PCHS’ ‘Queen of the Mat’ gives back to younger Pirates
By Stuart Hedstrom
Staff Writer
GUILFORD — Last month Piscataquis Community High School senior Cahrey Harris had the opportunity to wrestle for her school one more time by joining some of the top female grapplers from across Maine and New England at the Queen of the Mat competition held at Biddeford High School. Harris’ involvement in wrestling in her community is ongoing as she has been assisting with the middle school and youth teams.
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
QUEEN OF THE MAT — PCHS senior Cahrey Harris concluded her Pirate wrestling career by finishing in third place at 125 pounds at the Queen of the Mat competition last month in Biddeford. Queen of the Mat was made up of female wrestlers from across Maine and New England. Harris’ four years at PCHS has included helping out the next generation of Pirates by assisting with the middle school and youth teams.
Before a recent middle school/youth practice in the Piscataquis Community Elementary School gym, Harris explained she learned about the Queen of the Mat match through the parents of a fellow female wrestler at Penobscot Valley High School who was going to compete on Feb. 27 at Biddeford.
“Coach (Tom) Cyr came to us and asked if we wanted to do it and it was something different,” Harris said. “I usually just wrestle boys.”
She said the Queen of the Mat had female wrestlers from across Maine’s Class A and B schools and some grapplers from other New England states. Harris competed in the 125-pound bracket and she finished in third place.
In Biddeford Harris won her opening two matches, was defeated in competition No. 3 but then won her fourth contest of the day to earn third-place honors.
“I got a trophy,” she said for coming in third at 125 pounds.
“It was tough, but it was nice to wrestle someone your own strength — boys usually overpower you,” Harris said.
The Queen of the Mat competition concluded Harris’ four-year wrestling career at PCHS, where she also plays soccer and is a member of the Pirate outdoor track and field team.
“I started wrestling in eighth grade,” she said. In high school she represented the Pirates at the Penobscot Valley Conference championships as well as the regional finals, competing in both the 113- and 120-pound brackets across the four years.
Harris said wrestling at the next level could be possible, but she would likely have to compete at the club level.
“I just got accepted at the University of Maine-Farmington,” she said. Harris — who is a member of the PCHS chapter of the National Honor Society — said she is looking to study business/economics.
“This is my fourth year helping out with the middle school,” Harris said. “My three brothers do it and you get to show the younger kids what you have heard and help them. We show them and walk around to correct them if they are doing it wrong and make suggestions on what they can do.”
During a practice last week Harris ran the warm-up laps with the younger wrestlers, encouraging some who were starting to slow with the words “keep running.” She then helped lead the stretches and took part in the ensuing drills as well as providing some hands-on technique instruction.
Is Harris having an impact on the future of female grade school wrestling at PCHS? If the numbers in the feeder levels is any indication, the answer is a solid “yes.”.
“Between middle school and pee wee there are 10 to 12 girls,” Harris said. When asked, she said these younger wrestlers look up to her. She said the daughter of a coach down at Queen of the Mat told her this as well “and it was a nice feeling.”
Observer photo/Stuart Hedstrom
HANDS-ON INSTRUCTION — For four years senior Cahrey Harris of PCHS has assisted with the middle school and youth wrestling teams. Harris runs warm-up laps with the younger grapplers, helps lead stretches and is another resource for teaching technique and helping to improve on the mat.
Photo courtesy of PCHS Yearbook Adviser Beth MacNeil
READY TO GO AT THE WHISTLE — Cahrey Harris of PCHS concluded her high school wrestling career with a third-place finish at the Queen of the Mat competition last month at Biddeford High School, grappling with some of the top girls from Maine and beyond. Harris was a four-year wrestler for the Pirates, and she also plays soccer and runs track in the spring.
Photo courtesy of PCHS Yearbook Adviser Beth MacNeil
WRESTLER AND COACH — Cahrey Harris is pictured with her head wrestling coach Tom Cyr.