Focused McDonough hungry for second championship

IOWA CITY - Matt McDonough is constantly moving, creating angles, hitting moves and locking up holds.

That relentless style has earned the Iowa 125-pounder one national championship and has him poised to win another this weekend at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

A red-shirt sophomore who enters as the No. 2 seed, McDonough has fire and the desire to be the best.

“It's a sport that demands so much endurance, strength, mental toughness with controlling your weight, how you eat, how you manage your time, the whole spectrum,” McDonough said. “In each minor detail, if you're doing whatever you can do to the best of your ability that only positively affects your chances on the mat.

“Your energy, attitude and confidence, realizing what the other guy is doing. Is he doing everything right, because I know that I am.”

McDonough doesn't take anything in his life lightly.

“One thing effects the other,” McDonough said. ”You have to work everything as best you can. You have to have priorities. Your educational life, your athletic life, your social life, you have to figure out what's most important and stick to that.”

The need to constantly improve all areas of his life is one of the reasons McDonough is successful, according to his mother, Sandi McDonough.

“Matt is so driven, in general, as a person,” Sandi said. “Matt tries new things and finds new ways to do things better all the time.”

Iowa Coach Tom Brands compared McDonough's devotion to that of former Hawkeyes, including three-time NCAA finalist and two-time national champ Brent Metcalf.

“He's looking for an edge and he's one of those guys that wants what's best for his future and always looking to build,” Brands said. “He reminds me of (Iowa four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion Mark) Ironside. He reminds me of the group on that wall in there that are probably the most celebrated names in Hawkeyes history.”

McDonough has joined the list of Hawkeye All-Americans, national champions and Big Ten champions on the wall of the Iowa practice room. Brands said a bit of complacency set in before the season, but that's long gone.

“Probably more trainable to some regards than a lot of the high-powered guys I've been around,” Brands said. “He's pretty humble. Pretty coachable.”

When McDonough steps away from wrestling, he tries to spend as much time with family and friends as possible. He makes sure to catch up with his grandparents, watch a movie with his father or play a video game or two with one of his brothers.

Mike McDonugh, Matt's dad and an Iowa wrestler in the 1970s, called his son a type “A” personality.

“He's just busy,” Mike said. “When he comes home to see family he wants to see and touch base with everybody.”

Mike McDonough said there is some down time.

“I used to say when he was a kid Matt had two speeds - fast and off,” Mike said with a laugh.

McDonough wasn't always successful on the mat. He developed into a champion because of that drive to get better.

“He's resilient,” Sandi McDonough said. “He lost a lot when he was younger. He took his lumps, big time. Those type of things get you to become who you are.”

He's shown that at Iowa, too. McDonough suffered his first defeat in the Big Ten finals last year, then won an NCAA title. He lost in the Midlands finals to Northwestern's Brandon Precin this season, but has beaten Precin twice since.

“You know, he's pretty tough,” Brands said. “Matt McDonough's a tough son of a gun. There's no doubt.”

McDonough isn't worried that Arizona State's Anthony Robles (31-0) received the No. 1 seed.

“What's important is showing up ready to go and no mercy and going through that tournament like a forest fire,” he said.

Notes: The Hawkeyes have won 23 NCAA titles, including the last three ... All nine Iowa wrestlers are seeded, led by No. 2 Matt McDonough at 125 pounds ... Hawks own five NCAA records - most points (170 in 1997), largest margin of victory (73.25 points in 1986), consecutive titles (nine, 1978-86), most finalists (six, 1986, '97) and most champions (five, 1986, '97).

Hawkeye qualifiers: 125 pounds, Matt McDonough (23-1); 133, Tony Ramos (21-4); 141, Montell Marion (9-3); 157, Derek St. John (19-4); 165, Aaron Janssen (25-7); 174, Ethen Lofthouse (19-8); 184, Grant Gambrall (19-7); 197, Luke Lofthouse (20-5); Hwt., Blake Rasing (17-5)