As the week began, Joe Haroutunian was bittersweet as he looked ahead to today’s Eastern Maine team tennis championships.

The 11th-year Sumner High School coach was excited to bring his top-seeded girls squad to the regional final for the third time in five years, but disappointed about having to play the match at the University of Maine courts.

“They haven’t been keeping those courts up,” said Haroutunian, whose Tigers of East Sullivan will face No. 7 George Stevens Academy of Blue Hill in the Eastern C title match. “There are big cracks, and weeds growing out through them. It’s really kind of pitiful, a real problem.

“It would be a good thing if someone would do something about it.”

Haroutunian needn’t worry any longer.

Tournament officials inspected the courts Monday afternoon, and by Tuesday determined there were only enough playable courts to hold either the boys or girls finals, but not both. As a result, the three Eastern Maine girls finals will be played at Bangor High School.

“We had shared [Haroutunian’s] concern before,” said Roland Gilbert, site director of the event. “And then [Maine Principals Association representative] Paul Soucy and I looked at the courts [Monday] afternoon and we became even more concerned. It was at that point when we got things in the works to have a change of venue.”

Gilbert said Tuesday that “four or five” courts at UMaine were playable, enough to stage the boys finals.

Concerns about using UMaine courts for MPA events this spring first came to the forefront during the state singles tournament earlier this spring. Because of the condition of some of the courts, some of those matches also were moved to Bangor High School.

Boys EM finals at UMaine today have No. 1 Brunswick vs. No. 3 Lewiston in Class A at 10:15 a.m., No. 1 Camden Hills vs. No. 3 Caribou in Class B at 4:15 p.m., and No. 1 George Stevens Academy vs. No. 6 Madawaska in Class C at 1:15 p.m.

EM girls finals at Bangor High School have No. 1 Brunswick vs. No. 2 Lewiston in Class A at 10:15 a.m., No. 1 Camden Hills vs. No. 3 Mount Desert Island in Class B at 4:15 p.m., and Sumner vs. George Stevens Academy in Class C at 1:15 p.m.

Wrestling exchange draws near

Preparations are under way for the 19th annual Maine-Nebraska Wrestling Exchange, the longest-running exchange of this type in the country, according to event coordinator Dennis Walch.

This year’s exchange will feature dual meets at four locations around Maine: Noble High School in South Berwick on June 24, Oxford Hills High School in South Paris on June 26, Belfast High School on June 28, and Lisbon High School on June 30.

Each location will feature Maine high school wrestlers from that general geographic area, said Walch, who recently retired after three decades as the wrestling coach at Westbrook High School.

In alternate years, a team from Maine travels to Nebraska for similar competition, with the host state providing the in-state travel, housing, and food for the visiting team.

Maine wrestlers expected to compete in at least one of this year’s matches include Kyle Bonin, Tony Gilmore, Norman Gilmore, and Steve Cummings, all of Belfast High; Brian Creamer, Chris Remsen, Jake Rollins, and Levi Rollins of Camden Hills; Chris Barkac, Keith Thompson, and Josh Bishop of Dexter; Brooks Thompson, Brandon Hamilton, and Dylan Wentworth of Skowhegan; Luke Robert and Jeff Harris of Mount View of Thorndike; Chris Desrosier and Peter Lee of Winslow; Travis Pelletier of Bucksport, John Judkins of Caribou, Jake Sinclair of Ellsworth, Caleb Pelletier of Foxcroft, Byan Blackler of Medomak Valley of Waldoboro, and Seth Webber of Mt. Blue of Farmington.