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Tim Haas
Accomplishments: Haas is one of Cedar Cliff's most decorated wrestlers. He earned a pair of District 3-AAA title (2002-2003) and was a four-time state qualifier, three of which he earned a medal. Haas was a beast his final three years, racking up 113 wins to only five losses. He finished third at states in 2001 and climbed to the top of the podium in the 119-pound weight class as a junior (2002). He was a runner-up his senior year and capped his career with a record of 142-12.
Did you know: Wrestling in three different weight classes — 112, 119 and125 — in his high school career, Haas went 13-4 at states. His four losses came against Moon's Dan Pacitti, Northampton's Aaron Suranofsky and Reading's Charles Griffin. Those three wrestlers were responsible for seven state medals and a championship. Haas went on to continue his wrestling career at Penn State.
Why here: Haas' win-loss record, two district titles and three state medals, including a title in 2002, are impressive enough. But it's his toughness and motivation to improve on his performance that put him over the top. Haas finished third in the state as a junior, winning four straight consolation matches after losing in the quarters to Pacitti. After claiming his medal, he told a group of reporters gushing over his performance, “This is a loser's medal.” It may sound disrespectful or brash to some, but we consider it one of character. Haas wasn't satisfied and his will to succeed was evident the rest of career, as he only lost two matches. It was one of the best quotes ever, and Haas taking that motivation on the mat makes him deserving of such company on this list.
What they said: "Timmy came to me in seventh grade and said he was going to be Cedar Cliff's next state champion. When someone tells you that, it's like, "Okay, you work on that." But Timmy was mentally tough and driven to win a state title. He was a real physical, aggressive-style wrestler. He was hard to score on and was good on his feet. He had a great stand up and was tough to hold down. Timmy is one of the best wrestlers we've had over here." — Rob Rapsey, current head wrestling coach at Cedar Cliff. He coached Haas coming up through the junior-high program.
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