, and lighting the caldron made the 19th CSG an extremely special one for our sport.  The Friday clinic given by Rulon Gardner at Waverly High School was excellent and he gave a very moving message.  Rulon has now fought back from a near death situation to earn a spot on the USA World Greco Team.  Earning the spot was no easy task since the defending World Champion is from the USA also.  Jump roping sensations Buddy Lee and Elvis Malcolm put on a show at the opening ceremonies and also before the third session at Waverly High on Saturday.  Buddy is a former USA Olympic Wrestler and gave a jump rope training clinic also.  Jay Sherer of Columbus became just the fifth wrestler in CSG history to win 5 gold medals and was an easy selection for the overall outstanding wrestler award.  Jay has a 40-1 record over the last 4 CSG!  Two Lincoln East Spartans just missed 5 Golds.  Joey Morrison and Casey Roberts both took home 4 Golds and a Silver.

Howells High had a record 6 Iron Man winners.   Three sets of brothers - Craig & Chad Brester, Scott & Michael Bayer, and Steve & Michael Bazata - combined to win 15 gold medals.  All six wrestlers brought home 4 medals each!  Beware to Class D as all six wrestlers will be in high school this coming year.  Add in little brother Cory and the Brester Family took home 11 medals with 8 of them Gold!  Note that 6 wrestlers with Lincoln East ties earned Iron Man shirts also. Two are current, Morrison & Roberts, while four are alumni,  Ryan & Riley Tonkin, Jeff Rutledge, and Marcus Hellwege.  Marcus has now won 22 Golds and a total of 33 medals.  It appears both are CSG records.  At least his numbers are up there and open for challenges.  

Besides the 3 sets of brothers from Howells we had 3 more sets of brothers earn Iron Man shirts.  They are Daniel & Dante’ Rodriguez of the Kearney Mat Cats, Zachery & Quinton Cottle of the Omaha Westside WC, and Ryan & Riley Tonkin who wrestled for Lincoln East & Dana College.  Doug Denson has set the stage to go for 20 straight years of winning medals in the CSG wrestling next July.  It appears Doug is the only athlete in any of the CSG sports that has medaled in all 19 CSG’s.  Note Doug has won at least one match in each of the 19 CSG’s also.  The feat is even more amazing since he was already 22 years old when the CSG were started.

CSG Outstanding Wrestlers by Age Groups:

* Ages 10 & Under:  Dante’ Rodriguez of Kearney.  Dante’ won 3 gold medals and went 7-0 for the meet.  Dante’ is the youngest OW we have ever had.  Dante’ was the only wrestler in 10 & Under to win 3 golds.

* Ages 11-14:  Andy Pokorny of Omaha.  Andy won 4 gold medals and went 9-0 for the meet.  Andy has not been scored on the past 2 years of CSG competition.  Andy was the only wrestler in 11-14 to win 4 golds.  Daniel Rodriguez of Kearney & Brock Smith of Gering also had outstanding meets each winning 3 Golds and a Silver.

* Ages 15-18: Jay Sherer of Columbus.  Jay won 5 gold medals and went 14-0 for the meet.  Jay has won 14 CSG Gold Medals and 1 Silver Medal in just the last 4 years.  Jay was named the OW for 11-14 last year.

* Ages 19 & Over:  Marcus Hellwege of Lincoln.  Marcus won 3 gold medals and went 9-0 for the meet.  He now has 6 Iron Man Shirts, 33 CSG Medals, and 22 CSG Gold Medals.  This was his 4th CSG OW.  Matt Reinke of Lincoln & Jacob Schuckebier of Chadron both took home 3 Golds also

Craig craigh@huskerland.org

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