In his first three years at Hopkins, senior wrestler Paul Marcello had fallen short of his goal to win an NCAA tournament match. After winning the 141-pound regional title on March 2, Marcello qualified for his fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship, as the fifth seed in the country.
Two weeks later on March 15, Marcello would capture his first career NCAA tournament victory over Wisconsin Platteville’s Tyler Henken to advance to the quarterfinals. With that first win finally under his belt, Marcello was determined to make a tenacious run at the national title.
Conscious of the fact that each match could be the last of his career, the 141-pounder rattled off a quarter final win over fourth-seeded Jake Fredericksen. Next, in the semi-finals Marcello was pitted against first seeded Joe Grippi out of Springfield, to whom he had lost earlier in the season. Conjuring every ounce of strength to fend off his opponent and his own overwhelming fatigue, in stunning fashion Marcello defeated Grippi 3-1 to stay alive in the NCAA’s.
After becoming the first Hopkins wrestler in school history to make it to the NCAA final match, the 5-4 senior from Pembroke Pines, Florida moved on to face third seeded Adam Sheley in the championship match.
What ensued would, in Marcello’s own words, “haunt me for the rest of my life.”
The News-Letter caught up with the senior wrestling captain, to gauge his emotions following his historic run to the national title.
News-Letter (N-L) : You had a magical run to the NCAA Finals. During this journey, did you ever take yourself by surprise?
Paul Marcello (PM) : I've been wrestling for eight years and I've seen some success in the past. I was almost expecting this run at the NCAA's due to my history. I qualified for the Florida State Wrestling Championships three times in high school and did not place until my senior year when I won the State Championship. I felt like it was my time to shine this year and I practiced everyday with the championship match at the front of my mind.
N-L: After securing your first ever NCAA win and advancing to the quarterfinals, what was your mindset? Your confidence must have soared after that first win, do you think that contributed to the dominance that ensued?
PM: I'd like to say that getting my first win at the NCAA's was a huge landmark because I finally "got that monkey off my back", but I had been training too hard, eating too clean, wrestling too well going up to that point to expect anything less. When I saw the bracket for the first time, I told my coach, "I'm going to win this whole thing". He reminded me to focus on one match at a time, but I knew I had it.
N-L: What was it like to meet top seed Joe Grippi in the semi finals? Describe that specific match and your emotions once you realized you would be headed to the finals.
PM: Grippi and I had wrestled earlier in the year at his school. The match was a bit controversial as there was a questionable call that gave him the advantage in what would be a one take-down match. I knew that if given the chance to wrestle him again, I would not let my guard down for even a second. We had an epic match in which we were both dead with fatigue, but I really believe that the match came down to who wanted it more. Once we were in overtime and I saw him struggling to get back to the center of the mat, I knew that one last burst of set-ups and shots would get me the take-down that would put me in the finals. Winning that match was awesome. Not only because I got revenge for a previous loss, but also because he was the number one kid in the country. It was surreal.
N-L: Heading into the NCAA Finals, what was your pregame preparation? Did you feel the pressure of the moment or were you able to block it out?
PM: I really just took the finals like another match. I did everything the same. I warmed up with my drilling partner, Paul Bewak. We did the same moves, the same break downs, the same escapes. I listened to the same music and I reminded myself before the match as I have before all my matches this year that "life is just a collection of moments. Go out there and don't regret any moment. Leave it all on the mat."
N-L: Describe the final match. What was it like to come so close your senior year and fall just short?
PM: I've got to tell you man, I think that match is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I did not wrestle the match I wanted. I even got the set-ups I've drilled a million times but his positioning was too good for me to penetrate. I didn't sleep well for the week following the match but as they say, time heals all wounds. Having all my friends and teammates come up to me and congratulate me on making history has definitely helped. The magnitude of the accomplishment has become clearer with people I don't know and coaches I've never spoken to coming up to me and congratulating me on making it to the finals. There is a little bit of a fairy tale to be told about the kid who qualified four times and went winless three times and made it to the finals his senior year.
N-L: You are the first National Finalist in school history. How would you describe this prestigious honor and what it means to you?
PM: It's an honor to be the first finalist in school history. I look forward to returning to Hopkins when my kids are applying to colleges and looking at the Hall of Fame Trophies or the banners in the gym and telling them about what I did here. However, I hope to be a stopping point when people talk about Hopkins Wrestling, not an endpoint. On the team, we all know who the first Conference Champion was, and Eric Fishel was our first All-American. I'm okay with being the first finalist but I hope to hear about Paul Bewak, Raymond Yagloski, and Henry Stauber being our first National Champions.
