Yura Malamura, a sophomore at Highline Community College (Wash.) who has committed to wrestle for the University of Minnesota next season, is a natural-born wrestler.
Consider this: Malamura started wrestling when he was in eighth grade at the urging of his older brother. He lost his very first junior high match, but then didn't lose another match over the next two years of his junior high wrestling career.
Yura MalamuraSo when Malamura claimed the 197-pound NJCAA national title last February, in his first season of collegiate wrestling, it shouldn't have come as a huge surprise. His competitive drive along with natural ability and a tireless work ethic has allowed him to make great strides in a short period of time.
"I think more than anything else, his performance last season was inspiring," said Highline coach Scott Norton, who was honored as 2005 Region 18 Coach of the Year. "Just the way he competes, it's not really something that you see in a lot of athletes. When the lights come on and he's out there on the mat, he's just a completely different person. If you looked at him wrestling in practice as opposed to a match, you would see two completely different people."
How far he has come in such a short period of time is mind-boggling. But what's even more mind-boggling is that growing up, Malamura wasn't sure he even wanted to continue wrestling after high school.
"I never wanted to wrestle in college," said Malamura, who became the first ever national champion in wrestling at Highline. "It was always kind of in the back of my mind, but I wasn't really sure of it."
Malamura was born in Estonia (Eastern Europe), but his parents immigrated to the United States when he was 4 years old.
After an impressive junior high wrestling career, Malamura began his high school career at Spanaway Lake High School in Washington (45 miles south of Seattle) when he was a sophomore. One year later, as a junior, he placed fourth at the WIAA State Wrestling Championships (Class 4A) while wrestling at 189 pounds. As a senior, he won the state title at 215 pounds.
After high school, Malamura made the decision to attend North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It was a junior college rich in wrestling tradition, a program that has produced 13 NJCAA national championships. But shortly before classes were to begin, Malamura had a change of heart and withdrew from his classes at North Idaho. He decided to enroll in the two-year Generation Intern program at The City Church in Kirkland, Washington. According to The City Church Web site, "The Generation Intern program is committed to providing cutting edge Biblical instruction and practical ministry opportunities to equip young leaders for life and ministry."
Malamura enjoyed being in the program, but he also missed wrestling a lot. He was ambivalent about whether to continue in the Generation Intern program or to enroll in college and get back on the mat.
"I was praying about it," said Malamura. "I was like, 'God, what do you want me to do?' It just kept popping up in the back of my mind, should I wrestle, or should I not? I really prayed about it a lot, and God was like, 'Yeah, why not?' So I just went for it. I felt like it was really the right thing to do."
In the spring of 2004, Malamura contacted North Idaho again about the possibility of enrolling at the school and joining the wrestling program. They were interested, so he decided that was what he was going to do.
Yura Malamura (Photo by Johnnie Johnson)"I didn't even know Highline had a wrestling program," said Malamura. "And it's literally only 10 minutes from my house."
The wrestlers suggested that Malamura call Coach Norton. So he picked up the phone and made the call.
(Coach Norton) was like, 'Yeah, you should come out,'" recalled Malamura. "Literally, the next day, a week before North Idaho was supposed to start, I picked my classes at Highline and joined the team."
Malamura entered Highline not knowing what to expect, but he immediately bought into everything his coach taught and preached.
"I really had no idea what to expect from college," said Malamura. "Everybody always talks it up like it's so big. Wrestling in junior college is kind of different compared to Division I. But I came in ready to be coached. I knew (Norton) was a good coach, just from hearing a lot about him. I just did everything he told me to do, literally, from running, to eating, to working out, to lifting, to wrestling. I just thank him a lot for everything he did. And I just prayed about it a lot, too. I was like, 'God, if I'm going to be the best you want me to be, I'm going to my basic things. I just ask you to protect me.' And that's what happened."
Last February, Malamura won the Western Regional (Region 18) and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler in the process. Two weeks later at the NJCAA Championships in Rochester (Minn.), he cruised through to the finals, winning by scores of 8-0, 13-0, and 7-3. In the finals, Malamura defeated Jared Shelton of Labette (who now wrestles for Oklahoma State), 6-4.
His breakthrough performance on the national scene caught the attention of many Division I college coaches across the country, including Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Boise State, among others.
Last fall, Malamura took recruiting visits to Minnesota and Nebraska. He decided on Minnesota.
"After I took the trip to Minnesota, I really, really liked it," said Malamura, who plans to wrestle at 197 pounds for the Gophers. "I had a great time with everything. I enjoyed the campus. The coaches are great. Everything that the school offered was great."
Malamura also liked the fact that the college is located in a big city (Minneapolis) … and that he has a stable of talented and accomplished wrestlers to work out with, including Roger Kish, Cole Konrad, Brandon Eggum, Damion Hahn, and Marty Morgan.
Scott Norton"He's really not a finesse wrestler," said Norton, who won three Pac-10 titles and earned an All-American medal at the University of Oregon. "I think the wrestling in Big Ten is a little more physical, whereas the Big 12 might be a little more finesse. He's extremely physical. He's a perfect model of an Iowa or Minnesota wrestler. That's really the area that I was steering him."
Malamura decided to redshirt this season at Highline, which will give him three years of eligibility at the Division I level. He's taking a huge load of classes (27 credits this quarter, while most students are averaging 13-15), working out with the team every day, and is very involved with his church.
A week and a half after he graduates, he plans on moving to Minneapolis on June 20 to get an early start on his training.
So what are his wrestling goals at Minnesota?
"Honestly, I know that I'm going to win a national title in Division I," said Malamura. "It's so in my head right now. I've really started thinking a lot about it. I'm excited."
Excited? Minnesota wrestling fans should be, too.
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