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BY MATT PFIFFNER After a third-place finish last season as a freshman, Hoffman is looking to jump up two spots on the award stand. And he doesn't mind every other wrestler at his weight knowing that. "I'm happy I'm number one. But that also means I have guys who know my name and they're coming after me every match," he said. "I'm not going to be able to surprise anybody. I feel like I'm pretty solid as the number one guy." Hoffman said last year's finish was not what he wanted, but after an early loss, he was proud of the way he came back for third. "My goal was to win a national title and I think I could have done it. But I wrestled a bad match," Hoffman said. "I feel really good I was able to come all the way back, win five or six straight, come back and take third. I was a little disappointed." The Triton grappler said he's ready to take his second run at a title. "I like where I'm at a lot right now. I feel like I'm in good condition, my weight is really under control. We've been practicing hard the past couple weeks. Hopefully we'll peak at the right time," he said. Hoffman isn't the only top-ranked wrestler in the room. Tony Valdez is No. 1 at 133, Joe Soto is the top-ranked wrestler at 141 and Jon Jones is No. 1 at 197. With three other wrestlers in the rankings, it's no wonder Iowa Central is the No. 1 team in the nation in the final polls. Hoffman is enjoying the success, both individually and as a team. "This is the first time I've ever been on a winning team in my life. It's a pretty nice change. I like winning," he said. "All our guys work really hard and I think we deserve the number one ranking right now." When Hoffman arrived at Iowa Central, he wasn't sure what to expect. He had a lot of success in high school at the state and national level, but didn't know if his style would transfer over to college. He found out, a little to his surprise, that he didn't have to change that much. "There has been a little bit I've had to adjust to. I've had to work on the bottom, because there's a lot of good riders," he said. "I like to use my funk, but you really have to work on basic stand-ups and things like that in college. I've also had to develop a little more of a shot, other than just working ties and countering." Those who remember watching Hoffman in high school probably remember him for his tough riding ability and using his lengthy frame to his advantage to turn opponents over and over. That hasn't changed in college. "I'm pretty surprised. I've turned a lot of guys in college and I didn't think it would be that easy," Hoffman said. "There are guys who are really tough on bottom and will fight you really hard. I think I've just had to get a little tougher and a little more physical on top to get some of those turns, but they're still working good for me." Hoffman has the advantage of wrestling for a pair of coaches who did what he's hoping to do...start their career at Iowa Central and finish in Division I. Head Coach Luke Moffitt made a successful jump for Fort Dodge to Iowa City wrestling for the Iowa Hawkeyes. "He'll prepare us a lot like I'm sure he was prepared at Iowa," Hoffman said of Moffitt. "I'm sure it's not the same, but he gets us ready and tells us what we need to work on. He makes sure we go out there and battle every match. "Both our coaches went to Iowa Central and went on to Division I universities after that. They give us a lot of help and advice, not just on the mats but in the classroom and things like that too." Hoffman said it would have been nice to start his career in Div. I, but he feels he's better prepared for that level of competition now. "Things are working out perfectly. I came came to Iowa Central because I knew they had a good program and I knew they would help me get to the next level in my wrestling," he said. "I felt I was a little overlooked coming out of high school, but I think with the success I'm having here, I'm getting more attention." After
this season is over, Hoffman will worry about the rest of his college
wrestling career.
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National
Championships in Rochester, Minn. as the top-ranked man at his
weight.