By Sapna Pathak
Staff Writer

Shawn Moseley proudly uses his soft-spoken nature to keep his opponents off guard.

The tactic is working well for this good-natured grappler, who, as a freshman, is among the best wrestlers on the Plymouth State University roster.

Shawn Moseley

Before entering college, Moseley was a high school transfer student, leaving Manchester West after two years to wrestle for Concord High.

"It was something I wanted to do and my parents supported me through it," said Hooksett's Moseley, whose folks agreed to pay tuition for his junior and senior years at CHS. "They really must have seen something special. Why else would they spend money for me to go to a different high school for a sport?"

As a senior, Moseley won the state title in his weight class, defeating an opponent who beat him twice during the season.

Moseley recalled the Meet of Champions as his most fond wrestling memory. He described a feeling of exhilaration when beating a Timberlane wrestler - considered one of the state's best - for the title.

After graduating in 2004, Moseley completed a one-year post-graduate program at Tilton Prep School in Tilton to fine-tune his wrestling skills. That post-graduate year helped Moseley adjust to academic life more than athletic life, he said, helping him learn to handle being on his own and going to classes.

The school's small wrestling team allowed Moseley to focus on hitting the books more than the mats, he added.

Since arriving at PSU, Moseley said the biggest adjustment has been the work load. He has to work out and lift weights consistently, something he didn't need to do in high school.

At the college level, however, the wrestlers are faster, which in many respects makes grappling "a whole different sport."

The local athlete was exposed to his first college match when PSU scrimmaged UNH. It was after this scrimmage Moseley learned the importance of having mental toughness, he said.

"I did really poorly at UNH," he said. "Coach and I talked a lot about being mentally ready. I felt unbelievably ready when we went to New York; I've never felt so ready."

Moseley brought his new attitude to the Oneonta State Invitational the weekend of Nov. 19. He finished second in his 133- pound weight class after pinning his first two opponents in 30 seconds, before losing in the championship bout, 12-6.

Unlike many of his teammates, Moseley said he doesn't like to know anything about his opponents. He doesn't ask for records, seedings or statistics of opponents because it psyches him out when he's made aware of their skill levels.

Instead, his approach is surprisingly simple. He just waits for his name to be called and walks out to the mat.

That lack of knowledge about the competition, Moseley said, is a part of his mental preparation.

Moseley is still a fairly young wrestler, having begun in eighth grade at the Manchester YMCA. Even then, he beat opponents with more experience and won the middle school state championship.

In high school, Moseley was a full-time wrestling coach at the Manchester YMCA. As a mentor, he also stresses mental preparation.

His plan to go to a Division I school changed when he was accepted at PSU after his postgraduate year. Moseley said he didn't think he was ready for such a huge commitment, nor did he think he could mentally handle it.

"Most people don't understand wrestling because it's not like the other sports on TV," Moseley said. "Unless it's a part of your life, you don't get the intricacies of the sport."