FIRESTARTERS
Moos, Hazewinkel igniting Michigan and Oklahoma
They are the 125-pound wrestlers, who in many occasions are the youngest wrestlers on their teams. In the Jan. 20, 2004 rankings by Wrestling International Newsmagazine, 10 of the top 20 125-pounders are sophomores or younger.
But because of their position on the team — at least in tournaments where the lightest wrestlers compete first — they are asked to perform their team’s biggest role:
Igniting their team’s momentum.
The
ir role is that of a fire-starter."(Having a strong 125-pounder) is huge, especially in a tournament like this," said Michigan coach Joe McFarland at the 2004 Cliff Keen NWCA National Duals, where his Wolverines finished third. "(The 125-pounder) gets the team started off on the right foot."
And the fifth-year Wolverine coach may have one of the better young 125-pounders in redshirt freshman Mark Moos, who is ranked third at his weight nationally after the native of Lorain, Ohio, won all five of his matches and scored 21 of his team’s 124 dual meet points in Cleveland on the strength of one technical fall, one major decision, one injury default and two decisions. He also knocked off Minnesota’s returning All-American Bobbe Lowe and Hofstra’s Tom Noto, who was ranked second before the start of the Duals.
"(Moos is) the kind of guy who is real dangerous and can score a lot of points," McFarland said. "He can score from any position and can pin from any position. He’s exciting to watch. He gets the momentum going on our team."
The same can be said about Oklahoma’s redshirt freshman and 10th-ranked 125-pounder, Sam Hazewinkel, who won five of six matches in Cleveland, including a 54-second pin of Lowe.
"Sam is just great. As far as being an outstanding wrestler, there are no surprises. As far as being an outstanding kid, there are no surprises," said Oklahoma coach Jack Spates, whose team finished fifth at the Duals.
And had the Sooners found a way to beat Penn State during a consolation semifinal, fans may have seen the first collegiate meeting of these combustible wrestlers. Instead, they must now wait until at least the NCAAs where they could be seeded among the top eight.
"(Mo
os) beat me at Fargo (at the Junior Nationals) in freestyle during our junior year of high school. He’s real tough," said Hazewinkel, a three-time Florida state champion from Pensacola and two-time Junior National Greco-Roman champ.Moos, meanwhile, brought with him to Ann Arbor a resume that included two Ohio state championships and a 2001 Junior National freestyle championship.
And yet, both young stars had to wait a year before they could display their styles on the varsity level. And with a combined 39-4 record this season, they have earned their places among the nation’s best 125-pounders.
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