NOW is the time for an All State Tournament that also serves as a New England Qualifier!
There are those who will argue that each State Champion earned the right to represent Maine at the New Englands. This isn’t true. What they earned is the right to be called State Champion, for the rest of their life. They have the medal, and the chart, to prove it. They will tell their children and their grand children. They’ll carry this title forever. That is what they earned. This has nothing to do with who are the three best wrestlers in Maine in each weight class.
It would be hard to imagine that the three best wrestlers in each weight class just happen to be spread out, one each, in classes A, B, and C. What are the chances?
There is always three or four weeks between the Maine State Championships and the New England Championships. Two weeks after our State Meet there should be a New England Qualifier. Invite the nine wrestlers that placed in the top three at each of the state meets. Seed them as we already do. If all nine show, 8 & 9 would have to pigtail in. Could you imagine having these wrestlers (140, 2007) in the same tournament:
It would be BETTER than the State Meet!
This qualifier would serve five purposes:
1. It will determine who goes to the New Englands and what Maine seed they would get.
2. It will help determine the 1st team, 2nd team, and honorable mentions on the All State Team.
3. It will serve as a tune-up tournament half-way between our State meets and the New Englands.
4. A wrestler could have one bad match and still wrestle back and get third and go to New Englands.
5. It will make the Consolation Finals at the state meets much more interesting, as the winner would qualify for this tournament.
All New England States, except Maine, have a Qualifying Tournament to ensure that they send their best wrestlers:
New Hampshire: Top 3 from Tournament of Champions
Massachusetts: Top 6 from All-State Tournament
Vermont: Top 3 from State Tournament
Rhode Island: Top 3 from State Tournament
Connecticut: Top 4 from State Open Tournament
Maine: Champion in each weight class from A, B, C Tournaments
I love watching wrestling. Especially quality wrestling. I’ve been to most of the New Englands since Maine returned and ALL of our kids wrestled their hearts out. Most of them just weren’t prepared for what was to come. Let’s send our best, and let’s send them prepared. Winning isn't everything, but the later stages are a lot more exciting when there's some wrestlers from Maine still in it.
This would be a very profitable event for the MPA. If they don't want to run it, there have been several schools interested in hosting this tournament. It could be held at a high school. Remember, this is only one tournament, not like the States where three tournaments are running at the same time. There would be less wrestlers than at some of the Conference Championships that are held in a high school and ended at a reasonable time
Harry Smith 03/27/02 (Revised: 02/15/07)
Let your coach, principal, athletic director,
etc. know how you feel about this.
The Maine Principals Association has the
final say in this matter. You can e-mail them at mpa@mpa.cc