All the sacrifices and hardships paid off for wrestlers Forrest Cornell of Lisbon and Jake Rasque of Marshwood, who have each earned All American Honorable Mention honors.
The two are the only Maine seniors to receive the honor from Wrestling U.S.A. Magazine.
Cornell, a four-time Class C state champion, is the first-ever Lisbon wrestler to have earned All American status. The Greyhound grappler dominated opponents on the mat and won multiple Mid-State league and Regional championships throughout his career. Cornell finished with a 131-21 record, with 73 pins.
Cornell capped his reign with one of his toughest matches in the state meet at the Augusta Civic Center. Caleb Hall of Dirigo had the task of trying to deny Cornell his quest for a fourth consecutive state crown. Hall, who won a state championship two seasons ago at the same venue, proved up to the challenge, but the Lisbon senior had a takedown and an escape for a 3-0 decision.
Cornell, who won state crowns in three different weight classes, is the 15th wrestler to win four championships in Maine.
The Lisbon program has been among the top three in Maine during the past decade. Cornell, a four-time All State selection, helped carry on the Greyhounds’ tradition. He was a member of three state championship teams and this February the Greyhounds finished third in with 120 points.
Cornell also excelled academically, with a 3.87 grade point average. Cornell lost a hard-fought, 4-2 decision to Rasque at the 2011 New England Championships. Cornell fell behind 4-0, executed a reversal and exposed Rasque’s back to the mat, but couldn’t hold him two-seconds for near-fall points.
Rasque, a three-time Class A state champion, completed his career at 160-26, with 92 pins. The four-time Maine Freestyle champion had a 3.89 GPA.
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