When Steve Mocco first started wrestling at age 7, he didn’t find immediate success. In fact, it was quite the opposite for the North Bergen native.
“I lost every time,” Mocco said last week. “I mean, I lost every single match I wrestled. I didn’t win once.”
Those days are a distant memory, because last Saturday, Mocco collected one of the greatest achievements in North Bergen athletic history when he captured the NCAA Division I national wrestling championship in the heavyweight (285 pounds) division while competing for the University of Iowa at the Kemper Arena in Kansas City.
Only a sophomore at Iowa, Mocco defeated another New Jersey wrestler, Kevin Hoy of the Air Force Academy, 8-3, to capture the title that eluded him a year ago when he lost in the national championship round to Tommy Rowlands of Ohio State in double overtime.
“After last year’s loss, I trained hard all summer to get back to the nationals,” Mocco said in a phone interview last week from his University of Iowa dormitory room. “It was extremely tough for me. My whole world ended when I lost that one. I just knew I couldn’t have that happen again. The loss motivated me to train harder.”
Added Mocco, “That was part of my motivation going into the year. I wasn’t going to let anyone beat me.”
Mocco did exactly that, rolling to an undefeated 38-0 record, capped by the victory over Hoy in the national championship match.
“I felt I trained hard right through the season to get to the finals again,” Mocco said. “After a while, I felt like I was unbeatable.”
Mocco should know about that feeling well because during his brilliant wrestling career at Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J., the three-time national high school champion was an amazing 216-1, having lost as a freshman – then never again.
So that sense of invincibility should be a regular occurrence for Mocco.
Mocco said that he felt confident going up against Hoy, whom he had pinned earlier in the year.
“Although he’s a good wrestler, I knew he wasn’t going to stop me,” Mocco said. “Losing didn’t even cross my mind.”
However, Mocco could have very well lost all hope of the championship in the opening minute of his first bout at the tournament.
After receiving a bye in the first round, Mocco locked horns with Iowa State’s Scott Coleman in the second round. With 2:02 remaining in the first period, Mocco was called for an illegal hold. Coleman’s shoulder was injured as a result of the illegal move.
Iowa State coach Bobby Douglas could have elected to take the victory by disqualification, thus knocking the undefeated Mocco out of the tournament.
Instead, Douglas put Coleman back on the mat for one second, then chose default by injury.
“I don’t think taking [Mocco] out like that is good for the sport,” Douglas said. “It just wouldn’t have been the right thing to do. Steve is a bear. He’s a good wrestler on his way to being a great one. I didn’t want him to lose like that, and Coleman didn’t want to win like that.”
From that point on, Mocco steamrolled through the tournament, including the final round.
Mocco said that the idea of him being a national champion still hasn’t truly hit home.
“It definitely hasn’t sunken in,” Mocco said. “I just know that I made it to this level. Now, I want to be able to take it to the next level above this one, the international level. This is a tremendous feeling, a great accomplishment and all, and I’m very happy with it, but it’s far from the pinnacle.”
In Mocco’s mind, the top of the mountain will be the 2004 Olympic Games, which will now become a focus. Mocco will more than likely train for the next year with the Olympics in mind. He stands to be a favorite to collect Olympic gold in Athens next summer.
“I’m looking to become an Olympic champion,” Mocco said. “That’s the main goal now. I’ve achieved my goal of winning a national championship. Now, I want to take it a step further. I’ve reached this level. Now, I have to shoot for something bigger.”
Mocco said that he more than likely will take the year off as a red-shirt year at Iowa to concentrate on his Olympic dream.
“It’s more and more looking like the way I’m going to go,” Mocco said. “I just want to be able to represent North Bergen and Hudson County on the international scene. I’m really proud to represent North Bergen. It’s my home. It’s where I’m from. Every tournament I go to, when they announce that I’m from North Bergen, it gives me a thrill. It reminds everyone of where I’m from.”
Mocco was informed that his winning the national championship was probably the biggest athletic achievement for a North Bergen native since James J. Braddock won the world heavyweight boxing championship in 1935.
“Well, if that’s true, then it’s an amazing accomplishment,” Mocco said. “I’m honored. It’s a pretty big honor for me, but hopefully, it’s not the last honor I get. I definitely have more to come. It was a great accomplishment and you enjoy it for a while, but then as soon as it happens, you put it away and try for something bigger. Now, it’s over and it’s time to turn the attention to something else and take that as far as it can go.”