He failed to place at Junior Nationals in high school. Though he was a three-time NCAA All-American, his highest NCAA finish was fourth place. He finished a disappointing seventh place at NCAAs his senior year. Though always well-respected, his name is seldom mentioned in a discussion of the greatest wrestlers to come out of Ohio in the past decade. And yet, while many much more celebrated wrestlers have long since hung up their shoes, Andy Hrovat will soon became the first Ohio wrestler to represent the United States in World or Olympic freestyle competition in almost a decade.
Andy Hrovat (Photo/John Sachs)Ohio Wrestling Site: I'd like to talk first about your big win over Mo Lawal. Lawal just beat the defending world champion and many consider him to be the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the U.S. What was your strategy going into the match?
Hrovat: My strategy was, first of all, I didn't want to let him control my wrist. He considers himself the best wrestler off a wrist tie in the world, that's where he gets a lot of his shots. He pulls the wrist, gets you stepping and heavy footed … I do a good job of keeping my right hand back. My plan was, once he reached for the wrist, to front headlock him with my opposite hand. I did that, and once I did that he started to freak out, and started backing out, I just kept it in the middle of the mat, and didn't veer from my strategy.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Can you tell us about the flurry of action leading up to the pin in the Lawal match?
Hrovat: When I was scouting him, I noticed he wrestles a lot off his knees- he's real explosive off his knees- he can re-shoot into you from that position. I just kept his head trapped, I had a front body lock, I was over both arms. I was just trying to hold it and wait, trying to expose him … but he ducked, he put himself in a bad position … I just drove into him, and put him right to his back and held him.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Your senior year you probably entered as a co-favorite along with Victor Sveda and Damion Hahn, yet placed a disappointing seventh -- while a wrestler you had defeated numerous times, Rob Rohn, claimed the NCAA title. Did you consider retiring from the sport at that point?
Hrovat: Absolutely not. I always had goals of wrestling after college. What happened in college was a learning experience for me, and I wasn't gonna quit just yet!
Ohio Wrestling Site: I'd like to talk about your training situation. Unlike high school and college wrestlers, wrestlers training for international competition have to structure their own training. How does a typical day of training look for you?
Hrovat: I actually have a coach who structures everything for me … that being Sean Bormet. I sit down before every competition, and we put together a plan, he breaks down my conditioning, my agilities, what I should be doing at each practice, he plans my lifting.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Who are your main training partners then?
Hrovat: The past month I've been training with Kevin Vogel, who is the volunteer assistant coach, he's really good to work with for me because he wrestled Greco, so he's really good with front headlocks and gut wrenches. The other two guys I've been training with are Kirk Trost and Greg Wagner -- two heavyweights, I like working out with them because they give me a different look, it's slower, but I can't rely on power … it's just a different feel and a different look. The other two guys I've been training with are Donny Pritzlaff and Clint Wattenberg in Chicago.
Ohio Wrestling Site: You've been training with Wattenberg? (Wattenberg was the wrestler Hrovat defeated in the finals of World Team Trials).
Hrovat: Yes, the three of us went to Naperville, IL and Sean (Bormet) had a camp before the Trials. Jake Herbert and Mike Tamillow from Northwestern were also there.
Ohio Wrestling Site: I understand that you nearly defeated Cael Sanderson in a tournament in 2004. I am stunned when I see Sanderson merely get scored upon. What can you tell us about that match?
Hrovat: That was actually my first tournament up at 185. It was at the Manitoba Open, he came out, he scored the first four points, then I scored the next six points and was winning 6-4 with about :20 left. I got him in a front body lock, tilted him for two, I think I got a couple shots on him, maybe turned him once, I can't remember everything … late in the match I tried to throw him, he countered and put me right to my back and pinned me.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Andy, besides Mo Lawal, you've wrestled the following World or Olympic Champions: Cael Sanderson, Yoel Romero of Cuba, and Sazhid Sazhidov of Russia. Who do you view as the toughest wrestler of this group and how would you compare their styles?
Hrovat: The toughest is Cael. You can't scout him, he does everything so well. He can counter, good short offense, great shots. He never loses his cool in a match. The most athletic was Romero, by far. He's so fast and strong. With Sazhidov, he's hard to wrestle, he did some weird things, like arm drags to opposite-side high-crotch.
Andy Hrovat (Photo/John Sachs)Hrovat: No, it hasn't sunk in it at all. You know, I really don't want it to sink in. I prepare for every competition the same … if I start to put it on a pedestal I might start thinking differently when I'm training.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Clearly you have moved to a much higher level since college, what do you think the difference has been?
Hrovat: Everything started coming together … I've been picking up things here and there, working with a lot of different people. I worked with Sean Bormet and Tony Robie in college, but then after college I spent a lot of time at the Olympic Training Center for the first your years, I worked out with Cael before he went to the Olympics, I worked out with Charles Burton before he went to the 2000 Olympics … Lincoln McIlravy, I worked out with him for a while, Kevin Jackson, Lou Rosselli. Brandon Slay, he taught me my gut wrench. I've picking those guys' brains for years, and that knowledge is finally coming together, and helped me develop my match strategy. It finally came together this year.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Your finals series at World Team Trials was against Clint Wattenberg. Wattenberg defeated you at NCAAs your senior year. What were you thinking going into that match, did the loss at NCAAs give you extra incentive?
Hrovat: No … I haven't thought about NCAAs since they ended. I moved on and started thinking about freestyle. Before the match, I did think about the fact that I hadn't beaten him in a long time -- he tells me that I did beat him at the Cadet World Team Trials when were 15 years old, but I don't even remember that. Not only had he beaten me in college, but he had beaten me several times since in freestyle at the U.S. Open. But every match he had beaten me in came down to the last ten seconds … so that right there gave me extra incentive, not to put myself in a position to lose in the last few seconds.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Since college, you have competed as low as 163, yet found much more success at the 185-pound class. What do you think has made you more successful at the higher weight?
Hrovat: When I was in college, I was a real small 184. I would leave practice probably five pounds under weight. I just didn't really want to cut weight. After college, I just started growing, and my muscles were maturing, it just got real hard for me to get down to 163. I'm still a real small 84-kilogram (185-pound) guy, but I always pride myself on being strong. If you're strong, you can compete at any weight.
Ohio Wrestling Site: With all due respect, in many ways you are not as physically imposing as some of the beasts that compete internationally at 185 lbs, guys like the Yoel Romero. Clearly you have compensated for this with other attributes. What do you think has separated you from so many others?
Hrovat: I study the sport … you have to be smart. I treat it like a chess match. One time a guy may beat me, but I come back the next time with something new and surprise him. It's a war out there, you can't expect to do the same thing over and over again and be successful. I've always changed and added to my style. I remember Tadaaki Hatta came up to me after NCAAs my sophomore year, when I didn't place, and said "People scout you, people know what you do. If you're not constantly changing, they will get an advantage". I've tried to be constantly adapting.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Speaking of Coach Hatta, you competed for national power Lakewood St. Edward's in high school, how much of an impact did that have on your career?
Hrovat: Being in a program like that in high school, and having those expectations of success, it taught you how to handle those situations, big matches.
Andy Hrovat (Photo/John Sachs)Hrovat: (Laughs): I wish I could say I had huge role, but Bertin, he's a real smart kid, and he chose Michigan for the academics as well as the wrestling. But yeah, you could say I opened the door for those guys to come.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Well, it's worked out well, as the above group has accounted for a total of eight All-American finishes so far.
Hrovat: Yea, well hopefully we can keep it going.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Now I have a tough question for you … what individual do you think has had the biggest impact on your wrestling success?
Hrovat: (Pauses): That is a tough one. Recently, I would have to say it's Sean Bormet. After college, I was just kind of going around, without guidance, and he took me under his wing, taught me how to train and prepare for the matches. That's the biggest reason I was able to do what I did last weekend.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Finally, what advice do you have for young wrestlers who want to get where you are?
Hrovat: I would just tell them to have fun and enjoy what you do. I've been wrestling since I was 5 -- 21 years I've been enjoying wrestling, and that's all I've ever wanted to do. Have the passion for it, and continue to have fun with it. High school kids have to drive themselves and should want to become the best, but at the same time, you shouldn't put too much stress on yourself to go out and win everything … you should always go out and have fun.
Ohio Wrestling Site: Sounds like a great outlook. Andy, thanks for the interview and on behalf of all of Ohio, good luck in China!
Hrovat: Thank you.
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