Athlete of the Year: Derek Moore
By Ivan Ilagan The California Aggie
Davis, CA (CSTV U-WIRE) — After struggling through some injury-marred years, UC Davis senior Derek Moore finally enjoyed an overdue breakout season. The 141-pound team captain battled through the regular season with a perfect record, capping off his final Aggie season with both a Pac-10 championship and a national championship.
For his numerous accomplishments throughout the 2006-2007 season, Moore has been named The California Aggie’s Athlete of the Year. Breaking down his 2006-2007 season in terms of numbers, Moore’s performance was nothing short of dominating. He compiled a 24-0 record, including five pins and six major decisions. He also won the 141-pound tournament titles at both the California Open and the Las Vegas Invitational.
Injuries to both his knee and his elbow forced him out of a few duals during the season, but Moore wrestled through those ailments during both the Pac-10 and NCAA Championships. Much has been said about Moore since the Redding native pulled off the historic upset in mid-March. His victory in the finals over top-seeded Ryan Lang - a top high school recruit going into Northwestern - provided unprecedented exposure both for the wrestling team and the UC Davis athletics program in general. “It was just good PR to see a guy from UC Davis dominate like that,” said head coach Lennie Zalesky. “There are just a lot of positives that came out of that.”
With his victory, Moore became the first UC wrestler to win a national championship since the 1950s. Defeating a top wrestler from the Midwest in front of a national television audience also helped the West Coast’s image in the national wrestling scene. The victory may have served as a tremendous boost for UC Davis athletics going into true Division I competition, but the championship hasn’t changed Moore’s humble demeanor. “It’s opened up more avenues or different options for my life, but as far as me and my friends and the team, it hasn’t changed a whole lot,” Moore said.
Since winning the national championship, Moore has won multiple awards, including the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year and the Colby E. “Babe” Slater Award as UC Davis’ most outstanding male athlete of the year. Moore has also served as an inspirational speaker at multiple events and participated as a coach in wrestling clinics. “[I’m] going into the military in October so I’m trying to make some last memories … just trying to have some fun before I take off and don’t see a lot of these people for four years,” Moore said. After numerous years of hard work and dedication, Moore’s final season served as a breakthrough that both catapulted him to national fame and changed UC Davis’ image in the collegiate sports scene forever.
“It’s been a real privilege to have him on the team. He’s just been a real inspiration to me and to the other wrestlers,” Zalesky said. “He’s set a mark here that’s quite historical.”
Oliver Salud wrote "Athlete of the Year: Derek Moore" on June 8, 2007. This post has 
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