Stanford decision another winner for Marchok

Josh Marchok is accustomed to decisions turning out in his favor on the wrestling mat.

So even though the Schaumburg senior said he’s decidedly undecided about what he wants to study in college, it’s clear Marchok has made another successful one with regard to his future.

Last year’s undefeated Class 3A champion at 215 pounds will be signing a letter of intent Wednesday morning to do more than just wrestle at Stanford. That’s pretty evident since Marchok was also considering Princeton, Harvard, Penn and Bucknell.

“It’s always been student-athlete,” said Marchok, a National Honor Society member who has a 4.3 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale and scored 34 on the ACT. “and the student comes first, as generic and cheezy as it sounds.

“You have to take care of grades and classwork first. My parents (Dave and Leah) should take credit for that.”

But even with parental influence, it’s still a concept that escapes some who believe student is secondary to athlete.

Not so with Marchok, who believes he found the perfect balance in a school renowned for its academics and also making strides on the mat.

Stanford’s 11th-place finish at last year’s NCAA championships was the best in program history. Senior Nick Amuchastegui finished second at 174 pounds.

A mutual interest between Marchok and Stanford was sparked through assistant coach and two-time University of Illinois All-America Alex Tirapelle’s work with the Illinois state Greco-Roman wrestling team.

“When I visited Stanford it felt right and I enjoyed my time there,” said Marchok, who just finished his third year as a varsity defensive starter in football. “It came down to the fact it’s a phenomenal school and I was happy with all aspects of it.”

Marchok, who said he also had Division I interest from Northern Illinois, Old Dominion and Ohio, is also thrilled to have his future settled as he officially starts practice Monday for his final high school season.

He finished third in the state as a sophomore with a 41-3 record before winning all 38 of his matches last year. He will be trying to become the sixth wrestler in Mid-Suburban League history to win consecutive state titles.

It’s a long way from a start he called “pretty bad” in grade school since he was bigger than most kids his age. But wrestling older kids turned out to be beneficial and things started to fall into place around the fifth grade.

“I feel comfortable on the mat,” Marchok said. “I very much like the team aspect of football, but in wrestling it’s you on your own.

“You have to be the one to step up and you decide how the match goes. I like that aspect.”

But Marchok is thinking about more than himself. There is the leadership he needs to provide with fellow captain Ivan Gomez since vocal leader and state place-winner Joe LaManna graduated.

Two years ago, Schaumburg won its second regional title in history and first MSL title since 1974 under head coach Matt Gruszka.

“I’d like to see our team win a conference title and a regional title,” Marchok said. “That’s 14 times as fun, to win as a team. That’s the fun stuff.”

Repeating as a state champion — this year at 220 pounds since weight classes were adjusted by the National Federation of High School Associations — is definitely one of Marchok’s goals. But he tries not to get bogged down by worrying about things such as being everyone’s target this winter.

He’s definitely prepared for whatever comes his way since he finished fourth nationally in Greco-Roman and fifth in freestyle this summer at 215. Whether that is a preview of bigger and better things down the road at even higher levels isn’t a big concern of his right now.

“That’s kind of far off for me to decide,” Marchok said. “I’m focused more on present goals.”

If Marchok’s track record is any indication, he’ll make the right decision when that time arrives.

Schaumburg’s Josh Marchok is trying to become the sixth Mid-Suburban League wrestler to win consecutive state titles. The other five:

Wrestler School Years Weight(s)

Brad Smith Hersey 1971-72 126,132

Tracy Rice Hoffman Estates 1982-83 126

John Sehnert Barrington 1986-87 138

Pete Marx Conant 1993-94 Hwt., 275

Dan Collins Palatine 1993-94 130, 135

mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com