Mike Urena
Staff Writer

While the Purdue wrestling team placed last in the Big Ten Championships last weekend, four individuals had the determination to win a trip to nationals.

Kirk Moore's run was perhaps the most impressive. The 165-pound sophomore was the only unseeded Boiler wrestler to advance the NCAA Championships, which will take place March 16-18 in St. Louis.

Moore placed seventh, defeating No. 7 seed Jason Rawls from Michigan 4-3 and No. 8 seed Butch Hildebrand of Indiana 11-5 along the way.

Beating Hildebrand, who had beaten Moore 6-5 two weeks prior, made everyone happy.

"It felt good," said Moore. "The coaches were happy and it felt good to beat an in-state rival to go to nationals."

Moore's positive attitude has been the key to his success.

"That’s the reason why he made it because he was determined to make it," Purdue Coach Jessie Reyes said. "He had the type of determination to make it happen and beat two seeded kids and did a nice job on that."

Moore said it was embarrassing to place last in the team standings, but that he is happy to be going to the national tournament. He has been anticipating the trip ever since last year when he saw teammate Jason Silverstein, who was a freshman then, become an All-American by placing eighth at 125 pounds.

"Kirk has anticipated qualifying for the NCAA tourney ever since he arrived on campus," Reyes said. "He saw Silverstein do it last year and he wants to do the same thing and whatever happens he’s going to go out and have the attitude to wrestle and that is a factor you need."

The 165-pounder has been wrestling most of his life and notices that everyone is on the same level even though the opponents seem tough. Moore said, he needs to keep focused on his goals in order to win.

"Just because you place out in the Big Ten doesn’t mean you can’t win at the national championships," Moore said.

Moore needs to place in the top eight at his weight to earn All-America status. However, after Moore went 10-11 in the regular season, not many people thought he would be at the NCAA Championships for sure.

"We thought three guys for sure were going to nationals and thought realistically we could take another three," Reyes said.

It is Moore who has great ambitions to do well in nationals for himself and for his team.

"I feel great and I feel good vibes coming," Moore said.

Reyes said Moore — who will be accompanied by Silverstein, 133-pounder Evan Robinson and heavyweight Jake Vercelli at the NCAA meet — can do well by the way he wrestled in the Big Ten’s.

"He has high goals to be an All-American and I think it is realistic," said Reyes. "And I like to see an unseeded wrestler who believes he can do it."