As many Michigan wrestling fans can attest, senior/junior Mark Moos is pretty good at making the most out of some awkward-looking situations. In a position where any other collegiate wrestler may find himself in a heap of trouble, the Wolverine has the frequent tendency to end up on top. It’s an unconventional style on the mat that has produced a lot of success for Moos during his first three seasons in the U-M starting lineup, and it’s an unconventional style off the mat that led this talented wrestler out from the shadows of nearby
Ohio State to the Wolverine wrestling room.
A native of Lorain, Ohio, Moos was two-time state champion at wrestling powerhouse St. Edward High School, winning the 112-pound title in his junior season and the 119-pound crown as a senior. He helped the Eagles capture four straight Ohio state team trophies during his tenure and exhibited similar success at on the national scene with a 2002 National High School championship and 2001 Junior National freesyle crown.
Since arriving at Michigan, Moos has battled through several injuries, including a pair of concussions this year that forced him to the sideline for most of Michigan’s early-season competitions. The Wolverine, however, seems to have found his groove since his return in the New Year, posting a 9-1 dual record, and, in his most recent appearances, registered back-to-back falls against Northwestern and Michigan State in just a combined 1:17 time.
With the Big Ten season kicking off the final grind to the postseason tournaments, Mark took a quick break to discuss fighting through adversity, his unique wrestling style and how an Ohio kid ends up in Ann Arbor.
,» On having to sit out the first portion of the season with injury …
“It was really tough. I always get anxious to wrestle at the beginning of the year and anxious for the season to start. When I had to sit out, it seemed like it kept dragging on and on. I wrestled in Vegas, and it became a reality that I needed to sit out a while and get my head right.”
,» On how he stays focused through injuries …
“I’ve always just try to stay close and make sure I’m still going to practice, watching film and trying to figure out how to beat the people I’ve been losing to. I never want to get too separated away from wrestling in general.”
,» On his transition up to 133 pounds …
“I’m a lot more comfortable this year than I was last year. I don’t feel like I’m getting as out-muscled. I really enjoy being able to eat the night before and really having no worries about my weight.”
,» On his unconventional wrestling style …
“I don’t really know how I’d describe my style. I’ve never been asked that question before in my life. I’m comfortable anywhere on the mat whether it’s top, bottom or in a scramble. I’m a lot more confident this year being down on the bottom. I try to stay confident in every position, though, because chances are I’m going to be in that position at least once a match. I’ve been told that the cradle in my move on top, and I think I’m pretty effective with that.”
,» On how he got started in wrestling …
“I was a young, hyperactive, crazy kid. I was really into WWF, and to be honest, I thought it was WWF. My dad wanted to get me into wrestling, because I was so hyper and always had tons of energy. He said it would be good for me. It wasn’t exactly what I thought it was, but I just stayed in it anyway. I didn’t win a match until my second year. I beat a girl twice in that year, and those were my only two wins. It was tough to always go somewhere and end up losing. I was always upset and didn’t really want to do it anymore, but I just stayed with it. I started liking it once I started winning more.”
,» On choosing Michigan over nearby Ohio State …
“My brother went to Ohio State, so I was down there enough to know that it wasn’t a good fit for me. I knew a lot of guys on the team and the coaches, and I got along really well with all of them. I just knew that I’d probably have way too much fun and probably get into a little trouble down there. I’d been coming to the Michigan camps since I was a little kid. Mike (Kulczycki), (Andy) Hrovat and (Ryan) Bertin were here. I was on the team with Bertin, and I got along well with him when we were both at St. Eds. I watched Mikey and Andy wrestle since I was little, so I really looked up to them, and they both came here. Coach McFarland was from the Cleveland area, and that helped a lot too.”
,» On what makes wrestling unique …
“I think wrestling teaches you life lessons — hard work and dedication. Not that you don’t get those in other sports, but the discipline it takes and knowing that you have to make weight at a certain time teaches you the importance of deadlines.”
,» On wrestling advice that has stuck with him …
“We had a sign in our wrestling room that said ‘Just wrestle.’ It was a team slogan. When calls aren’t going your way or you lose, you just have to keep wrestling. That’s something that really stuck with me.”
,» On the competiveness of the Big Ten Conference …
“I definitely think that the Big Ten is the toughest conference. You look at specific weights, like (Eric) Tannenbaum’s weight (149), it’s just ridiculous. It’s tough, but that’s what we got into by coming here. Everybody you face was a state champ in high school, whereas at some of the smaller schools, they might just be trying to fill a roster. It’s just a tough match every weekend in the Big Ten. Anybody who makes it out of the Big Tens could easily go on to be an All-American.”
,» On his pre-match rituals …
“I’m kind of lame. I just eat and warm up. I like to just down and relax for about 15 minutes before the match and do a little visualization. I try to think about what I want to do and work on in that match.”
,» On what he wants to keep working this season …
“I want to work on my conditioning. I just want to get stronger and get better conditioned. I couldn’t even ride a bike or do anything for three weeks straight after Vegas. That Cornell match in New York was a big wake-up call. There are areas in wrestling that I definitely need to work on too, but the main things I want to work on are my conditioning and stength.”
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