advertisement

Wrestling: Marmion's 'Fab Five' put the ink to their DI futures

It was only fitting five elite athletes from a military academy signed national letters of intent on Veterans Day.

"I considered all the service academies," said Trace Carello.

The Marmion wrestling program conjures up images better suited for scriptwriters.

Twentieth-Century athletic history at the Aurora school does not possess a single memory of the program as it did not exist.

Not until the Greco brothers broke through at the 2009 Class AA Leyden sectional did the Cadets ever have a state qualifier in the sport.

But Marmion has more than made up for the dearth of state qualifiers since 2010 with 14 total state champions.

Riley DeMoss and Nathan Traxler won back-to-back state championships at the University of Illinois last February in Class 3A at 170 and 182 pounds respectively.

The latter was the first to commit collegiately, choosing Stanford University over similar offers from Michigan, Northwestern, Princeton and Virginia.

DeMoss is headed to Princeton.

Carello and AJ Jaffe, third for the Cadets last season, have chosen the Air Force Academy and Harvard, respectively.

Mikey Callahan signed his letter of intent on Wednesday to attend Duke as Marmion held a special ceremony to honor the academically and athletically gifted students.

"After Traxler committed to Stanford, the dominoes just kept falling," Marmion coach Donnie Reynolds said. "Each time I heard what schools these guys were committing to, my eyes opened a little bit further and my jaw dropped a little farther. They have done a great job of what they have to do in the classroom."

"I'm hoping to redshirt (freshman year)," said Traxler, the No. 4 ranked 195-pounder in the nation. "That's what I'm planning on doing. I want to spend the first year for development."

DeMoss and Jaffe are Ivy League bound.

"Actually, it was never a dream of mine (to attend an Ivy League school)," DeMoss said. "I never really considered it until the opportunity fell into my lap. It's the best option for me, I think."

"Harvard, it kind of speaks for itself academically," Jaffe said. "It's one of the top schools in the world. I feel like it's the ideal environment for me to be the best possible person."

The Cadets will enter the upcoming season ranked No. 12 in the nation, according to Reynolds.

Two-time defending state champion Oak Park-River Forest and perennial power Sandburg are both in the top-10 national rankings.

"That would be the goal, (an individual) state title at 138 (pounds)," Jaffe said. "Most importantly, a team state championship."

Carello choose the Air Force Academy over West Point and Annapolis.

"I felt like I had the best opportunity to be there," Carello said. "I want to be a pilot. Air Force is the surest way to go."

  Marmion Academy wrestling coach Donnie Reynolds sings the praises of five of his seniors who were signing letters of intent at the school Wednesday. From left are, Trace Carello (Air Force Academy), Riley DeMoss (Princeton), Nathan Traxler (Stanford), AJ Jaffe (Harvard) and Michael Callahan (Duke). Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.