Last Saturday, four Chieftain wrestlers qualified for the state tournament, scheduled Friday and Saturday at the Kansas Coliseum in Wichita. Their successes are the result of many hours of practice and concentration.

The student-athletes who qualified for state senior Chris Calovich, juniors Mike Andrews and Tony Miller and freshman Bruce Walker deserve special recognition for their performances at the regional tournament last weekend at Piper High School in Kansas City, Kan.

Next year’s team certainly will miss Calovich’s leadership.

But all indications are that the future of Tonganoxie’s high school wrestling program is bright. A good deal of the credit goes to head coach Bill DeWitt and his assistant, Dean Moss.

During the 1997-98 school year DeWitt’s first as wrestling coach Tonganoxie placed 14th out of 16 teams at the regional tournament. One wrestler qualified for state.

The following year, the team placed 12th out of 16 teams at regionals, and three wrestlers qualified for state.

This year, the team placed seventh out of 16 teams at regionals, and four young men qualified to wrestle at state.

If DeWitt, who is working this semester as a student-teacher in the Tonganoxie school district, produces results like these in the classroom, he would be a good addition to any teaching staff.

Best wishes to the four youngsters who will represent Tonganoxie and its high school in Wichita. They have made us proud.