DRIVEN TO WIN, AGAIN AND AGAIN
Daniel Manibog was disappointed. Most freshmen lucky enough to find themselves in Manibog’s position are satisfied simply to have the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage their first year. Not the driven Katy wrestler, who left the state tournament determined to improve upon his fifth-place finish. Mission accomplished. After moving up three weight classes, the sophomore overwhelmed his opponents with dogged aggression, going 54-1 en route to the Class 6A 138-pound state championship and earning the Chronicle’s All-Greater Houston Boys Wrestler of the Year honors.
“Daniel’s a driven kid,” Katy coach Vincent Lowe said. “He’s really goaloriented, and he came in from the get-go with the mission of being on top of the podium at the state tournament. He’s the type of kid who takes on those challenges. He was looking forward to being able to wrestle a kid like (Clear Lake’s) Camden Fontenot, who was a returning state champ.
“He rises to those occasions.”
Q: Where did your passion for wrestling come from?
A: “My dad (Dean) was a high school coach (at La Cañada) in California, and we moved here when I was about 5 years old, right before kindergarten. And the first thing we did was go to Katy High School, and they had a kids club there, and I would go in and wrestle Coach Lowe’s daughter. That’s where it all started.”
Q: When did you realize you had a talent for it?
A: “All the coaches used to say I was pretty natural. I didn’t really feel it until eighth-grade year. In seventh grade, I was kind of burned out on it, but eighth grade is whenever I started to grow up and have more success, and that’s when I realized that I could be pretty good at this sport.”
Q: You said playing linebacker and running hurdles helped your wrestling. What else prepared you to dominate this year?
A: “What helped me the most was my partners in the gym and Coach Lowe. I had one of the best circles of partners in the state this year, and I believe that’s why I got a lot better.”
Q: How did you look at finishing fifth at 120 last year at state?
A: “It was kind of disappointing at the end because I lost my last match, and after state, Coach Lowe and I talked about goal-setting. He said since I made an impact right away and skipped that first step of trying to make it to state, my next step should be going to the finals my sophomore year, and that’s what I focused on.”
Q: Coach Lowe said you rise to the big occasions. Why do you love those moments?
A: “Last year, I saw this guy named Camden Fontenot, and he won a state championship last year, and I saw that he kind of lit the world on fire, and that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to wrestle the best, and he’s a very good wrestler.”
Q: Your only loss was to Allen’s Trent Dooley, who you beat three times, including at state. What is that rivalry like?
A: “That’s probably my biggest rival from this season. We’re good friends, too. We’ve been wrestling since we were kids, and we’ve always wrestled each other like that. We respect each other a lot, so that’s why we always go back and forth.” Q: What is your goal for next year? A: “I’ll probably move up some weight, but my ultimate goal in high school is to be a three-time state champ.”