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Sunday, April 16, 2000 By Lori Shontz, Post-Gazette Sports Writer
Crazy as it sounds in retrospect, last fall Teague Moore just couldn't figure out why he wasn't wrestling well. He would go to a tournament, win maybe a match, but lose two so quickly that he was out nearly as soon as he arrived.
It wasn't until Moore graduated from Oklahoma State last December, moved back to his hometown and took a job as a volunteer assistant coach at Pitt that he discovered the problem.
He wanted to get college over with, so he took 23 credits last fall.
Plus, he continued to train. And compete. So of course he was dragging.
When he finally got his diploma, Moore couldn't believe how much better he felt: "The 24 hours of the day -- to me, it was like, 'What do I do with all this time?' "
Moore put those "extra" hours to good use, and it paid off last weekend when he won the 119-pound title and the Outstanding Wrestler award at the University National Freestyle Championships in Evanston, Ill.
More impressive, in the championship bout Moore defeated second-ranked Stephen Abas, who beat him for the 1999 NCAA 125-pound championship and then put his college career on hold to train for the Olympics. Abas is considered one of the favorites for the Olympic berth at 119 pounds.
"I got over a hump I've wanted to get over for a while," said Moore, a North Allegheny graduate.
"Coming into here and focusing all my energy on wrestling, getting with a group of guys like this who are at the top echelon of the world -- it's just totally changed my whole outlook on wrestling. 'Wrestling became fun again. It's something I get excited for, even if it's just a workout or a small competition. Now I'm like a kid in a candy store again."
Moore was training for this week's national championships. But two weeks ago, he went to a tournament in Brockport, N.Y., wrestling up a weight class so he didn't have to cut weight, and finished second. He wasn't thrilled with that, so he made a sudden decision to compete at the University Nationals, just to see if he could go into the U.S. nationals on a better note.
Nothing could have worked out better. Moore and Abas went into overtime, and just after the extra period started Moore got in on a low single leg. Abas tried to fight out of it, but Moore got an inside trip and a three-point takedown.
"I find that interesting," said Bruce Burnett, the U.S. national freestyle coach. "Obviously, Teague Moore's a good wrestler. He's just been in that transition period where good college guys have to be tenacious and steadfast and learn the freestyle technical skills and strategy. He's done a decent job of doing that, but he's got a ways to go."
Moore thinks he has a good a chance as anyone to win the 119-pound national title, especially because so many of the top wrestlers at the weight are nearing the end of their careers.
"Those guys have been around a while," he said. "I doubt they're going to stick around after this year. It's kind of rude to say, but if I can put them into early retirement, so be it."
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