think IRONMAN

[BobPreusse]

its time to think about the IRONMAN december 7 & 8 at Walsh Jesuit Ohio. The bar is high, but we welcome those that can compete here. Limited openings go fast. BobPreusse, co-director ohiobobp@aol.com

[mrfc1954]

Bob,

I appreciate and thank you and your organizers for giving our California wrestlers a chance to compete in arguably the toughest tournament in the U.S.A. by constantly inviting through the California Wrestler. However, the road goes both ways. Why is it that we can never get any Ohio wrestlers or other quality East Coast wrestlers to come out and compete in our top showcase tournaments?????
You may answer that it is cost prohibitive, however Pennsylvania wrestlers come out to the Reno Tournament of Champions every year and it is equally cost prohibitive for our boys to fly out to Ohio yet they find a way to do it. What in your opinion can and should be done for California to attract East Coast talent to our Doc B, Temecula, Five Counties???

[BobPreusse]

mrfc,

u bring up good question, answer is right now the power is in the East--- 18 of 20 NCAA finalists from midwest/east, none from Oklahoma, 1 from Fla, 1 from Oregon---

4 of this years NCAA champs wrestled in Ironman as well as one 2nd and 4 thirds.

Easton is the only PA team that was at Reno this season, rarely does anyone from PA but Easton go to Reno T of C. Easton goes because Reno is a tradition for them, they always do very well and their fans/boosters want to party in Reno, thats fact.

IRONMAN offers nothing but cold Ohio weather, small town setting. And the BEST high school COMP & atmosphere anywhere.

Limited openings available for full teams or partials, december 7 & 8. Act soon.
s/BobP 216--941--7956 ohiobobp@aol.com

[BobPreusse]

March 31, end of March and Ironman is filling up fast, we have size limits in this high school setting (2 gyms) ---so act soon if you wish to enter. ...s/BobP

[steve glassey]

So, you say the power is in the east...I beg to differ with you...Look what state is DOMINATING the east at Flo and NHSCA...You might want to retract your statement regarding California wrestling. The funny thing is, we are only going to getter better! Maybe some of the east coast teams might want to travel out west during the season to prove a point...Right now the Cali wrestlers are proving it on the mat.

[BobPreusse]

as Al Fontes knows i've always been a fan of California high school wrestling. Congrats to Cal for laying it on the line and wanting to compete! That said, observers who've been around a long time know the comp at Flo is not good in high quality depth and the comp at NHSCA Seniors has become mediocre as far as depth of top wrestlers goes. ---- Fargo is a much better test.

None of the eastern power states send many guys to Flo & NHSCA, why? NHSCA is very expensive. In PA & the east theres appears to be alot of resentment towards NHSCA. And Flo hasnt caught on yet, its a pretty good tourn but nothing like the huge hype that preceeded it.

fact still is this year 18 of 20 NCAA div 1 finalists from midwest/east, meaning Iowa east thru NJ---none from Oklahoma, 1 from Fla, 1 from Oregon, none from Calif.

Calif the only western state doing anything at college div 1 level-- NCAA Div 1 All American stats, hometowns:
Penn 14, Ohio 8, NY & Cal 6, NJ & Illinois 5, iowa & Mn 4. Oklahoma not in the picture, has really fallen off in recent years.

so yes Calif is one of the great wrestling states but the west doesnt have the overall power so California's top tournaments Temecula, 5 Counties, & Doc B have less to choose from, which is what i meant. -- Ironman has a fortunate geographical location and we welcome Calif kids, theyve helped take us to a new level in recent years. ...s/BobP

[OCTitansHC]

The Ironman is a great tournament. Hands down, the the best tournament in the nation (arguabley against The Clash).
But how can one expect to grow the sport in our region, when our brothers and sisters in the east don't want to come out and help?
Yes Ohio is a strategic point, but strategic to the east, not California.
All Californians are asking, is for East and Midwest region teams share the love and the monetary burden.
Obviously by making the trips Eastward, California is not afraid of the challenge.
But maybe the East is afraid of losing their legacy by coming out west.
Regardless of stats, as a Californian, this whole advertisement comes across as you want our money, not necessarily our competition. I'm sorry if that comes across rudely, it's not intended to be as such. But I say it in this sense, if an east or Midwest team were to want to come out, I'm sure directors of top tournaments out here would find ways to help that happen. Because California welcomes top competition.

[OCTitansHC]

If FloNationals lacks depth, how does one explain these California finishes at NHSCA?
2011
1. California – 240.5
2. New Jersey – 156.5
3. New York – 135.5

2010
1. New Jersey – 233.5
2. New York – 190.0
3. California – 153.5

2009
1. California – 186.5
2. New York – 177.5
3. Michigan – 170.0

2008
1. New Jersey – 230.5
2. Michigan – 213.0
3. Pennsylvania – 210.0

2007
1. California – 205.5
2. New Jersey – 198.0
3. Ohio – 179.5

2006
1. New Jersey – 249.0
2. California – 231.5
3. Ohio – 230.0

2005
1. New York – 222.0
2. Ohio – 186.0
3. California – 180.0

2004
1. Ohio – 173.5
2. California – 136.0
3. Michigan – 118.5

2003
1. Ohio – 289.0
2. New Jersey – 202.5
3. California – 176.0

2002
1. Ohio – 253.0
2T. California – 218.0
2T. New Jersey -218.0

2001
1. California – 265.5
2. New Jersey – 228.5
3. Ohio – 185.5

2000
1. Ohio – 258.5
2. California – 220.5
3. New Jersey – 178.5

1999
1. California – 255.0
2. Ohio – 234.0
3. New Jersey – 152.5

1998
1. Minnesota – 184.5
2. California – 176.0
3. Utah – 169.0

1997
1. Ohio – 213.0
2. Pennsylvania – 208.5
3. New Jersey – 189.5

1996
1. California – 283.0
2. Minnesota – 176.0
3. Ohio – 170.0

1995
1. Ohio – 202.5
2. California – 163.0
3. Indiana – 158.5

1994
1. Ohio – 251.5
2. Pennsylvania – 189.0
3. California – 164.5

1993
1. Ohio – 185.5
2. Pennsylvania – 166.0
3. California – 157.5

[JBThawley]

I don't have a dog in the fight but it doesn't appear that PA sent it's top wrestlers to Flo Nat'l. Those PA NJ and OH stud wrestlers have been to Ironman and the Beast of the East so I doubt Flo is at the top of their bucket list. Looking at a few individual matches I mean the PA kid who beat CA State Champ Villareal is a Soph who finished 5th at PA State, if he's fifth and beat the CA Champ 6-2 what would the PA State Champ do? And Martinez from Lemoore has no competition in CA but had 2 close matches at Flo and of course he like Cisneros lost at Ironman as well, ask those 3 CA wrestlers who has the better wrestlers I'd hate to see how good Martinez would be if he he was wrestling back East all year with some competition.

[OCTitansHC]

Martinez did lose at the Ironman, in the finals. Cisneros still placed 3rd. But they can't be that bad if Cornell, Penn State, and other east coast schools are knocking in their doors. Nobody is taking anything away from the east coast, but what's the harm in coming out west?
And people can doubt FloNationals all they want, but look at California's finishes at NHSCA the past 2 decades.
Which by the way includes top 3 finishes the past 4 out of the past 5 years (something Ohio, NY, or Penn hasn't done). With these results, it's a hard argument and arguably irrelavent to bring up NHSCA as being so much tougher when California has been performing that well at NHSCA anyway.
Champions face any challege, regardless of where. So why not come out west and stake your claim. Put the exclamation point on it.
The America's cup All star duals are May 26th. Is is possible to put a Jersey all star team together? Penn, NY, Ohio,ect...
Here's a great chance to settle the debate.

This is the worlds greatest sport, let's collectively find a positive way for the kids to battle it out.