Officials probe wrestling incident

By DAVID MAYBERRY
Star-Tribune staff writer Thursday, January 13, 2005
The Laramie High School wrestling program was suspended by school officials last week after the district discovered disparate weight permit cards for team members. The Wyoming High School Activities Association also issued a warning to the school for the incident.

Albany County School District 1 superintendent Brian Recht said Tuesday that the Plainsmen will be allowed to compete tonight in a dual against Cheyenne East, but the team will no longer be coached by Ron Whitman.

“We discovered irregularities in the weighing procedures, and because safety is a prime concern, we asked that all wrestlers be recertified before competing again, “Recht told the Star-Tribune on Tuesday.

Recht said an internal investigation into the program is under way but he declined to be more specific. He didn’t set a deadline for the investigation, suggesting it could take several weeks.

“It will be a thorough investigation of the whole matter, “Recht said.

The National Federation of State High School Associations mandated that all states adopt more stringent weight-monitoring rules by 2004. The WHSAA enacted the guidelines in 2003.

In Wyoming, schools are required to submit weight certification forms to the WHSAA office by the holiday break and must keep weight cards on file for each athlete. The cards indicate the ideal competition weight for the athletes based on body fat measurements and offer a 2-pound growth allowance to discourage unhealthy weight-loss practices.

Those weight figures are determined by a doctor.

The WHSAA issued Laramie High a warning because the school self-reported the incident and student-athletes are not believed to have been a part of the violations. The WHSAA could have levied more severe punishments, such as probation or suspension.

“They made us aware of the situation and they are handling it at their level, “WHSAA commissioner Ron Laird said.

The WHSAA handbook states: “A warning is official notice that an inexcusable, unethical or unsportsmanlike action is a matter of record and that such an action must not occur again.”

Laird said any rule infractions by the Plainsmen program over the next calendar year could result in automatic restriction from state and regional competition.

The Plainsmen had been scheduled to compete at a tournament in Fort Collins, Colo., last weekend.

Recht said the team will have a new coach when it returns to the mat, but he did not know who that person would be.

Recht would not comment on Whitman’s status as a teacher at Laramie Junior High. A secretary at the school said Whitman was not at the school on Wednesday and a substitute was filling in for him.

Whitman, who did not return a phone call seeking comment, was in his 11th season as the Laramie head coach. He led the Plainsmen to a state championship in 1999. Whitman wrestled for the University of Wyoming from 1981-85 and holds the school record for wins (140).

High school sports coordinator David Mayberry can be reached at (307) 266-0634 or [email protected]