It is amazing how coach Renfro has the biggest wrestling camp and one of the biggest All Star Duals in the state of Kansas. Labette Community College should be embarrassed of the facilities that the student athletes have to endure. Two National Championships in 7 years and the wrestling room is a curtain with two mats behind it. LCC has invested approx 2 million dollars in a facility not even in Labette County. LCC has invested nearly .5 million dollars in the repaving of a parking lot. They are in the process of building a new Health and Science Building, which is definitely a step in the right direction. The question I have is if the Health and Science Department had the BEST program IN THE NATION, and the BEST instructor in the NATION, this effort would be more understood. The nursing program has 25 students enrolled a year and the wrestling program brings in a minimum 35 students a year. The wrestling team wins NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS; the nursing program is one of a handful of programs in the state that to my records have not produced anything on a national level. Dr. Knox has given the “go ahead” to start raising funds. This is a great start, but is the college willing to put any funds towards this facility? Why has an endowment not been started? Where does the money that is raised to be placed? In an account that the “college administration” can access? Dr. Knox does a great job of acknowledging the wrestling program at community events, but where is the support when it matters? Anybody and everybody can ride a coat tail and walk around with a national championship ring, but it’s time for the administration at LCC to put up or shut up. In closing, coach Renfro is fighting a battle that eventually will be not be worth fighting. His athletes have few options for housing,(no dorms or meal plans) the facilities are poor at best, (Check out IC wrestling room http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkpnxP_MA8U) and Kansas Jayhawk rules and regulations put us two steps behind Iowa Central and NEO before the game starts. Hall of fame coach Jody Thompson and Joe Renfro have produced many men that without Labette Wrestling would not be where or what they are today. I am not sold on this opportunity for former alumni to be responsible for 100% of the fundraising effort. Please contact Aaron Keal aaronk@labette.edu or George Knox georgek@labette.edu and express your concerns if you have any. It’s been 37 years of very little support from LCC, let’s not make it 38.
Sincerely,
Andy Albright