AT MAINE NEW ENGLAND QUALIFIER TOURNAMENT
Hello, my name is Jeff Witham and I am currently the president of the Maine Interscholastic Wrestling Officials Association and the lead official for this 2nd annual Maine State New England Qualifying tournament. It is my honor to announce the winner of this year Outstanding Wrestler trophy.
However, before I do that, we have a little change to announce. As you all know, the OW for the Class A, B and C tournaments are named for special people from the history of Maine high school wrestling – names like LaFountain, Smith and Pelletier. The MIWOA is responsible for funding and awarding these handsome OW trophies. As you may not know, the OW for this tournament had no name, UNTIL TODAY. When this topic came up to the leaders of the MIWOA, one name clearly jumped to the top of the list. This person has represented Maine wrestling as a participant, a coach, an official, a mentor and a friend for over 50 years. When people ask me “what got you into officiating?”, I think back to my beginnings and recall this man on the mat. His style, his assertiveness, his calmness, his integrity, his knowledge, and his love for the sport.
It is with great pleasure that I announce that this trophy will now be known as the -
The Dennis Bishop Outstanding Wrestler Award
Congratulations Dennis