EVERETT – Early on, Otto Olson realized Mohammad Mustafa was special.
Michael V. Martina / The Herald
Three years ago Olson, the head wrestling coach at Mariner High, detected unique determination in Mustafa, then an inexperienced but talented sophomore.
As Olson geared up for his first season leading the Maruaders program, Mustafa emerged at the initial grueling two-a-day workouts. For one, the youngster rode to practice on a ragged bike that had only one proper pedal – the other had long since broken off and was merely a near-useless stump.
“It kind of gave me an idea of what kind of kid he was,” Olson said. “He didn’t look for excuses. He didn’t look for anybody to feel sorry for him. He worked hard and found a way to win.”
Mustafa, a native of northern Iraq who moved to the United States in late 1999, has been winning ever since. Now a dominant 189-pound senior, he won a Western Conference South Division championship Saturday and this weekend at Class 4A regionals he is expected to qualify for Mat Classic XVIII, the annual state tourney set for Feb. 17-18 at Tacoma Dome.
It’s been a swift rise for Mustafa, who didn’t start wrestling until he was a freshman. A pesky thumb injury derailed his Mat Classic dreams last season but his senior campaign has been filled with emphatic pins and impressive accolades. Mustafa, who needed two minutes, 49 seconds to tally three pins last weekend, has lost just twice, both in close decisions: once against Everett 215-pounder Justin Boyce, a returning state champ, and once against Stanwood’s Jake Allen (189), who last year placed third in the state at 171.
Olson said Mustafa, who could get a rematch against Allen at the regional meet, excels because of brains, brawn and a dose of concentrated nastiness: “His strength is unbelievable … and he’s got a little bit of meanness too.”
Mustafa’s ferocious mat demeanor stems from a childhood that was filled with poverty, uncertainty and pain. Born in Dohuk, Iraq, Mustafa fled his native country more than 10 years ago with his parents and siblings to escape constant violence under the reign of Saddam Hussein and religious persecution. (Mustafa’s family are Sunni Muslims, whose beliefs clash with those of Iraq’s Shiite Muslims.) After spending four years in Syria, where Mustafa said he felt like an outcast and regularly endured beatings from peers, the Mustafas immigrated to the United States.
After a month in Tennessee they moved to Everett and then bounced around several times from Edmonds to Marysville and finally back to Everett. Mariner became a valued sanctuary for Mustafa, who learned to speak English in the seventh grade (He also speaks Kurdish and five dialects of Arabic), has a knack for math and maintains a 3.5 grade-point average.
“It’s great,” the outgoing Mustafa said of Mariner. “I can’t even describe it. I hated moving from one place to another and trying to make new friends.”
Not that Mustafa has trouble striking up conversation.
“Mohammad is loud. In every sense of the word, he is a leader,” Ronald Kintner said.
Kintner is the father of Mariner wrestler Austin Kintner (140 pounds), another talented Marauder who also happens to be Mustafa’s best friend. Though the teammates have strikingly different physiques and interaction styles – Austin Kintner is confident but soft-spoken – they share an intense passion for wrestling.
“Neither one of them wants to tell you that they’re in pain,” said Ronald Kintner, who coached wrestling at Toppenish High from 1985-2000. ” … Their mental toughness (and) work ethic (are) phenomenal.”
Austin Kintner, also a Wesco South champ, and Mustafa proved their toughness the past several summers at a demanding month-long camp in Toppenish, about 20 miles southeast of Yakima. Grinding out three-a-day sessions that started at 6 a.m. and included a 4.6-mile trek up imposing Satus Pass in 95 to 100-degree heat, the pals pushed their physical limits in hopes of both reaching state.
Last season Kintner placed fifth at 130 while Mustafa watched from the sidelines in street clothes. This year they plan to share the journey on the mats. “We’re always in each other’s corner,” Kintner said.
Don’t expect Mustafa to lose focus as he approaches the biggest matches of his life. He estimates he spends 40 hours per week honing his craft. In fact, Mustafa is so obsessed with wrestling that his mother, who recently watched him compete for the first time, often begs him to devote time to other pursuits.
“She doesn’t enjoy violence,” Mustafa said, grinning. “She’s definitely happy for me but she’d just prefer me not to wrestle and go get a job.”
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