Off the Mat with Jeff Marsh
11/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
As is the case with many Division I wrestling programs, there is room for several behind-the-scenes role players among the Wolverine squad. With 35 individuals listed on the U-M roster yet only 10 positions composing the starting lineup, many team members put in the same time, hard work and dedication but with none of the fanfare enjoyed by their varsity counterparts. For three seasons, senior/junior Jeff Marsh fit into that category, filling in as needed, wrestling a dual meet here, a tournament there. For three seasons, Marsh paid his dues, and now he is claiming his reward: the starting job at 157 pounds.
Growing up just a few miles away from the University of Michigan campus in Dexter, Mich., Marsh followed the natural migration to the U-M wrestling room. But despite Marsh's status as a life-long Michigan fan, his college decision wasn't always set in stone; he had options after capturing a pair of Michigan state titles and boasting an impressive 184-12 career prep record. All signs pointed to Ann Arbor though -- his high school coach, Corey Grant, had wrestled at Michigan, his older brother went to Michigan, his mother worked at Michigan -- and the allure of Big Ten wrestling and a top-10 program proved too great to ignore. It was a decision that Marsh has never regretted.
As the Wolverines regrouped after the Thanksgiving break and prepared for their annual trip to Las Vegas, Jeff sat down to chat about his growing confidence, the wrestling atmosphere of the Palace of Auburn Hills, and what it feels like to wrestle underneath Michigan's career pins recordholder Jeremiah Tobias.
On his start in wrestling ...
"I was three years old, and I went to one of my brother's meets up at Jenison Field House in East Lansing. He was two years older than me, and I said, 'I want to do that.' My first year I pretty much just went to practices and rolled around a little bit. I competed in two tournaments, and I guess I cried for about 20 minutes before my first match, because I was wrestling a girl. I kept telling my mom, 'No, I won't do it.' So, I went out there and pulled her on top of myself and was pinned in eight seconds. My dad wrestled in high school, and both my uncles were couple-time placewinners in high school. My brothers and I rolled around all the time -- in the kitchen, in the dining room. Everything would just get pushed to the side of the room. I guess it's just in the family."
On his role as Michigan's 157-pound starter ...
"It's a huge confidence boost to know that I have something to be working for. I can set goals along the way and know that I'll have the opportunity to accomplish them as opposed to just filling in sometimes and having to set short-term goals. It helps to have weekly reinforcement. For example, last weekend I had a good tournament, and I got encouragement from the guys. That's really helped to build my confidence. I'm hoping to just keep rolling."
On his goals and expectations for this season ...
"They keep growing. Earlier I thought I'd like to place among the top four in the Big Ten and try to be an All-American. But now I think I can do better than that."
On wrestling at the Palace of Auburn Hills ...
"It's always nice to have the NCAAs at a venue where you've never lost. I've really been looking forward to that. Being so close, we'll have the chance to relax before the tournament, and we should have a large support group. The Palace always fills up. I think I heard 13,000 fans came out for the high school tournament during my senior year. The last two years I've gone as an older brother and coach. I just try to get him into the game plan, send him down to get a good warmup in, clear his head and focus him on the match. It's tough being in the stands and not being matside. It gets very loud in there. There will be so much going on with 12 mats, but there's always a key mat, and if something happens the whole crowd gets into it and really lights up. It will be a great venue for the nationals."
On his wrestling style ...
"I like to mix it up. I wouldn't say I'm funky like Moos. I try to be tough on top and ride the legs like the Churellas. I like Tyrel's constant aggression, always attacking on his feet. That's what I tried to do last weekend; I tried to incorporate a lot of that. At the same time, if I get into a compromised position, a scramble position, a lot of times if I work through the position I'll come out on top. So, I try not to rely on that, but I know that if it's there, and I work through the position hard, most times I'll end up on the topside of a scramble. I'd like to think I'm hard to score on. I let people get in on my legs more than I should, but they usually have a hard time scoring. In the Lehigh match, when Nakasone got in on my legs and came underneath, the whole Lehigh crowd went crazy. But I just thought, 'He's not going to score from here,' and I ended up forcing a stalemate or getting out of the position. Later I scored a takedown that way."
On the 157-pound weight class ...
"It's a tough weight class, especially in the Big Ten. I think out of the top 10 guys in the country, five or six are in the Big Ten. I'm really hoping to get myself up there in the mix. I just want to go out there, knock some of these guys off and really prove myself on the mat this year."
On the competiveness of the Big Ten ...
"I think the Big Ten is definitely the hardest conference in wrestling, and it shows in the grind every week. I was looking at our schedule the other day and just thought how tough it would be every Friday, Sunday, Friday, Sunday. It's not easy, but it's going to be good for us to go through that banging from one match to another. I think a big thing for us this year is to stay healthy. If we can do that, I think our guys will do a great job."
On Michigan's three straight Big Ten dual titles ...
"It'd be nice to go for our fourth. I think it's important, because that really helps our team realize how competitive we can be. In the last few years, we've won that dual title, but at the NCAAs the team hasn't done quite as well. The dual title is something that we have prided ourselves on, and it's let us know that we're still one of these three teams in the country. So it's important, but I know this year we'd also like to shine at the Big Ten Tournament and NCAAs."
On what he focused on over the summer ...
"I really focused a lot of the summer on my wrestling. I had been thinking about going down to 149 this year, so I didn't want to bulk up too much. I lifted, but I didn't want to gain a lot of size and really tried to keep my weight down. I worked out a lot with Josh Churella and Justin Chrzanowski, at least three days a week. I focused on wrestling on my feet and a lot of hand fighting, controlling ties, controlling positions. I saw progess over the summer, but I'm definitely still working on it. Coach and I both agreed that this was my best summer yet in terms of training, because I never stopped. Hopefully, it's starting to pay off for me now."
On his 'welcome to Division I wrestling' moment ...
"I went through a 45-minute grind with Jeremiah Tobias on top pretty much the whole time. The first five minutes went okay. He took me down, and I had enough energy to escape. But after five minutes, much of the remaining time was spent counting the lights. My shoulder and my forearm were killing me trying to fight that off. I learned a lot though, and after a while, I learned what he was looking for, and I was able to avoid that situation. So, I was looking at the lights a lot less."
On the idea that wrestlers can't sleep on their backs ...
"I used to sleep on my side, but I actually started a shoulder problem because of it. So now I have to force myself to sleep on my back when I go to sleep, otherwise it bothers my shoulder."
On what he'd do if he was head coach for a day ...
"I'd take everybody out for ice cream."
Note: "Off the Mat" runs in The Riding Times, an inside look at U-M wrestling.
Players Mentioned
