Morse High School

HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING: Nebraska wrestlers take in Vacationland

WINSLOW -- Zach Rees has been to Maine before. Next fall, when he's a freshman at Brown University in Providence, R.I., Rees will be close enough to make a day trip to Vacationland.

This week's trip to Maine with the Nebraska wrestling team for the Friendship Series of matches across the state, this is more of a working vacation for Rees and the rest of the Cornhuskers.

"People are pretty much the same," Rees, of Kearney, Neb., said. "People around here are real nice, just like they are in Nebraska."

Rees is one of 15 high school wrestlers from Nebraska in Maine this week to compete in a series of matches across the state. Now in its 27th year, the week's matches began Tuesday night at Winslow High School. They'll continue Thursday at the Farmington Community Center, with matches at Morse High in Bath on Saturday and Marshwood High in Eliot on Monday.

Ryan Bauer, also of Kearney, is a second generation participant in the Maine-Nebraska series. His father, Mark Bauer, and uncle, Andrew Bauer, both wrestled against Maine in the late 1980s. Bauer said his father kept the advice simple.

"Just have fun. This is setting me up for the future. Go out there, try new things, and have fun," Bauer said.

Rees came to Maine with Team Nebraska two years ago, and has visited his brother, Collin, at Harvard. Even though he knew how different Maine's landscape is from Nebraska's, it's still a surprise.

"You know what to expect, but it still shocks you when you see it," Rees said. "The biggest difference, I guess, is the rocks and windy roads and just hills and woods. We don't have hardly any woods in Nebraska."

The wrestlers spent Tuesday in the woods, taking in the whitewater of the Kennebec River.

"I'd never done it before. The only goal was not to fall in," Bauer said. "It reminded me of Colorado. I've been there a few times."

When Bauer thought of Maine before arriving here, he thought of the typical stuff you'd find on a postcard.

"I thought lobster, go seafood fishing, whitewater rafting, stuff like that," he said.

The ocean will come later this week. After leaving Winslow, the group heads to Farmington and back in the hills, where on Thursday the plan is to hike Tumbledown Mountain.

The biggest difference in the states might be in the purpose of the trip, wrestling. In Nebraska, wrestling is huge. The high school state championships are televised live, and thousands turn out to see the matches in person. Over the years, the Nebraska wrestlers have dominated the series.

Meet the top scholars in Morse High School's - The Times Record

The class valedictorian is Charles Taylor Oddleifson , known by most as Taylor and by some as T. O., resides in Woolwich with his parents Charles Durfee and Jennifer Oddleifson. Oddleifson was honored by the high school administration as recipient of the Maine Principals’ Association Principal’s Award. As National Honor Society president, AP Scholar and recipient of numerous academic awards throughout his years at Morse, Oddleifson plans to attend Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. He played soccer and tennis for the Shipbuilders, as well as trumpet in the jazz band. Salutatorian Zachery Shaw , of Woolwich, served as the class president and has been the student representative to the Regional School Unit 1 board of directors. Among his many academic awards are the Rensselaer Medal and designation as an AP Scholar with Honor. He has participated on the soccer and tennis teams, math team, Ocean Bowl and Student Community Liaison Council, among other school groups. The daughter of Tamara and Gregg Shirley volunteers at Mid Coast Hospital during the summer months, tutors and works for Habitat for Humanity. She was named a National Merit Finalist, and received numerous academic awards including the Wells College Book Award and the Future Women Engineering Award. Her activities at Morse High include running for the cross country team, working on the stage crew for the drama program, joining the Amnesty International and writing for the Optimus Stylus, a student literary publication. Second Honor Essayist Emily Howell , the daughter of Randy Howell and Peggy Duhamel of Woolwich, participated in the Bath-Tsugaru Sister City Program’s cultural exchange last summer and hopes to continue traveling around the world in the future. Howell’s range of interests include sports — she enjoyed soccer, track, lacrosse, swimming and skiing while at Morse — art and music. Andrew Molboski , ranked sixth in the class academically, participated in the annual Odyssey of the Mind problem-solving competitions since his days as an elementary student at Fisher-Mitchell School. He was chosen as one of 30 students worldwide for the Creative Opportunities Unlimited (COU) Award, given for exceptional creative problem-solving skills, good sportsmanship, perseverance and teamwork.

History teacher's magazine

Bulletin

Statistics of land-grant colleges and universities

Journal of education

Class of 1947, Morse High School, Bath, Maine, an anthology of recollections published on the occasion of its 60th reunion, June 9, 2007