Training pays off for one

In preparation for this week's USA Wrestling tournament, Matt McDonough and Nate Moore of Iowa trained together.

Almost always in the training sessions, Moore came out the winner in two rounds when the two met in the 130-pound cadet Greco-Roman finals on Tuesday.

For most of their cadet freestyle title match Friday at the Fargodome, it appeared as though form would hold.

But thanks to late points in the first and third periods, McDonough won a championship of his own, defeating Moore 4-3, 0-7, 4-2.

"We wrestle all the time," McDonough said. "He usually wins, and finally I got what I needed and wanted all along, so it's really special."

The win by McDonough, a native of Marion, Iowa, who will be a junior at Linn-Mar High School this fall, denied Moore the cadet Triple Crown. Moore won the 130-pound title in Greco-Roman earlier this week and won the national folkstyle championship in early April.

Moore, who will be a junior at Iowa City West in the fall, was cruising for most of the first period, leading 3-0 late on the strength of three takedowns. But in the final seconds of the period, McDonough hit a four-point headlock.

"I knew all I needed to do was hang onto that and I had the period," McDonough said. "So I was just hanging onto it, waiting for the period to end, making sure nothing else happened."

Those late points seemed to motivate Moore in the second. A takedown and three two-point moves from the top position gave Moore seven quick points and a technical fall win in just 28 seconds.

After that quick flurry of points, McDonough's experience in wrestling against Moore came into play, said Iowa coach Bill Reed, who was in McDonough's corner for the match.

"Because they train together, he was like, 'He caught me, he got my ankles,' " Reed said. "He knew that if Nate gets that on him, it's going to be quick. I was like, 'Slow it back down like you did the first period, get his wrists, put a little doubt in him.' Fortunately, it worked out for Matt."

Trailing 2-1 in the waning moments of the third, McDonough took Moore down with 8 seconds remaining, and turned him for two points to seal a 4-2 period win.

With both finalists at cadet in Greco-Roman and freestyle, it appears Iowa has strength at the weight class for years to come.

"It's neat to see the state of Iowa back on top for at least this week," Reed said. "A lot of it goes to this group of 10 to 15 cadets. They've been competing at a top level for a long, long time. I guess it's showing this week."

And for once, McDonough topped Moore.

"I was pumped up to wrestle him one last time this summer," McDonough said. "I've been catching up, and this time I finally got the victory."

Friday's cadet freestyle medal matches

84 pounds

Title: Mango, Mo., dec. Reihoehl, Pa., 6-4, 2-0. 3rd: Johnson, Conn., dec. Scott, Minn., 1-1, 2-2, 2-2. 5th: Zimmer, Calif., dec. Lyon, Mich., 6-0, 4-1. 7th: Vesta, Kans., pinned Bergeron, Minn., 1:09.

91

Title: Clark, Ohio, dec. Slyter, Kans., 1-0, 7-0. 3rd: Nowry, Ill., dec. Kostenboder, Ore., 6-0, 1-1, 3-0. 5th: Riley, Ill., dec. Tate III, Ill., 1-1, 0-3, 5-3. 7th: Huff, Colo., tech. fall Baucke, Tenn., 6-0, 6-0.

98

Title: Taylor, Ohio, dec. Rappo, Pa., 3-0, 4-0. 3rd: Dake, N.Y., dec. Rupp, Okla., 1-1, 1-5, 3-1. 5th: Swanton, Fla., dec. Walters, Mo., 2-0, 2-3, 5-3. 7th: Furtrell, Ill., dec. Kriemier, Colo., 3-0, 9-2.

105

Title: Stieber, Ohio, tech. fall Villalonga, N.J., 7-0, 7-0. 3rd: Gordon, Pa., tech. fall White, Ohio, 6-0, 6-0. 5th: Bailey, Mo., dec. Huffman, Ore., 2-0, 6-0. 7th: Thorn, Minn., dec. Roth, Ill., 6-0, 1-2, 5-0.

112

Title: Oliver, Pa., dec. Kindig, Pa., 1-0, 4-2. 3rd: Paddock, N.Y., dec. Belleville, Wash., 0-6, 6-4, 5-2. 5th: Ramos, Ill., dec. Williams, Calif., 1-0, 1-0. 7th: Spjut, Texas, inj. default Squire, Ohio.

119

Title: McDonough, Iowa, dec. Moore, Iowa, 4-3, 0-7, 4-2. 3rd: Palmer, Ohio, dec. Garnett, Del., 5-3, 1-2, 1-0. 5th: Stephens, Oho, dec. Tenenbaum, Kans., 9-2, 0-7, 3-1. 7th: Partain, Okla., dec. Olson, Wis., 7-5, 4-1.

125

Title: Alton, Pa., dec. Johnston, Pa., 5-0, 1-0. 3rd: Chamberlain, Itah, dec. Bertram, Minn., 5-3, 3-2. 5th: Gutches, Ore., pinned Mangum, Utah, 2:31. 7th: Barnishel, Ill., dec. Strumwasser, N.Y., 1-1, 0-3, 1-0.

130

Title: Wiseman, Minn., tech. fall Sanders, Fla., 8-3, 7-2. 3rd: St. John, Iowa, dec. Kelly, Iowa, 3-3, 6-0, 5-0. 5th: Stephens, Ohio, dec. Galka, Ind., 1-7, 4-0, 2-1. 7th: Swan, Okla., dec. Warner, Idaho, 6-0, 2-0.

135

Title: Napier, Kans., dec. Jones, Wash., 2-0, 0-1, 5-0. 3rd: Meys, N.Y., pinned. Lyons, Pa., 5:16. 5th: Lucero, Utah, dec. Daffin, Okla., 2-2, 1-0. 7th: Stewart, Minn., inj. default Hatley, Wyo.

140

Title: Easter, W.V., dec. Vinson, N.Y., 2-1, 0-6, 1-1. 3rd: Polz, Ill., dec. Baez, Fla., 7-0, 5-0. 5th: Gasber, Ohio, pinned Collura, N.Y., 2:09. 7th: Koehn, Kans., inj. Default Goodale, Iowa.

145

Title: Meade, Pa., dec. Moore, Ohio, 2-0, 4-0. 3rd: Lofthouse, Utah, dec. Weatherman, Iowa, 5-4, 7-0. 5th: Kline, Ohio, dec. Edgington, Iowa, 1-0, 3-2. 7th: Zimmerman, Ill., dec. Duffy, Ill., 2-2, 4-0.

152

Title: Sheridan, Okla., pinned Cubberly, Ohio, 1:55. 3rd: Meys, N.Y., pinned Larson, Ill., 1:30. 5th: Brown, Wyo., inj. default Rutt, Minn. 7th: Mastro, Fla., dec. Rice, Ohio, 3-0, 3-0.

160

Title: Bourne, N.Y., dec. Peltier, R.I., 4-0, 5-0. 3rd: Gambrall, Iowa, dec. Yohn, Colo., 7-1, 2-0. 5th: Chivers, Wash,, dec. Boner, Wyo., 4-0, 2-2. 7th: Sare, Ariz., dec. Kocer, S.D., 3-2, 5-4.

171

Title: Cotton, Kans., dec. Collins, Calif., 1-0, 0-1, 2-1. 3rd: Pica, Calif., pinned Perry, Okla., 1:26. 5th: Bennett, Pa., dec. Thompson, Okla., 6-0, 4-1. 7th: Huntley, Okinawa, dec. Hylton, W.V., 2-4, 4-3, 6-1.

189

Title: Geiger, Ore., dec. Scharbrough, Idaho, 0-6, 5-0, 6-3. 3rd: Benzio, Pa., pinned Wrage, Iowa, 2:37. 5th: Grisz, Texas, dec. Lines, Minn., 4-5, 3-1, 1-0. 7th: Wilson, Ark., dec. Berry, N.Y. 2-0, 3-0.

215

Title: Fortune, Ore., dec. Disney, Kans., 2-0, 4-0.

3rd: Dubose, Mich., pinned Boger, calif., 1:15. 5th: Heesch, Iowa, dec. Apland, Iowa, 6-3, 4-1. 7th: Pettengrill, Mich., pinned Snyder, Ohio, 3:35.

275

Title: Andrus, Kans., dec. Owens, Ore., 1-0, 1-2, 1-0. 3rd: Snyder, Pa., inj. default Jackson, Va. 5th: Miller, Va., inj. default Scales, Ohio. 7th: Bruns, N.D., forfeit.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Matt Anderson at (701) 241-5544