30 Under 30: Neil Foster

Dora High Wrestling

Words by Nick Norris | Images by Justin Hunter

There are two things high school athletes dream about: winning a state championship and advancing to the next level. Dora High School senior wrestler Neil Foster has accomplished that first goal twice and is now focusing on what comes next.

Dora boasts a successful wrestling program, and perhaps the most prominent athlete in that program is Neil. He began wrestling his sophomore year, and though he was inexperienced, his coaches saw great potential in him.

By his junior year, Neil was a force on the mat and capped the season with a state championship victory in the 170-pound weight class. Still, this did not satisfy the humble young wrestler.

“I wanted to win it again this year to prove some people wrong,” Neil said. “Some people told me I only won as a fluke because the top wrestler in the weight class lost in the first round.”

Neil certainly did just that. This season, he bumped up to the 182-pound weight class, won the state championship for the second time, and went undefeated in the regular season.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” Neil said. “Nobody can take that from me.”

As for the future, Neil hopes to continue his athletic career at a college where he plans to pursue a business or sports medicine degree. 78