By NICK McQUEEN

nmcqueen@dailynews.net

Visit the Hays High School wrestling team's web page, and before any links come up, it reads ... "The goal is not to qualify for state, but to place at state."

Every year the past three seasons, the standard gets higher and higher. After qualifying 11 wrestlers to the Class 5A state finale last season, and earning five state medals in a sixth-place team finish, the expectations have grown.

Not only do the Indians expect to have numerous state qualifiers to the 5A state tourney, they expect to earn some hardware.

The first step is Saturday's regional at Salina South. Start time is 9:30 a.m.

"We've been focused. We've had those goals set all year for ourselves -- pretty much have our minds set," said senior 120-pounder Kevin Arnhold. "We know what we need to do, and we've been doing the things every day we need to do to get there."

Arnhold, part of the Indians' back-to-back regional championship teams the last two seasons, has arguably the toughest road to the state finale in a regional that includes Andover, Andover Central, Great Bend, Newton, Salina Central, Salina South and Wichita/Kapaun-Mt. Carmel.

Arnhold, last year's third-place finisher at 112, is ranked No. 4 with a 23-8 record. His bracket, though, includes the No. 2-, 3-, 4-, 5- and 6-ranked wrestlers.

"There are some really tough weight classes -- the 120 for example is extremely tough," Indian coach John Hafliger said. "Kevin is wrestling well, and he is going to need to wrestle well."

Still, crediting the entire team's work ethic, and a sparring partner in senior teammate Derek Stiles, Arnhold feels confident he will be competing at Wichita-Hartman Arena next week in the finale.

It's a mindset the rest of the team shares.

"I've had great practice partners, like Derek Stiles (29-8 at 126 pounds)," Arnhold said. "He pushes me every day, and I him.

"We help each other really find another gear -- just a lot of grind," Arnhold added.

The Indians have not wrestled since Feb. 9 when they captured their second straight Western Athletic Conference title in a dual win against Great Bend.

The second straight league crown was goal No. 1 for the season. The layoff has provided time for healing, and re-focusing, Hafliger said.

"These guys have set high goals for themselves," he said, "and have kept them in sight all year long. It hasn't changed the past two weeks.

"Keeping them focused has not been a problem," Hafliger added.

Hays High will put an entire team in the regional, with several on the bubble for qualifying in what could be the toughest 5A regional in the state, and a tougher field than the Indians have seen the past two seasons.

"Very tough regional," Hafliger said. "... overall the toughest 5A regional."

Hays High, ranked No. 8 in Class 5A, has five ranked wrestlers entering the field, including Arnhold. Junior Kyler Meyers (27-11) is No. 6, sophomore Preston Weigel (33-1 at 170) No. 1, senior Cash Drylie (33-1 at 220) No. 2, and senior Luke Madden (27-4 at 285) No. 4.

Hafliger uses the Garden City tournament earlier this season as a basis for comparison when getting ready for the regional. In that tournament, Weigel suffered his only loss of the season to finish second, and Drylie won it.

"If you can go into the Garden City tournament and be competitive there, you have a shot," Hafliger said. "It's the toughest tournament we go to, including regionals and state."

Senior Brandon Weigel (22-6 at 182 pounds) also has a tough road ahead of him to qualify. The 182 field includes the No. 2-, 3-, and 4-ranked wrestlers. Four ranked teams, No. 3 Andover Central (defending state champion), No. 4 Newton, and No. 8 Hays High, and No. 9 Kapaun could all contend for the regional crown.

"This time off has been good for us to kind of get healed up, Hafliger said. "Just focus on some of the things we need to work on to get better for the regional."

Hays High regional lineup

106 -- Russ Kohl (6-18)

113 -- Caleb Hecker (8-14)

120 -- Kevin Arnhold (23-8)

126 -- Derek Stiles (29-8)

132 -- Tathan Burkhart (13-6)

138 -- Cade Albert (7-27)

145 -- Leroy Franco (24-12)

152 -- Ethan Deterding (26-12)

160 -- Kyler Meyers (27-11)

170 -- Preston Weigel (33-1)

182 -- Brandon Weigel (22-6)

195 -- Chandler Rule (29-9)

220 -- Cash Drylie (33-1)

285 -- Luke Madden (27-4)