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