Jedd Moore only has been competing for the Virginia wrestling team for four weeks, but he already has posted a signature win for the Cavaliers. The freshman from Mount Vernon, Ohio, knocked off second-ranked Dan Vallimont of Penn State last Saturday and was one of three Wahoos to defeat ranked Nittany Lion opponents. For his efforts, Moore was named the ACC Wrestler of the Week, becoming the first UVa freshman wrestler to earn the distinction since Brent Jones in 2006.

This week, the slate gets no easier for Virginia, with the Cavaliers wrestling 34-time national champion and seventh-ranked Oklahoma State as well as Bucknell and Harvard on Saturday, Nov. 29. Moore has two ranked wrestlers on tap No. 4 J.P. O’Connor of Harvard and No. 12 Newly McSpadden of Oklahoma State.

Coach Garland has thrown everyone into the fire this year with the tough schedule. Talk about how your first month of competition has gone.
Moore: It definitely has been an adjustment, coming from high school to now. Everything is more intense and everything is a level up. There is a lot of schoolwork and with wrestling, you come in every day and have the constant grind. It’s just a matter of learning about the ups and downs. At North Carolina, I had a really low point in my career, but this last week helped me bounce back.

What was that low point?
Moore: I lost to a guy that I used to wrestle in high school and it was a hard match for me to lose. I lost two matches there and it’s hard to go from not losing much to losing twice in a row. Mentally it hurts some. It’s a matter of learning from your mistakes and the losses that’s all you can do.

You come a state that is rich in wrestling tradition, Ohio. How has that helped your adjustment?
Moore: Ohio wrestling is a lot of on your feet, so I guess I feel more comfortable on my feet than on the mat. The thing I need to improve on and that I’ve been working on is wrestling on the mat, like top-bottom.

How have you handled the increased intensity in the team’s wrestling room this year?
Moore: I love it. It’s nice having everyone in the room want to work hard. It helps with the atmosphere, and every practice we have is intense.

You already have been dubbed the Machine’ because of how hard you are always going.
Moore: (chuckles) That’s what Coach Garland likes to call me. I don’t really prefer it or not prefer it I just go along with it. I don’t call myself that, but if he wants to call me that, then go for it.

Tell us about the big five-point move you made against Penn State’s Dan Vallimont that helped you pull out the win.
Moore: He took me down in the first period early and carried me out for a bit. We went back on our feet and he kept posting with his left hand, then I grabbed a two-on-one with a Russian tie and I used that pretty well during the match. Then he went to go for a headlock, and when he did that, I did a duck-under-dump and got a five-count for that. That definitely swung the match my way, and then it was just a matter of keeping pressure on him. I got one more takedown in the second period and that basically secured it. I just had to wrestle smart from there.

What are your goals for this season?
Moore: The main goal for me right now is focusing on getting better and improving in every aspect of wrestling. Toward the end of the season, I want to be an All-American for sure. That is what everyone wants.

You have a pretty tough weekend ahead with Oklahoma State, Bucknell and Harvard.
Moore: We get three good matches this weekend. I think all of the guys I’m supposed to wrestle are ranked or close to it McFadden from Oklahoma State is top 15 and O’Connor from Harvard is top five. I see it as a learning experience. A lot of schools don’t get the opportunity to wrestle guys who are that highly ranked. It helps me to see where I’m at and what I can improve.

Why did you chose UVa?
Moore: When I came on my visit, they were definitely my top choice, but the visit secured it. I loved the campus and you can’t really beat the education you get. With Coach Garland and the team, it seemed like everyone was really working hard and that this was an up-and-coming team. I liked the atmosphere a lot. I had a feeling that this is where I wanted to go, and it has worked out really well.