<\/a>Students wrestle at the 2020 Southeast Alaska Middle School Wrestling Championship at Floyd Dryden Middle School on Friday. (Peter Segall | Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
One first-year wrestler, though not from Floyd Dryden, was 8th-grader Conner McKenzie, 13, from Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School. Though it was only his first year wrestling, McKenzie said he was really enjoying the sport.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“It has so many great opportunities,” he said. “You get to spend so much time with your friends and your team.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Is he going to wrestle in next year in high school?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“Definitely,” McKenzie said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Floyd Dryden was not just playing host to the tournament, but to the hundreds of students and their family members. People were sleeping throughout the school at night, Thompson said, and local families and community groups were providing food.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“It’s all be a community effort,” Thompson said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Billie Younce traveled from Wrangell with her daughter, Lily, for the tournament.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>Matches were being held two at a time during the 2020 Southeast Alaska Middle School Wrestling Championship at Floyd Dryden Middle School on Friday. (Peter Segall | Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
“It’s great,” Younce said. “There’s a lot of supporters out here. You couldn’t have asked for a better turnout.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Younce and others visiting Juneau flew here by plane. Normally, they would have taken the ferry but the Alaska Marine Highway System currently only has one ship running.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
That made the trip cost more, but the team raised money through fundraisers, a local church made donations and the parents themselves covered some of the costs, Younce and her daughter said.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
The younger Younce, Lily, said she had been wrestling since pre-school.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“Since kindergarten,” he mother corrected her.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
“Since pre-school,” she insisted.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
<\/a>A referee watches as students wrestle at the 2020 Southeast Alaska Middle School Wrestling Tournament at Floyd Dryden Middle School on Friday. (Peter Segall | Juneau Empire)<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
Asked what she liked about wrestling, Lily fired back, “Everything.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Lily was traveling with her team from Stikine Middle School in Wrangell. She was one of three girls on her team of 18. Her favorite thing about wrestling: making new friends.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t
Wrestlers came from nine communities from Southeast Alaska for the tournament. Hoonah, Naukati Bay, Ketchikan, Metlakatla, Gustavus, Sitka, Skagway, Wrangell and Craig.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t