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#215302 02/21/13 04:15 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,267
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Snow Forces Changes
By DAWNE LEIKER

The winter storm blanketing western Kansas is changing the well-laid plans of high school wrestlers and their fans this weekend.

With the Class 3-2-1A state tournament set to start Friday, and schools throughout the region closing Wednesday in response to a winter storm, some wrestlers and coaches were making itinerary changes.

On Wednesday afternoon, Hays USD 489, along with dozens of western Kansas schools, announced school was canceled for today, not waiting until this morning.

Tony Watts and his family braved the wintry conditions hitting the area as they left a day early from their home in Montezuma to make their way to Hays to watch the state wrestling tournament.

The drive took approximately three hours before the bulk of the storm hit, Watts said as he unloaded his family and vehicle at Holiday Inn Express & Suites north of town.

Early today, the National Weather Service in Dodge City said snowfall was heaviest in Ellis and Trego counties, which saw preliminary reports ranging from 8 to 11 inches. Farther west, some counties received less than an inch of snow.

"Even if it would keep snowing just like this, it would have been tough (to make it to Hays today)," Watts said about the drive mid-day Wednesday as the storm settled in.

Watts' son, senior Caleb Watts, is competing in the 195-pound bracket at state Friday and Saturday.

He said the team left earlier than his family Wednesday.

Zach Gienger, a senior competing in the 182-pound bracket, and his coach, Dylan Loyd, headed for Hays from St. Francis early Wednesday morning.

"We want to make sure he gets there," said St. Francis USD 297 Principal Scott Carmichael.

Cheerleaders and other fans plan to head for Hays at approximately 7 a.m. Friday morning, Carmichael said, giving them a few extra traveling hours to make the opening of the tournament, which was moved back two hours to noon.

"We'll get there somehow," Carmichael said, laughing. "We still have horses and draft teams here."

Wrestlers from Marysville also left for Hays a day earlier than they normally would have, hitting the road Wednesday morning after a pep rally, according to a Marysville USD 364 staff member.

Checking availability of hotel and motel rooms Wednesday morning, Jana Jordan, Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau director, said the rooms were filling fast. Thursday and Friday accommodations were expected to be scarce to non-existent.

"We are sold out (today) because it is state wrestling on Friday morning," Jordan said. "So I understand a lot of wrestlers and coaches are trying to get to Hays today so at least they'll be in town."

Ellis County Emergency Management Director Bill Ring said the lack of accommodations might result in opening a shelter for travelers.

"That's always been the contingency," he said. "We try to let the motels and hotels fill up first."

[url=http://www.hdnews.net/Story/snow022113][/url]


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They just announced that I-70 west from Salina would be closing within the hour.

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,267
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Schedule change compresses state wrestling tourneys

By Brent Maycock
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL


Bob Gonzales has been around high school wrestling for a long time.

Thirty-six years as a coach at Shawnee Heights and Manhattan. Even longer as a former wrestler.

And for the first time since he can remember, the state wrestling tournament is going to have a totally different feel to it. Thanks to Thursday’s monster snowstorm, the format for this weekend’s three state meets has been significantly altered.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association announced Wednesday morning the start of the state meets — Classes 6A and 5A at Wichita’s Intrust Bank Arena, Class 4A at Salina’s Bicentennial Center and Class 3-2-1A at Hays’ Gross Memorial Coliseum — would be pushed back two hours until noon.

That schedule was changed again Thursday morning after massive snowfall covered the entire state, forcing road closures and school cancellations across the state.

The new format will have weigh-ins Friday at all three sites from 2-3:30 p.m. with the Parade of Champions starting at 3:45. First-round wrestling begins at 4 p.m. with the championship quarterfinals and first-round consolation matches starting immediately after the conclusion of the first round.

On Saturday, wrestling begins at 9 a.m. with the championship semifinals and consolation quarterfinals. Consolation semifinals start at 12:30 p.m. and all place matches (championship, third and fifth) will be contested simultaneously starting at 2:30 p.m.

Traditionally, the championship semifinals are on Friday, giving the state finalists a full day to prepare for Saturday’s finals, which have been staged separately from the other place matches in the past.

While Gonzales understands the safety issue involved with wrestlers, coaches and fans, he also feels some of the special quality of the state meet will be lost.

“It’s already a whirlwind of a couple of days — the quickest 55 hours you’ll ever have,” Gonzales said. “The disappointment for me, in looking at the schedule, is we’ve worked hard to showcase our kids and now we’re wrestling to get the tournament over as quickly as possible. The storm is supposed to be over Saturday, so why not wrestle the finals at 6? It’s about the kids and now we’re starting at 2:30.

“I feel like I’m at a kids tournament now because everything is going to be run in 18 hours.”

A majority of the qualified teams across the state ventured to their designated state site on Wednesday to beat the storm. While some had access to high school gyms to conduct workouts on Thursday, many were left stuck at their hotels, trying to find ways to keep their wrestlers sharp for the weekend.

“You just try to keep it simple and keep it structured,” Gonzales said.


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