Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association

We've come to the end of another successful KWCA Fritz Knorr Fall Clinic weekend capped off with the Hall of Fame banquet. What follows is the hall of fame speeches emceed by Doug Broadfoot of Hesston High School. Honored first is Mike Church (1:00), followed by Dusty Rhodes (4:15), John Flores (21:00), and Buel Patterson (30:40). As always, thanks for your support and thanks for listening.

Meet Nicole Redmond, 2024 KWCA 6A-5A Senior Wrestler of the Year

NAIA Senior Wrestlers of the Year, Isaiah Luellan (Rossville) and Owen Braungardt (Winfield) were par of the Grandview University program that won it's twelfth national title last spring. The pair jump on to talk about their experiences. Former Rossville head coach Curt Brechiesen and former Winfield head coach and current Ark City head coach Nick McGrew along with Grandview head coach, Nick Mitchell also joint the podcast.

Longtime official at both the high school and college level, Travis Scheele, has worked numerous high school and college national tournaments. He is one of the most respected officials in the state and is being recognized by the KWCA as its 2024 Official of the Year.

The KWCA is excited to have USA Wrestling Head Women's coach, Terry Steiner, at this year's clinic to serve as the clinic's headliner. Steiner is fresh off a record-setting performance at the Paris Olympics where Team USA brought home two golds, a silver and a bronze.

Buel "Pat" Patterson will be posthumously inducted into the KWCA Hall of Fame this year. National champion at Oklahoma A&M, head coach at three NCAA DI schools over a forty-one year span, and among his contributions to Kansas wrestling was establishing the Kansas high school State tournament in 1930.

Jay Johnston has built a girl's wrestling program that is contender year in and year out at Basehor-Linwood High School. He is a tireless promoter and is a model of professionalism. He was named KWCA 5A-6A Coach of the Year for 2024.

KWCA President Nathan Broeckelman of Barton Community College fills us in on fall clinic happenings.

Clay Center's Hunter Mullin was named 2023 NCAA DII Senior Wrestler of the Year after his outstanding career at Western Colorado University. Coach Mullin recently completed his first year of coaching and teaching at Cabot High School in Arkansas. The Panthers won the 2024 boys 6A State Championship.

Hear from 321A Senior Wrestler of the Year, Derek Johnson. Also joining in is Hoxie High School Head Coach Mike Porsch and Saint Cloud State University skipper, Steve Costanzo

Tanner Hitchcock was a four-time State medalist and two-time Champion for Pittsburg and Bonner Springs, then went on to compete at Lindenwood University where he became a NCAA DII All-American. He was named 2023 KWCA NCAA DII Senior Wrestler of the Year. Hear from Tanner and his high school and college coaches.

Tyler Caldwell :10, Andy Niemczyk 4:50, Travis Keal 22:10, Doug Vander Linden 34:45

Dodge City's Luke Barker completed his career at Dodge City High School with three State titles and four appearances in the finals. He is currently a freshman at North Dakota State University

Brandon Terry of Augusta coached his second trophy team in a row when his charges finished in third-place in the 2023 4A State tourney.

Carlos Prieto has a good thing going in Garden City. In 2023 both boys and girls teams fiished as State Runner-up

Hear from 2023 4A Wrestler of the Year, Marcus Terry. The Augusta grad is now a freshman at Northeast Oklahoma A & M

Doug Vander Linden worked tirelessly to build his program at Burlington High School and worked just as hard for the betterment of wrestling in the entire state of Kansas. Doug lost his battle with cancer and related complications last year. His son Michael comes on to reflect on his father's legacy.

Tyler Caldwell is in the conversation of one of the best ever from the Sunflower State. The four-time State Champion and four-time DI All-American was also a University World Champion. He is now assistant at one of the blue bloods of college wrestling, Oklahoma State University. Also hear from his high school coach Brett Means of Goddard.

Under the direction of Travis Keal, the Mill Valley program was started from scratch and became a perennial state contender. In 2020 the program brought home the 6A State Championship after several top ten finishes. For his efforts, Keal has been named a 2023 KWCA Hall of Fame inductee. Also hear from legendary coach Jody Thompson, who was Keal's college coach at Labette Community College

Cade Hewitt, State Runner-up and 2009 graduate of Beloit High School, is the new head coach at his alma mater. Listen to this bonus episode following that of his coach, 2023 Hall of Fame inductee Andy Niemczyk

Andy Niemczyk has an interesting story to tell after a Hall of Fame career at Beloit High School. 

The Hoxie Indians put together a 2022-23 season! The 260 team points at State is an All-Class/All-Time record. Coach Porsch has had a lifetime of association with the program and has seen the fruits of his labor paying off in recent years. The team will be attempting to win their fourth championship in a row in 2024.

After winning his fourth State Championship, Nick Treaster swept the major post-season awards.... 5A Wrestler of the Year, Dave Schultz award for Kansas, and the Lyle Neville award. Treaster became one of forty four-time State Champions in Kansas and one of only five families in the nation that have had a father/son four-time combination.

KWCA President Nate Naasz comes on to promote the upcoming Fritz Knorr Fall Clinic.

Hear from the 2022 KWCA Hall of Fame class; Mike Garcia (start 2:20), Kendric Maple (start 8:50), and Tim Serbousek (start 11:40)

Mike Garcia was a State Champion, NCAA D2 Champion, and Coached State Champion teams in Oklahoma and Kansas. He is a 2022 KWCA Hall of Fame inductee. Listen in as he recaps his competitive and coaching career. 

Current Mizzou Associate Head Coach Kendric Maple joins the program. The two-time State Champion at Wichita Heights and NCAA Champion at the University of Oklahoma  went on to compete at the international level and came out of retirement last spring to capture the US Open title. He is a 2022 KWCA Hall of Fame inductee.

Tim Serbousek s grew up in Iowa, made his way to the Kansas City area, and carved out a thirty-six year career of it in the Blue Valley district. He will be inducted into the KWCA Hall of Fame during the banquet on October 8th in Salina.

Meet Tate Thompson, 2022 KWCA Coach of the Year for Girls 4A-321A. He was also named NWCA National Coach of the Year for Girls Wrestling.

Bethany Bowman works tirelessly to highlight the scores and personalities for all sports across the state of Kansas through her work with the Sports-in-Kansas media outlet. Listen to her interesting story from high school and college athlete to sports journalist.

Meet Madyson Gray, the 2022 Senior Wrestler of the Year in the 5A/6A Girls Division. Madyson is a 3X State Champion and is now enrolled at Grandview University.

2000 Olympic Champion Brandon Slay is one of the most high-profile wrestling coaches in the United States. He recently returned from Belgrade, Serbia where he helped guide none other than Jordan Burroughs to his seventh World and Olympic Gold. The Executive Director and Head Coach of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center will serve as the headliner for the 2022 KWCA Fritz Knor Fall Clinic. 

KWCA President Nate Naasz checks in to fill us in on the 2022 Fritz Knor Fall Clinic.

After an outstanding high school career at Lawrence High, Alan Clothier went on to become a four-time NCAA D1 qualifier for Appalachian State University and the University of Northern Colorado. He has begun his coaching career at Buffalo University.

AJ Cooper finished his career at Ft. Hays State University as a two-time All-American. Those accomplishments earned him 2022 KWCA Senior Wrestler of the Year honors. Cimarron High School Head Coach Lance Walker and Forth Hays State University Head Coach Erik Wince also join in.

Listen in as Marty Verhaeghe recounts his career; which ended in March with All-American honors for the Ft. Hays State University Tigers. Verhaeghe's high school coach, Cody Parks and his college coach, Eric Wince also join in.

Longtime Burlington High School Head Coach Doug Vander Linden was laid to rest yesterday after a long battle with cancer and other complications. Doug was loved and respected throughout the state and known nationally for his work on policy and promotion of the sport of wrestling. Most recently, he was instrumental in helping the Kansas State high School Athletic Association to sanction girls wrestling. His memorial service was a humbling and heart-warming event. Attendees were greeted with a full parking lot at Burlington High School on a Sunday afternoon and a reception line that started thirty deep outside of the building and snaked its way through the school's entryway into the spacious wrestling room where Doug had spend so many hours molding young lives. In addition to this podcast, I would encourage you to seek out postings on social media, including the Sports in Kansas article by Bethany Bowman and Conor Nicholl which can be found at sportsinks.com. The outpouring of support for the family and messages of how impactful Doug was is impressive. What follows is an audio recording of the reflection portion of the memorial service. Shawnee Heights coach Chad Parks serves as the emcee. 

2021 KWCA Hall of Fame inductee speeches; 2:00 – Rick Langerot, 6:10 - Wayne Petterson, 41:20 – Bob Gonzales. 

Todd Kahler - 2021 KWCA Official of the Year

Jared Simma has some impressive credentials... 4X Fargo All-American, 4X State Finalist and 2X Champ, Folkstyle National Champion. It is no surprise that the UNI Panther recruit is the 2021 Dave Schultz Award winner for the state of Kansas.

Coach Laughlin has spent his entire thirty year career at Junction City Middle School. The program is know for its large roster size and for its consistent success.

Knect has been one of the most recognized female wrestlers in the State of Kansas for several years. She finished with two State Titles and a 66-0 record for the past two seasons.

Coach Wince is entering his second season as Head Coach for the Tigers. He will be taking a session at this year's fall clinic.

Meet Gus Davis... The guy won a State Championship on a torn ACL! That's only part of this young man's story. Get fill in on what the Grandview University freshman is up to.

Most know Bushnell as the nine-time State Championship coach of the Seaman Baseball program. After twenty-two season, he stepped in to a new role, that of Athletic Director at Seaman. The 2012 KWCA Middle School Coach of the Year and State Medalist during his high school days at Sumner Academy, used his strong wrestling background to launch the Girls program at Seaman in 2020-21.