Somehow it doesn’t make sense that a wrestler, the most basic of athletes, whose success depends so much on the physical, would have an interest in space exploration.
But that’s not how Brendan Marion sees the sport.
The Methacton senior upper weight, slated to be on the mats this weekend when the PIAA District One Class AAA Southeast Regional Wrestling Tournament gets underway at Souderton High School this weekend, can easily relate his passion for space exploration.
Marion, a senior headed for Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts next fall, will first make a stop at this weekend’s tournament.
As for the barbaric nature of the sport, Marion sees the relationship to wrestling as one of striving to get further.
“You’re always trying to get better in wrestling, just like scientists keep trying to get further and further into space,” said Marion, who is one of the favorites to advance to the state tournament next weekend. “We’ve gotten to the moon, next is Mars, and then beyond.”
Marion’s fascination with outer space began when he was a young man visiting his grandparents in Florida.
One trip to the Kennedy Space Center later, and Marion was hooked.
So while his teammates are spending time watching sports, movies and other fare usually associated with youth, Marion is buried in books and SpaceX, a cable channel owned by the president of Tesla, whose goal is to have a U.S. spacecraft on Mars within the next couple of years.
“I’ve always had an interest, and now it looks like we’re close to getting to Mars in the next year or two,” Marion said. “Just like you’re always looking to get to the next step in wrestling, they’re looking to get to the next step in space.”
But this weekend, Marion’s focus will be on the former, as a top-5 finish will see the Warriors senior chomping on a chocolate bar by Saturday evening.
“I feel if I’m at my best, I have a good chance of getting there,” Marion said. “I’ve really prepared hard for this, and I think my chances are good.”
Then it’s on to Worcester, where he’ll wrestle on the school’s Division III wrestling team.
“Somehow I got on their mailing list, and I got a letter from them with a request to visit their camps,” the senior said. “Once I got there I knew it was for me, and I can’t wait to start wrestling for them next year.”
But for now, there’s a bigger goal, and it has to do the next two days.
“I’m always confident, but I am a little nervous,” Marion said. “If I wrestle my best I should make it.
“But this is wrestling, and anything can happen on any given day.”
With the Southeast Region getting five slots to Hershey this year, the 5-6 matches will be of the utmost importance this weekend.
As to how they’ll finish, here’s one guy’s opinion:
106: Lucerne – Zapf – Mendez – Stahl – DelViscio.
113: Wilde- Meredith – Richie – Kuhns – DiBattista.
120: Parker – Campbell – Burke- Radner – Resnick.
126: Marino – Campbell – Fuss – Kaliner – Bach.
132: Trampe – Fuentes – Tamburrino – Taylor – Petrucelli.
138: Cronin – Palmer – Hutchinson – Piliti – Meredith.
145: Reddington – Palmer – Mancini – Windle.
152: Shannon – Berry – Stephens – Livingston – Moser.
160: Stillings – Resnick – Folk – Vogels – Hurley.
170: Cox – Finn – Marion – Zollers – Files.
182: Jones – Edwards – Smith – Stevens – McBride.
195: Zapf – Duliakas – Wood – Catka – Mortimer.
220: Doyle – Kennerly – Modugno – Verespy – Maguire.
285: Cody – Osterhoudt – Walls – Goodman – Lepore.
Top Photo: Methacton’s Brendan Marion keeps hold of Pottstown’s Isaiah Mayes to close of a 8-6 win in the 170-pound final at the PAC Wrestling Championships Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017 at Boyertown. (Austin Hertzog/Digital First Media)
