One of the most important assets that has gone through the Huskie wrestling program has to be senior 150-pounder Tim Cocco.

The fifth-year senior will lead his teammates to battle against seventh-ranked Division III powerhouse Wisconsin-Whitewater this morning at 11:30 at the Chick Evans Field House.

With Cocco’s career winding down, Huskie coach Ed Vatch said he was delighted to have been able to have coached a wrestler like Cocco.

“He’s a class act up and down the line,” Vatch said. “He’s the type of kid you don’t have to worry about on the mat or off the mat—socially or academically. He doesn’t need a pep talk, he’s a self motivator.”

Vatch said the leadership Cocco shows to the younger wrestlers is valuable to his young squad.

“The younger guys look up to him,” Vatch said. “He’s a quiet leader. He leads by his attitude. He sets his mind on something and does it.

“He is a model type of kid. There are so many good things you can pick up from Timmy.”

Vatch points out that Tim’s relationship with his girlfriend, Victoria Coggeshall, has had a positive effect on his prized wrestler.

“His girlfriend, Vicki, has been incredibly supportive to Tim throughout his career—she’s great for him,” Vatch said. “I never see a problem between those two. Vicki has done some great things to assist our program as well, like designing posters and just trying to get the wrestling program some publicity.

“When Vicki and Tim graduate, I would like to consider them life-long friends. I don’t ever want to lose contact with them.”

At age 23, Cocco is from Worth, Ill. He attended St. Laurence High School, where he racked up a four-year varsity record of 115-12-1. Cocco went downstate three of his four years in high school, failing to go down his sophmore year due to a knee surgery.

Cocco finished sixth in the state his junior year to follow in his brother’s footsteps as a medal winner in the state tournament.

“I would have to say my idol growing up would have to have been my brother,” Cocco said. “He was a two-time state champion his junior and senior years at 155 pounds. When I was a freshman and went downstate, he went with me and won the tournament when he was a junior.”

As for hobbies, Cocco said he did not have much time for anything outside wrestling since everything he has ever done involved the sport.

“I have been wrestling for 12 years now, and everything I have done has revolved around wrestling,” Cocco said. “On my free time I do a lot of lifting and running to stay in good shape.”

Cocco feels that being a student-athlete is real hard if you do not budget your time properly.

“I put so much time into working out,” Cocco said. “I work out sometimes three times a day and then go to wrestling practice. It takes up a lot of time and then you have to make sure you get your studying in. You just have to learn to budget your time.”

Cocco is planning to use his corporate-fitness major, but plans to go back to school after graduation and get a masters in business.

“I don’t want to give up wrestling entirely after my career. I would like to get involved with helping younger kids out with wrestling,” Cocco said. “By the end of the season, I want to be an All-American. I want to end the season on a good note.

“I’m going to miss wrestling after it’s all over, but one thing I will not miss is cutting weight.”