INTERCEPTED MEMO from BEAR TRACKS

[Bearhugger]

Using the best available information, the WSAZ seeding criteria is as follows:


1 head to head
2 common opponents
3 state champ same weight
4 state champ different weight
5 state placer same weight
6 state placer different weight
7 wsaz champ same weight
8 wsaz champ different weight
9 wsaz placer same weight
10 wsaz placer different weight
11 overall Win loss record / Win %

We are in WSAZ week.

The WSAZ criteria is obviously deep rooted in “what you have already done” vs “what we all think you MIGHT do”.

This same logic has been used for the foundation of Bear Tracks.

In Bear Tracks. wrestlers are preset based on what they have already done at the previous state tournament. Criteria 5 and 6 as used for the WSAZ.

Once matches occur, head to head takes over. Cased closed. WSAZ criteria #1. It doesn’t matter what we all “think might happen”. Bear Tracks lets things ride out no matter how long it takes. Raike, Bartee, Wright, Andrick all were unranked in Bear Tracks for weeks when they were freshmen until they finally got a match with a ranked wrestler.

NOW FOR THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Bear Tracks is changing gears!

1 The lack of scores from some schools is not cutting it.

2 Bear Tracks is taking the action to Facebook. Rankings will be posted on Facebook along with WVMat. It has been decided that the audience is bigger on Facebook. There are many fans interested in rankings but they are not familiar with WVMat.

3 Furthermore, it has been discovered that there are some fans out there that know all the scores for all the wrestlers on their school. With the rankings being posted on Facebook for these fans to view, I hope to get much more feedback than I have been receiving. Thank you to all of you that have been providing me feedback along the way.

4 The weekend of January 14 and 15 is the “line in the sand”. This was the weekend when the Winner’s Choice, OVAC, Braxton County Invitational and St. Mary’s Invitational all occurred. It is also the halfway mark for the wrestling season. ALL MATCHES THAT OCCURRED THIS WEEKEND and ongoing carry more weight than matches that occurred before. Everybody is set based on what they did up to January 14th. Head to head takes over!!!!!!!!!!!!! So if Hank Gates beat somebody back on December 4th and hasn’t done much since then, ole Hank might just drop out of the rankings. No scores for Hank, well, we will do the best we can with what we got to work with.

5 We have been reminded in the past two days that a few weight class changes along with a few significant matches can shake the rankings upside down. Due to this dynamic, we will now introduce the BEAR TRACK SMACK. This will be the new form of communicating the rankings on Facebook. One weight class at a time to smack you in the face. Simple, quick, easy to review and hopefully will generate feedback to correct any ranking error due to lack of known results. FOR BEST RESULTS, please send needed changes by way of Facebook messenger. Thanks

6 Inactive wrestlers will be moved to the bottom of the rankings with an “IA” beside their name along with the previous ranking. For example, if a #1 wrestler becomes inactive, they will be put at the bottom of the list as “IA – 1”. This shows they were #1 when they were moved to inactive status. Basically, if a wrestler misses 2 or more weeks, they are considered inactive. Once the wrestler is back on the mat and found in a score, they will be restored to the top 10 accordingly.

7 For the Bear Tracks provided on WVMat Forum, only known significant matches from January 14th and onward will be provided going forward.

8 A brief narrative might be added to explain why the ranked wrestlers are ranked as such.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL WRESTLERS AND TO ALL PEOPLE WHO ENTER THEIR SCORES.