Mookie's sticking it out

It’s nearing the end of another Terrapin wrestling practice, and while most of the team’s chatter has been replaced by heavy breathing and the occasional grunt, 133-pounder Mookie Golden is still yapping.

Dripping with sweat and still grappling with his practice partner, All-American Steve Bell, Golden is doing what he does best: mixing constructive criticism and advice with light-hearted banter.

A fifth-year senior, Golden has embraced a leadership role on the team that involves not only helping established stars like Bell and 141-pounder Alex Krom improve, but also mentoring and coaching some of the Terps’ younger wrestlers. The catch is, Golden rarely gets the chance to compete himself.

“I love going around and helping the guys with their technique, sometimes even more than I enjoy wrestling,” Golden said. “I might not be that guy who is yelling at the younger guys. I might take the time to stop and really work to help you out.”

As one of five fifth-year seniors on the team, Golden has seen the program rise from mediocrity to national championship contention. But to hear Golden retell the ups and downs of his career at the university makes his boundless enthusiasm difficult to understand.

After wrestling for three years in high school, Golden didn’t plan to wrestle when he got to this university. As a barely 120-pound freshman, he didn’t look the part either.

But he couldn’t stay away, and after toiling down on the depth chart, Golden entered his junior year feeling as if he was the best 125-pounder on the team.

However, to wrestle at that light, Golden — now stronger after three years of training — had to shed a few pounds. It was then, during a four-mile run early in the preseason, that his career was forever altered.

While running with the rest of the team on a trail behind the University View, Golden fainted from dehydration. Doctors discovered Golden had a problem with his liver enzymes that made it dangerous for him to lose so much weight. Unable to wrestle at 125 pounds, Golden now found himself in the difficult situation of hoping to outperform Bell or Krom.

“It was tough, especially when I thought I was going to be the guy at 125,” Golden said. “And now, these last couple years, watching ACCs and Nationals, it makes me antsy. Every year I come in and plan on being the guy, but Bell and Krom are just tough dudes. At this point, I have just put the positives above it all, and now I am just focused on the team.”

Coach Kerry McCoy and his team pride themselves on outworking their opponents, and that means practices are often physically and mentally demanding, especially for someone who doesn’t often get to show his skill in matches. 

For Golden, it’s even harder because he is paying his own way through college. He balances his schoolwork with wrestling and a job at Eppley Recreation Center. Teammate Brian Letters left the program after he was unable to regain a starting role, and Golden admitted there have been times when he has wanted to transfer or give up wrestling completely. 

But his love for wrestling and the kinship he developed with his teammates were deciding factors in making sure he never followed through with those ideas.

“I have considered transferring so that I could get a chance to start or be that guy,” Golden said. “But I love these guys; they are my best friends. And as far as quitting altogether is concerned, I love competing way too much to quit.”

It’s probably good for McCoy that Golden stayed because he has developed into the team’s most reliable backup. McCoy typically waits until the last minute to decide which wrestlers will compete in any given match, which means Golden has to be ready at all times.

Although other substitutes have struggled to adjust in their limited opportunities, Golden bought into the mentality quickly. Golden traveled with the team to the NWCA National Duals in January, where he got to see the Terps compete against some of the nation’s traditional wrestling powers.

He came away inspired, and after some reflection, Golden texted McCoy, saying he thought the team had all the ingredients to compete for a national title.

He then proved it the next weekend by going 3-0, including two dominating performances against N.C. State and Duke when the team needed to rebound from a loss the previous day. For the season, Golden is 14-6 with a 2-0 mark in the ACC.

“I have never had to come off the bench the way he has,” Krom said. “But I imagine it’s gotta be hard. I mean he is working his ass off and for what? I really don’t think I could do what he does every day. He is just that tough.”

With both Krom and Bell nearing full strength in time for the ACC and National Tournaments, it seems Golden will once again be forced to watch from the sideline. 

When asked about that fact, Golden tilted his head back, rolled his eyes and sighed. But Golden said he is all about the team now and will be content to be a spark plug in practice and vocal leader.

“When I first started here, the thought of us reaching a National Championship never crossed my mind,” Golden said. “But now look. We have a chance to do something special, and I have a chance to be a part of that. How could I ever not be excited to help us accomplish something like that?”

lemaire@umdbk.com