Dec. 13, 2004

Like father, like son. It is what many people think of when a father influences his son's sporting career. That phrase holds true for freshman Marcus Hoehn. Hoehn's father was a leading wrestler in high school and encouraged Marcus to begin competing at a young age. The days of peewee wrestling flew by, and Hoehn was about to make his mark on high school wrestling in Farmington, Mo. It's not too often that a wrestler competes in the state competition all four years of high school, but Hoehn doesn't know any different.

After winning the state title as a junior, he had high hopes for his senior season. That season was full of accomplishing goals for Hoehn as he was named a National High School Coaches Association All-American and ranked sixth in the nation.

After looking at several schools, Hoehn decided on Missouri.

"Once I visited there, I knew it was where I wanted to be. They were ranked in the top 10 preseason, have a up-and-coming program, and the fact that it was instate all weighed heavily on my choice to come here," Hoehn said.

Even though all the hype about the Missouri program helped his decision, nothing compared to the camaraderie and true friendship he felt between all the guys on the team. After joining the squad, Hoehn has gotten to experience the friendship for himself.

"That is one of the great things about this team, we all get along so well. I think we have really good relationships with each other--being a friend and also being able to push each other in the room," Hoehn said.

Being a part of such a competitive squad allows the team members to set their goals high. That is exactly what Hoehn has done for himself.

"By the end of the season, I'd like to be a starter, but if that doesn't happen I just want to improve and be a good workout partner by pushing the starters," Hoehn said.

Helping everyone perform at their highest level can drive the team to reaching its ultimate goal--winning a national title.

Getting prepared for a match is something many guys take very seriously. Hoehn seems to take a bit of a different approach. Spending time around his teammates is where you'll find him prior to taking the mat.

"Many of the guys like to be by themselves so they can start thinking about it, but I'd rather not. I like to get in a good warm up, and then hang out with some of the guys talking about things other than wrestling," Hoehn said.

But once it's his turn, you'll find Hoehn excited to get in there and get things done. Before checking in at the table, Hoehn will be giving his coach a high five to get things going--something he's been doing for a long time now.

Being a natural athlete allows Hoehn to really succeed in wrestling. You may still find him out on the football field or fielding ground balls on the baseball diamond when he's not lifting weights or practicing on the mat. No matter what sport he's competing in, you can be sure to find his father cheering him on to victory, since it was from him that Marcus took a love to sports.

--Tara Hanna