2020-2021 BOYS/GIRLS WRESTLING ALTERNATE POSTSEASON FORMAT – COVID19 UPDATED – 12/21/2020
The MSHSAA has recently confirmed that the 2021 MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships WILL NOT be able to occur at the University of Missouri due to continued questions and uncertainty of venue/facility availability relative to Covid19.
We are pleased to announce that Cable Dahmer Arena (Independence, Mo) has agreed to provide us access to an alternative site and partner with MSHSAA to host the 2021 MSHSAA State Wrestling Championships. We are grateful for the interest from the Cable Dahmer Arena personnel and their desire to help us provide a site for state wrestling championships to take place.
Please be advised that due to the restructured postseason, adding a “sectional tournament” rounds for girls and boys wrestling, as well as having to secure an alternate facility for the state championships and navigate around the venue’s availability, the MSHSAA wrestling postseason calendar has been impacted and will undergo substantial changes 2021
wrestling postseason. These postseason modifications are made in an effort to still provide postseason opportunities. The modifications to the postseason will equally affect each classification of Boys and Girls Wrestling.
Below is a postseason schedule that is subject to change if deemed necessary due to encountering any unknown or unpredictable variables relative to Covid19.
Girls District Tournaments: February 5-6, 2021 (See District Information Below)
Boys District Tournaments: February 13, 2021 (See District Information Below)
Girls Sectional Tournaments: February 20, 2021 (See Sectional Information Below)
Boys Sectional Tournaments: February 27, 2021 (See Sectional Information Below)
State Wrestling Championships: March 9-13, 20202 (See State Information Below)
These modifications to the calendar dates and location of the state championships deviate from what is considered “normal” or “traditional” by our wrestling community; however, at this time our hope is everyone understands our efforts and continued desire to provide opportunities for students, teams, schools and communities during these uncertain and unprecedented times. I am hopeful that everyone will continue to focus on continued participation and postseason opportunities, rather than focusing on what modifications have been or may need to be made to the postseason in order to have hope for these postseason opportunities during the 2020-21 Wrestling season.
DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS (Boys and Girls): There will be 8 district tournaments instead of 4 district tournaments in each boy’s classification (Classes 1,2,3,4) and girl’s classification (Class 1) in an effort to reduce the number of teams/schools at each district site; therefore, reducing the number of competitors, coaches, workers and fans/spectators at each district site, ultimately reducing the overall attendance at each site. The modifications and reduction in number of teams/wrestlers at each district site will also reduce the number mats (space) needed and the number of workers required at each site.
DISTRICT HOSTS/SITES: MSHSAA will coordinate the selection of host sites for the boys and girls district tournaments in order to speed up the process for securing locations for the district tournaments and moving forward with planning the details for district tournaments. Using the district tournament dates posted above, Any schools that have a desire or interest in hosting a district tournament should email Greg Stahl immediately, greg@mshsaa.org.
NOTE: It is preferred that a district host has a venue/facility that can permit spectator attendance (2 spectators per participant); however, the ability to permit spectators is not mandatory. Should two schools in the same district desire to host the district tournament, the ability to permit spectators will be the determining factor.
GIRLS DISTRICTS (February 5-6, 2021): Districts must start on Friday if any weight class(es) have more than 8 wrestlers entered. More than 8 wrestlers in a weight class results in the possibility of exceeding 5 matches in a day using a full consolation wrestle back bracket.
District Awards/Advancement – The top four place finishers at each weight class will be awarded medals and advance to the Sectional tournament.
BOYS DISTRICTS (February 13, 2021): This tournament is a one-day tournament since all boy’s districts have 7-8 teams with a maximum of 8 entries per weight class, resulting in no chance of exceeding the limit of five matches in a day per NFHS Wrestling Rules.
District Awards/Advancement – The top four place finishers at each weight class will be awarded medals and advance to the Sectional tournament.
SECTIONAL TOURNAMENTS (Boys and Girls): There will be 4 sectional tournaments in each boy’s classification (Classes 1,2,3,4) and girl’s classification (Class 1) to serve as qualifying tournaments to the state tournament. Each sectional tournament will have 8 (or less) wrestlers per weight class which will result in a reduced number of participants at each sectional site; therefore, reducing the number of competitors which also reduces the overall attendance at each site. A reduced attendance at each site will also reduce the number mats (space) and number of workers required at each site.
SECTIONAL HOSTS/SITES: MSHSAA will coordinate the selection of host sites for the boys and girls sectional tournaments in order to speed up the process for securing locations for the sectional tournaments and moving forward with planning the details for sectional tournaments. Any schools that have a desire or interest in hosting a sectionals tournament and would like to be considered for selection should email Greg Stahl immediately, greg@mshsaa.org.
Sectional Assignments – Sectional 1 = (District 1 & 2), Sectional 2 = (District 3 & 4), Sectional 3 = (District 5 & 6) and Sectional 4 = (District 7 & 8).
NOTE: It is preferred that a sectional host site has a venue/facility that can permit spectator attendance (2 spectators per participant); however, the ability to permit spectators is not mandatory. Should two schools in the same sectional desire to host the sectional tournament, the ability to permit spectators will be a determining factor.
GIRLS SECTIONALS (February 20, 2021): This tournament is a one-day tournament since all sectionals have a maximum of 8 entries per weight class, resulting in no chance of exceeding the limit of five matches in a day per NFHS Wrestling Rules.
Sectional Bracketing/Sectional Place Finishers/State Qualifiers – Wrestlers will be paired in the first round of the 8 person bracket as follows: (Example – District 1- 1st place vs. District 2-4th place, District 1- 2nd place vs. District 2-3rd place, District 2-1st place vs. District 1-4th place, District 2-2nd place vs. District 1-3rd place). No medals will be awarded for placing at sectionals. The top three place finishers at each weight class at sectional will advance as state qualifiers to the state tournament. NOTE: Due to Covid19 restrictions and limitations, the state tournament must be a one-day tournament for all boys classifications and girls. If the top four from each sectional were to advance, the state brackets would consist of 16 wrestlers; therefore, the tournament could not be completed in one day due to wrestlers exceeding the maximum limit of five matches in a day by NFHS Wrestling rules.
BOYS SECTIONALS (February 27, 2021): This tournament is a one-day tournament since all sectionals have a maximum of 8 entries per weight class, resulting in no chance of exceeding the limit of five matches in a day per NFHS Wrestling Rules.
Sectional Bracketing/Sectional Place Finishers/State Qualifiers – Wrestlers will be paired in the first round of the 8 person bracket as follows: (Example – District 1- 1st place vs. District 2-4th place, District 1- 2nd place vs. District 2-3rd place,
District 2-1st place vs. District 1-4th place, District 2-2nd place vs. District 1-3rd place). No medals will be awarded for placing at sectionals. The top three place finishers at each weight class at sectional will advance as state qualifiers to the state tournament. NOTE: Due to Covid19 restrictions and limitations, the state tournament must be a one-day tournament for all boys classifications and girls. If the top four from each sectional were to advance, the state brackets would consist of 16 wrestlers; therefore, the tournament could not be completed in one day due to wrestlers exceeding the maximum limit of five matches in a day by NFHS Wrestling rules.
STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS (March 9-13, 2021): CABLE DAHMER ARENA – INDEPENDENCE There will be 5 one-day state tournaments (Boys Class 1, 2, 3, 4 and Girls Class 1). Each of the five state tournaments will consist of 12 state qualifiers per weight class to ensure the ability to begin and end the state tournament on the same day.
March 9, 2021: Girls State Wrestling Championships
March 10, 2021: TBA (Boys Class 1,2,3,4 State Wrestling Championships)
March 11, 2021: TBA (Boys Class 1,2,3,4 State Wrestling Championships)
March 12, 2021: TBA (Boys Class 1,2,3,4 State Wrestling Championships)
March 13, 2021: TBA (Boys Class 1,2,3,4 State Wrestling Championships)
State Brackets/Draws/State Place Finishers – Three separate bracket rotations will continue to be used and randomly drawn for each weight class (boys and girls). Each bracket rotation will have to use a predetermined method of placing all wrestler in the bracket based on what place a wrestler finished at the sectional tournament. The four sectional champions will have a first round “bye”. The top six place finishers at each weight class (boys and girls) will be awarded medals and the top four teams in each of the four classes of boys wrestling and one class of girls wrestling will receive trophies.
State Wrestling Championships Attendance: Due to Covid19, regardless of where the state championships were to be held, it is inevitable that there will be an attendance restriction that impacts all groups with interest in the state tournament. Any attendance restrictions put in place for the state tournament are unavoidable and not negotiable. Attendance restrictions will apply to wrestlers (Example-12 qualifiers instead of 16 per weight class), coaches (TBA-a formula to determine maximum number of coaches permitted per school), workers (Example-accomplished by reducing from 8 mats down to 4 mats) and fans/spectators (TBA-formula to determine number of tickets per wrestler/school). Details regarding attendance restrictions will be released when determined and finalized.
WRESTLING REGULAR SEASON EXTENSION
NOTE: Due to Covid19 and the scheduling/rescheduling of regular season competition that has occurred throughout the season, the MSHSAA Board of Directors has granted relief to bylaws that will permit wrestling schools to extend their regular season competition or ability to reschedule regular season competition through March 20, 2021. This action permits wrestling schools to schedule or reschedule regular season competitions during the extended postseason calendar or “after” the state championships if they choose to do so.