I now know how much work it takes to win a state title and how much luck. I've been very fortunate to have good kids. One of those kids is his own son, Burke, a junior who won state titles as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Burke has a chance to become a four-time state champion, a feat achieved so far only by R.A. Long's Pat Conners. One of the things Lake Stevens does that other programs don't is travel.
Barnes loves to surf wrestling sites on the Internet.
One such search yielded an invitation to the prestigious Virginia Duals, a national meet for college and high school teams. This season the Vikings are also traveling to Pennsylvania on successive weekends to participate in two more elite events, including the National Duals. Having a national champion on the roster leads to those kinds of invitations. And participating in those meets helps build a national reputation. But Barnes said the focus should always be on that state meet.