I didn't like the format this year of doing all the medal presentations after the wrestling was over. It felt like they rushed the finals through as well. All it did with how they handed the medals out was have people camp at the front when they didn't have a kid from their town for a few weight classes. The crowd for the pictures was a cluster, and could be better taken care of if they had broken up the medal presentations like they used to.
Also, I wish there was a better place for 4A than Salina.
I actually thought wrestling the finals all the way through is a lot better, the atmosphere was great and it didn’t drag it out. In the past the breaks for podium pictures cause a break in the action / atmosphere; people leave and it drags out the finals by easily another hour….the finalists have been in there all day and most would say the sooner they can wrestle the better. The wrestlers that end end up wrestling the last matches deserve to have a full arena that is still focused on the wrestling. We took some podium pictures but the reality is that the professional photographer is really the only one getting great pics. To us it it’s worth paying for the professional picture to document the accomplishment.
Last year parents couldn’t get down to take pictures during the podium breaks!. 4A has always had the best podium pictures in IMO with the back drop etc…. Nice work !!!!
I think it would work best if nobody was allowed on the floor to take podium pics, but they were made available FOR FREE to download online. Setup a nice backdrop with a nice podium, and have a professional (semi-professional even) take them to post on KSHSAA website or something. As far as whether to do all medals at the conclusion, I can see both sides. It sucks for the 106 pounder from eastern Kansas to have to wait until the end, but I also like that people weren't filing out before the HWT match. IDK the right answer, but I think KSHSAA can spring for a photographer. Surely Ft. Hays has students that could handle it.