Dover-Foxcroft to host Maine-Nebraska Wrestling Exchange Series this summer
DOVER-FOXCROFT — Foxcroft Academy has been chosen to be one of the sites to host the 2014 Maine-Nebraska Wrestling Exchange. The school will be hosting this wrestling event on Friday, June 27 at 6 p.m. at SeDoMoCha Middle School.
The Maine-Nebraska Friendship Series is one of the longest running exchanges of its type between two states. Its beginnings date back to 1984. The two states have alternated hosting each other, with the visiting team typically wrestling at four sites. The four sites where Team Nebraska will be wrestling while in Maine are Skowhegan, Dover-Foxcroft, Ellsworth and Marshwood in South Berwick.
“This is a great honor for us to host this event,” said Foxcroft Academy head wrestling coach Luis Ayala. “We want to be a great host to the team from Nebraska, something that will be memorable for everyone.”
The team wrestling in Dover-Foxcroft has wrestlers from eight different schools. These wrestlers have been chosen because they are the best in their divisions. They are wrestlers from Belfast, Calais, Dexter, Ellsworth, MCI, Mt. View, Skowhegan and Foxcroft Academy. The Foxcroft wrestling team will be well represented as they will have their 120-pounder Antonio Ayala, 138-pouner Brooks Law, 160-pounder Todd Francis and 195-pounder Corbyn Bruce.
“With this responsibility comes a lot of work that needs to be done,” Ayala said. The Foxcroft Academy wrestling team is looking for host families to house some of the wrestlers and coaches from Nebraska. Team Nebraska is bringing 18 people, 15 wrestlers and three coaches. They will be staying for three days and two nights. They will be arriving from Skowhegan on Thursday, June 26 at 1 p.m. and leaving on Saturday, June 28 at 11 a.m. for Ellsworth. They are also looking for sponsors that would like to help in donating food or money to help them feed them. They will be having two cookouts while they are here.
The wrestling will take place at SeDoMoCha Middle because Foxcroft Academy will replacing its gym floor this summer. “While wrestling is fierce on the mats, the main purpose of this exchange is to initiate friendship and develop an understanding of different ways of life,” Ayala said.
Ayala would like to thank Foxcroft Academy and the Army National Guard for their donations to this event so far. If any organizations, businesses or families would like to help for this event please contact Luis Ayala at 564-3228 or 717-5298 or email him at alayala@myfairpoint.net.