Marion takes advantage of opportunity to return

IOWA CITY - His return to the University of Iowa wrestling program was indicative of path he took to earn his way back to the mat.

Montell Marion was thrown to his back, but did everything that he needed to do for a successful comeback. That could be the exact way to describe his last nine months.

Marion made his return to the Iowa lineup with an 11-9 win over then-fifth-ranked Andrew Alton in the Hawkeyes' 22-13 win at previously top-ranked Penn State, completing his return. Marion was "permanently suspended" from the Iowa wrestling program May 5, 2010 after a drunken driving arrest, but has taken the necessary steps to be reinstated to practice with the team the first week of January and then get a chance to take the mat in a Hawkeye singlet Sunday.

Alton threw Marion to his back in the first period, but Marion rolled off and then dominated Alton the rest of the way, scoring three takedowns in the final period to win. The similarities are uncanny between his first match and the overall journey are uncanny.

"That's exactly correct," said Del Marion, Montell Marion's father. "My son is a battler. My son doesn't give up very easily. We're very proud of him that he didn't give up.

"It shows the type of resiliency my son possesses and I'm very proud of him because of that."

Del Marion said he was thankful for the University of Iowa for setting the right tone for its student-athletes and said the suspension was a tough time for his son and the entire family. They were in State College, Pa., for the triumphant appearance, signifying how far Marion had come since the infraction.

"It was a dream come true," Del Marion said about seeing his son compete in a Hawkeye singlet again. "It meant a lot to my son. It meant a lot to my whole family."

Marion was an NCAA finalist last year, placing second at 141 pounds with a 27-6 record. He applied for reinstatement in December and was approved. The actually steps Marion, a four-time state finalist and two-time champion who won titles at West Des Moines Valley and Des Moines Roosevelt, had to make have not been made public, but he seemed to be determined to do all that was needed.

“I want to thank the University of Iowa, Gary Barta, Fred Mims and Tom Brands for giving me this opportunity to prove myself worthy,” Marion said in a statement released at his reinstatement. “I understand that there will be some mixed emotions about me rejoining the team, but I am confident that my actions will demonstrate that the University has made the right decision in providing me with this opportunity.”

The chance came when Penn State agreed to start at 125 and Brands figured out his lineup at 141 and 149, moving up Mark Ballweg his "horsepower" would work in his favor.  

"A lot of steps involved with that and talking about that for awhile now," Brands said. "I'm not going to reveal all of the steps that this was the moment for that."

The moment didn't start hot with Alton throwing Marion to his back for a 5-0 lead in the first period. He handled the deficit with the same resolve he demonstrated during his time away from the team, scoring three takedowns in the third to win.

The future of 141 is still uncertain, according to Brands, who said it will need to be decided soon. Time will tell how much of a boost will get from him in the lineup.

"We'll see," Brands said. "This is a step-by-step deal and we have to keep him grounded. He was a pretty even (tempered) guy walking off the mat. He had a lot of reason to be jumping up and down, but he didn't. He just walked off the mat. Business as usual."

Marion could have likely gone somewhere else to finish out the last year and semester left of eligibility, but elected to stay in Iowa City. Brands said he became  a supporter for Marion once he enrolled in classes at Iowa without any guarantee of being allowed to wrestle again.

"Montell Marion told Gary Barta that he was going to graduate from the University of Iowa and I shrugged my shoulders and said 'Put your money where your mouth is, stud,' " Brands said. "There were no guarantees and he's done a good job to put himself in this position and because of that I became an advocate for him."

The lessons extend far beyond the mat. What Marion does off the mat and away from wrestling is just as important as the wins he can claim on it.

"This process is not about just wrestling," Brands said. "This process is about his rehab, his continued sobriety and dang right I'm proud."

Marion's presence in the practice room made an instant impact. Iowa's 133-pound red-shirt freshman Tony Ramos said Marion's attitude in the practice room hasn't changed from last season.

"He's a hard worker. He's tough," said Ramos, who preceded Marion with a 3-2 win over former Iowa State NCAA finalist Andrew Long, who transferred to Penn State at semester. "He can go with anyone and he can probably wrestle longest out of anyone. He never gets tired."

That is a major reason Ramos wasn't surprised that Marion demonstrated better conditioning than Alton, despite it being his first official match back. It also benefits the rest of the team, giving wrestlers another quality individual to practice against to prepare for competition.

"It's a lot better with him in the practice room," Ramos said. "It helps everyone along. We have more practice partners, we have tougher guys (and) we have experience."

The ordeal may just lead to bigger and better things for Marion, who will attempt to improve his third-place Big Ten finish and NCAA runner-up showing. Even though Del Marion admits he's no wrestling coach, he expects big things from his son. And, that probably applies to off the mat as well.

"I'll say this, you still haven't seen the best Montell, yet," Del Marion said. "Montell is going to take it to quite a few more levels, I believe."

Marion could get another shot Friday when the second-ranked Hawkeyes host Indiana (10-5 overall, 0-4 Big Ten) at 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.