By Ken Hansard
Haven High senior wrestler Jacob Moore first took the mat for the Wildcats as a freshman. From that point on, he improved each year, both in skill and in status. In November, standing on the cusp of his final high school season, he had one simple goal – to finish his career on the mat and make one more deep run at the KSHSAA 3A State Wrestling Championships at Hartman Arena.
One of the great hallmarks of Moore’s high school career was his consistency and his ability to make progress. As a sophomore, Moore finished 4th at state. As a junior, he finished with a record of 46-5, winning regionals and placing fifth at state. In each of those three years, he won the Halstead tournament. So, for his senior year, the only acceptable outcome was to improve on what he had already achieved. Mission accomplished, “Honestly, I’m really proud of being the four-time Halstead Invitational Champ.” And although he would have liked to have won one more match at state, his season was a smashing success. He was undefeated in league competition, winning the Central Kansas League. Then he turned around and was, once again, regional champ. Finally, he finished off his high school career by once more going to state, this time placing third and capping off a stellar 36-3 campaign.
Jacob’s consistency did not happen by chance. It came as a result of a lot of hard work and dedication, “I worked a ton on being on the offensive on my feet. I drilled different moves and combinations daily until they became like second nature.”
Moore credits his devotion to the sport to strong role models, and especially to his coaches, “My love for wrestling really comes from the coaches I have had in my corner – such as Coach Josh, Coach Mikey, and Coach Moore, but I also want to give a shout out to my siblings for all of their support.”
Jacob is a standout in the classroom, as well, boasting a stellar 3.92 G.P.A. He would like to wrestle at the collegiate level next year while pursuing a career as a chiropractor.
