Dual State - Before or After?

[IllgetUanyerdog2]

Looking at IKWF, they have their dual state series way before the individual state series. There is no wrong or right answer - I was just curious to see people's opinions on this at the high school level. Do you like the current format with dual state after the individual state - or would you like to see the dual series happen well before the individual series?

My opinion - I think the dual state series is messed up to begin with. The dual state teams consist of teams that had individuals do well in the individual regionals, which doesn't always mean they are a good dual team. We all know there are differences in being a good dual teams vs. a tournament team. I would like to see the dual state series before the individual state series. I think it would benefit the teams more and then the individuals would be able to focus just on themselves after.

[Artheritis]

You really can't do team state before individual state. To do so, you'd need to determine participants: you'd need to wrestle all the levels of team regionals, sectionals before knowing which teams advanced. There would be no way to keep the teams that don't advance through the system wrestling while the bracket was advancing; so you'd need about 2 weeks with most of the state's teams not wrestling to make it through the tournament.

[oldgrappler112]

Michigan does it. It works for them but to me wrestling is still an individual sport. The focus should be on the individual state meet. In illinois most kids peak at that time and a lot then bump up a weight or so for team state. In michigan kids have to be at weight and wrestle the best kids for 6 straight weeks. I wouldn't even mind seeing the state champ decided tournament format, though I know the problems such as some teams will not have as many participants.

[Nelson*0.5]

They've experimented with this in so many different ways over the years. When I was in high school, Dual Team State and Individual state were on the same weekend over 3 days. The The state tournament started on Thursday back then. I believe it was this way from when they IHSA first started doing a Dual Team state tournament in like 1983 through like 1988. This made for a great atmosphere and great crowds, but it also made for potentially a lot of wrestling over 3 days. You could have a kid easily wrestle 6 or 7 matches in individual state then have 3 matches in dual team state. They also had to do team sectionals the Tuesday between individual sectional and state.

The IHSA also realized for a few years in the 90's that taking the individual team regional champion and entering them into a dual team sectional didn't always result in the best dual meet teams from each of the 4 regionals being represented. For a few years they experimented with having the top 4 teams from regionals wrestle in team regionals and then the winner of team regionals wrestled in team sectionals. They also tried having a dual meet wrestle off between the top 2 teams from individual regionals. Why they abandoned these, I have no idea.

The real problem I see in having dual team state after individual state is that it's sometimes difficult to keep your entire team in tact during the long layoff between regionals and dual team sectionals. Even some of the best teams will have individuals that they would like to use in dual team sectionals and state that don't make it out or don't even compete in regionals. Now these wrestlers have to control their weight, stay sharp, stay motivated for over 2 weeks before the team competition resumes.

My preference would be to go back to some type of a dual team regional with the top 2 or 4 teams from individual regionals held the Tuesday between individual regionals and sectionals. Then have dual team sectionals the week between individual sectionals and state. Then have individual state and dual team state on the same weekend. I know it's a lot of wrestling in a short period of time, but it would really add something to the whole weekend to have everything take place on one weekend.

[eagle]

It can be done before individual state

Start on a Saturday with Team Regionals. Teams must enter the tournament with the IHSA by Dec 15th or opt out. Teams that opt out may schedule up to three extra duals during the team state series.

Team Sectionals would be on Thursday and Team State on Saturday. That means two weekends used. Teams that lose in Regionals would be allowed to schedule one dual meet for Friday before the state tournament if they wanted.

[Lockness]

Start on a Saturday with Team Regionals. Teams must enter the tournament with the IHSA by Dec 15th or opt out. Teams that opt out may schedule up to three extra duals during the team state series.

Team Sectionals would be on Thursday and Team State on Saturday. That means two weekends used. Teams that lose in Regionals would be allowed to schedule one dual meet for Friday before the state tournament if they wanted.

That's a pretty good idea

[eagle]

thanks, I think it could work.

[mckbln]

I like our dual team state tournament. It makes sense to me and I wish the NCAA would change their tournament to our way. In a small 8 team regional, usually the best dual team will win it anyway. My only complaint is that I would change the team sectionals to a weekend and the team state to another week after; it's too tough having those matches on a Tuesday after the individual state. I think that if you want to change something, go back to a two class system.