Iowa's Moore looks for strong finish

Nick Moore's wrestling career began about the same time he started elementary school.

The University of Iowa senior has won matches, state and national titles. He has also faced his share of losses and roadblocks. Any and all of the previous good, bad and indifferent does not matter when he takes the mat for his final tournament as a Hawkeye.

'You go out there and do what you know how to do best,' Moore said. 'I've been training all my life for this and give it one last shot.'

Moore will make his third straight appearance at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Thursday at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. He will face Northwestern's seventh-seeded Pierce Harger in the first round at 165 pounds. Competition begins at 11 a.m.

'I'm ready to go,' Moore said. 'I'm just staying sharp and staying crisp. Just keeping your mind clear is the main concern, leading into Thursday.'

Moore (22-9) earned an at-large bid to the tournament after missing out on an automatic bid at the Big Ten Championships. The talk at the start of the season was about someone training on his own with a chip on his shoulder, trying to overturn some tough postseason performances.

He dismissed the idea that anything off the mat affected his performance this year, and the regular season does not impact this final competition. Moore is not satisfied with just returning to the national tournament, giving Iowa 10 qualifiers.

'I'm ready to go and get to see what I could do,' Moore said. 'It's great and fortunate for making it this year but there is no monkey off your back, yet.'

He had to shake it off to help his cause for a wild-card spot after failing to score a point for the co-champion Hawkeyes at the conference meet.

Moore looked livelier and more offensive as he won his final two matches to place ninth.

'I think he got getter his last match, his last two matches in particular, at Big Tens,' Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. 'It's something we have to build on.'

Moore and 157-pounder Mike Kelly are the only unseeded Hawkeyes. Both face seeded wrestlers in the opening matches, and will be expected to contribute for Iowa to push for its first team title since 2010.

'I don't look at those two guys as just bonus on top of what we've got,' Brands said. 'I think those two guys factor in critically in what we're trying to accomplish.'

The team race remains on the periphery for Moore. He is focused on his individual task. His role in Iowa's championship quest relies on how he takes care of his personal goals.

'There is no change in roles,' Moore said. 'When everybody worries about themselves and does their job then team championships come with it, and that's been the message the last five years here at Iowa.'

Moore and Harger have faced each other five times already. Moore owns a 4-1 edge in the series, splitting two matches this season. It is nice to have a familiar foe, but none of those wins or losses are worth any points in their next matchup.

'It matters just because we know each other, but other than that the match is decided on Thursday morning,' Moore said. 'All matches before that, they don't really matter, so you go out there and give it heck.'

The four-time state champion for Iowa City West and Junior national titlist still is looking for his first All-American finish. He said that is the conclusion that he is striving for and that it would be an incredible cap to his college career.

'It would be an awesome feeling,' Moore said. 'I need to stick what I'm best at and that's getting to the legs, scoring takedowns and riding hard.'

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