Foxcroft Academy’s Nelson wins his 150th career match

DOVER-FOXCROFT — RJ Nelson is a senior wrestler at Foxcroft Academy. He is a team captain and wrestles at 132 pounds. On Jan. 6 the Pony wrestling team competed at the Warrior Clash at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport. Nelson would not only become a tournament champion, but he also reached an incredible milestone by winning his 150th career match.

Nelson is profiled in a series of questions and answers submitted by the Foxcroft Academy wrestling program.

When did you start wrestling? “I started wrestling when I was 4 years old, my brother was just beginning wrestling and after going to all of his tournaments I bugged my parents until they let me step onto the mat. Wrestling from the day I started has been something that I absolutely love. I was a natural at a young age and excelled at the youth level In North Carolina placing third in the state meet my first year.”

What has wrestling done for you? “Wrestling has been the sport that has honestly kept me in line, I play three sports but wrestling has always been the one that I can’t wait for it to start and never want it to end. It has taught me so many things over the years and it’s allowed me to create relationships that no other sport could allow me to do.”

What are your goals in wrestling? “The goal for me from the start was always to be a state champion, obviously I want to win every match possible but there’s just something about the title ‘State Champion’ that makes it my ultimate goal.”

What does it mean to be part of FA wrestling? “Being an FA wrestler is definitely something special.There’s something different about the atmosphere here that makes winning that much sweeter. The FA wrestling team has been extremely successful over the last decade and even earlier and I’m just extremely happy to help continue the tradition.”

What did it mean to you to be voted captain as junior? “Being named a captain last year was definitely exciting considering it is usually the role of a senior but I feel like it boosts my work ethic knowing I have to set an example for all the other guys both in the practice room and on tournament day.”

What does it mean to you to reach 150 wins? “To be completely honestly my goal as a freshman was to be a 100-win wrestler but as I continued to grow as a wrestler it definitely started becoming more and more of a goal for me. To get 150 wins takes a lot of work, dedication, and the luck of having the best coaching staff possible here at FA that have shaped me into the wrestler I am today.”

“RJ has definitely has put in the time and effort to reach this goal, accomplishments like this doesn’t just happen overnight,” Foxcroft Academy head wrestling coach Luis Ayala said. “He is a very driven individual. He has high expectations for himself and the team, and that makes him a great team captain. He wears his heart on his sleeves, and that sometimes can be taken in a negative way, but for our team he is our energy. That passion and excitement that he brings every time he wrestles is contagious.”

Contributed photo
150 CAREER WINS — Foxcroft Academy senior RJ Nelson celebrates his 150th career victory on the wrestling mat for the Ponies Jan. 6 at the Warrior Clash in Newport. Nelson is pictured with his coaches, from left head coach Luis Ayala and coaches Ryan Reardon and Terry Whittemore.

Contributed photo
STARTING YOUNG — Senior RJ Nelson of Foxcroft Academy began his wrestling career at the age of 4 in North Carolina, placing third in the state during his first season as a grappler.