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Ryan Going for 4th Title in '09, Going to GCU in '10 |
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Show Low wrestler Ricky Ryan has accepted a scholarship offer to join the Grand Canyon University Antelopes wrestling team next year. The senior is beginning the final season in what has been an illustrious career for the Cougars, including three state championships so far.
 Ryan is trying to become the first wrestler in Show Low history to win four state titles. Currently he is one of just two wrestlers to ever win three titles. The other was 2005 graduate Sean Seymore, who lost in the state finals his freshman year. Seymore is an assistant coach at Show Low. If Ryan can win state this year he will join a group of just 21 other wrestlers in state history to accomplish the feat.
After finishing second at the 3A East Regional as a freshman, Ricky went on to win the state championship at 112 pounds and finish with a 33-8 season record. As a sophomore, he won the regional and went 54-2 overall to win the title at 119. Last year as a junior, he went 50-3 and collected his third title, this time at 125.
Show Low Head Coach Tim Williams appreciates the value of Ryan to the Cougar wrestling team. "He's a great kid, a great wrestler and great to have in the room. He's very dedicated and works hard and that work is paying off for him." He went on to say that Ricky should continue to experience the same kind of success at the next level, "If he shows the same dedication he has throughout his high school career, he'll be a great college wrestler. He outworks every opponent. If he continues with the same work ethic then he will continue with the same success."
Entering his final season with a 137-13 record and three titles is very impressive, but there is one more record Ryan has in mind. Former Cougar Sean Seymore, mentioned earlier as the only other Show Low alum with three titles to his credit, also owns the state record for takedowns at 300. Ryan is planning to take a shot at breaking that record.
If Ricky can match his personal best for wins in a season, 54, that would be enough to move him into fourth place in state history for career wins. Regardless of the season total, a healthy season should lead to placement in the top 10. The record is held by Jarrod Tavasi of Mingus Union who finished with 201.
Ryan is joining a relatively young program at Grand Canyon. The Antelopes are in just their third year of existence. Though they are Division 2, they will have the chance to wrestle ASU, Embry Riddle University and many other top programs. The scholarship offer to Ryan amounts to a full ride.
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New Wrestling Rules in 2009 |
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Written by Paige Flynn
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Five Changes Made in High School Wrestling Rules
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Five new rules changes for the 2009-10 wrestling season were approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee at its annual meeting last month inIndianapolis. These changes were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
“The main focus of the changes was clarifying some rules dealing with tournaments,” said Bob Colgate, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Wrestling Rules Committee. “One of the changes also dealt with improving sportsmanship, which is always a high priority with all NFHS rules.”
Two steps were added in Rule 5-20-5Note to clarify the offensive starting position. As a part of the steps to assume the offensive starting position, the offensive wrestler’s head must be on or above the opponent’s spinal column, and both wrestlers must become stationary. The referee still must pause momentarily before blowing the whistle.
In Rule 9-2-2b and c, two new tie-breaker options for dual-meet competitions
have been added as well. First, “The team whose opposing wrestlers or team personnel
have been penalized the greater number of team point deductions shall be declared
the winner.” Second, “The team whose opposing wrestlers were penalized the greater
number of match points for unsportsmanlike conduct during a match shall be declared
the winner.”
Colgate said this change eliminates the possibility of a team that has been
penalized the greater number of points for coaches misconduct or any kind of
unsportsmanlike conduct winning a dual meet in the event of a tie.
In Rule 1-2-1, the committee added: “In individually bracketed tournaments, the
contestant representing a school shall be named by weight class prior to the
conclusion of the weigh-in and no substitution is allowed after the conclusion of the
weigh-in.” The rule previously contradicted two other rules (4-5-6 and 10-2-1), but
now all three guidelines are in concurrence.
The committee clarified, in Rule 4-2-3, that if a designated, on-site meet
physician is present, he or she may examine a wrestler for communicable skin disease
or any other condition, either immediately prior to or immediately after the weigh-in.
Another rule change provides tournament administrators the option to weigh-in
by either weight class or teams to help with the organization at tournaments. The
revised Rule 4-5-3 adds the following language: “Tournament weigh-in may proceed
by team(s) with the lowest weight class to the highest and end immediately upon the
completion of the highest weight class.”
The 2009-10 points of emphasis include excessive celebrations; awarding nearfall
points; legalities of scissors, draping scissors and Figure 4; and communicable
disease.
Wrestling is the sixth-most popular sport for boys at the high school level with
259,688 participants, according to the 2007-08 NFHS High School Athletics
Participation Survey. In addition, there were an additional 5,527 girls nationwide who
participated in wrestling in 2007-08.
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