Proposal Would Cut 2 H.S. Wrestling Weight Classes
(AP) Minneapolis In a desperate move to save some high school wrestling teams, the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association has proposed cutting the number of weight classes from 14 to 12.
The proposed change, brought up by coaches, would help smaller schools that don’t have enough wrestlers to fill all the weight classes.
“It seems strange to think of coaches, who are the custodians of the sport, wanting to cut back, “said Elk River coach John Peterson, a past president of the coaches association. “In a way, it almost seems like the contraction deal that the Twins went through several years ago. But this is coming from the guys in the trenches who don’t have the numbers, who say, ‘Help me, please.”‘
Forfeits can be a normal part of matches if teams don’t have enough wrestlers. Those in favor of the plan would rather see each team in the state lose two weights, rather than entire teams disappear as they form cooperative agreements with neighboring schools.
But not all coaches like the proposal, which was tabled Monday by the Minnesota State High School League board of directors. The board will consider it at a December meeting after studying the issue. Some say if the plan is approved, Minnesota will be out of step with the rest of the nation. Opponents also say the plan discriminates against small wrestlers, because it recommends cutting two of the seven lightest weight classes.
Surprisingly, one of the smallest schools has been one of the most vocal opponents. Wabasha-Kellogg coach Ron Sanders, the father of five-time state champions Eric and Zach Sanders, said having different weight classes than other states will cause confusion. Wabasha-Kellogg competes in Class 1A, the smallest of three classes, and faces several teams from Wisconsin.
“The other thing I have a problem with is they want to bump out the 103-pound weight class, “he said. “In 1989 we dropped the 98-pound class and moved it up to 103. I think this really eliminated a lot of small kids. And these small kids are really passionate about the sport. They’re not big enough to play football or do a lot of the other sports, so they wrestle all their life. It’s a great weight class for the young stars that are developing, too.”
Peterson said 12 weight classes, starting at 108 and running to 285, were chosen by a computer program, which used the certified weights of all the wrestlers in the state over a number of years and split them into 12 classes.
Blackduck coach Steve Bechtold, president of the coaches association, said schools of all sizes like the plan.
“We’ve voted on it in different ways in the last five years. Certainly, while the smaller schools have a higher trend (of wanting change), close to 70 percent of the large schools say the same thing, “he said.
Peterson, whose Elks compete in Class 3A, said, “Most of the larger schools, mine included, wanted to stay at 14 weights. But part of the deal is you want to try and do what’s best for everybody.”
The coaches association explored having different weight divisions in each class but that was seen as unworkable. Some conferences include teams from two classes, and weight-class issues would be encountered at tournaments.
Groups from Pennsylvania and Oklahoma have made proposals twice for 12 weight classes to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Both times, the plan went nowhere. The backers of the Minnesota proposal want to set the pace for the rest of the nation.
“Wisconsin is just hanging here, saying, ‘If you guys get this, we’ll try and jump on with you.’ North and South Dakota, I think, are feeling the same way, “said former Winona coach Bill Schmidt, executive director of the coaches association.
Wabasso, in southwestern Minnesota, is an example of a smaller school struggling to find wrestlers.
The Rabbits were the Class 1A state runner-up in 2004 and went back to state in 2006.
Longtime coach Gary Hindt says this year’s graduating class at Wabasso is about 45, and next year’s senior class is expected to have only 13 boys.
“We’ll be OK for maybe two more years, and then our classes really drop off, into the 30s, “Hindt said. “Who wants to forfeit? People don’t want to wrestle you if you forfeit too much.”
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