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Alexis Leads Hoban To Overtime Victory

By JOE PETRUCCI jpetrucci@leader.net
 Friday, February 07, 2003 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1C 





Winning the roughest one of allLongtime King's College wrestling coach Ned
McGinley has to think back 30 years to the last wrestler he's described as an
``Iron Man,'' a guy who never misses a match, never gets hurt and is always
ready to run onto the mat. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But the Monarchs coach doesn't have to look far for his latest iron man.
McGinley describes his current 125-pounder, Mitch Marcks, the same way. That's
no small compliment, considering Marcks has lived with Crohn's disease, an
inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation in the small intestine,
since the summer before eighth grade. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Marcks, who is expected to become the first King's wrestler to win his
100th-career match during his junior year tomorrow in a quad match at Scandlon
Gymnasium, has learned to control the disease though discipline in his diet
and medication. In turn, that discipline has served him well in his wrestling
career, which has blossomed at King's. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``He has just taken (Crohn's) and used it as a strength,'' McGinley said of
Marcks, who upped his career mark to 99-12 on Thursday with a win at Hunter
College. ``He controls his diet properly, he eats all three of his meals like
he's supposed to. He's just a very mentally tough individual.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Marcks, an Allentown native, was on vacation with his family during the
summer of 1995 in Tennessee when he became sick to his stomach. He was so ill
the family cut short its vacation to have Marcks checked out at home. After a
few doctors diagnosed Marcks with having the stomach flu and the severe pain
persisted, Marcks was admitted to Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, where
he was properly diagnosed with Crohn's. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 He was supposed to stay in the hospital for a month, but recovered so well
that he went home after two weeks. He was put on medication - at first he took
16 pills a day - and was given a list of foods to avoid. Marcks listed nuts
and seeds, fresh fruits, greasy food and popcorn as foods that aggravate
Crohn's. He didn't play any sports during his eighth-grade year because
doctors wanted to monitor his progress. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Soon, the spells of severe stomach pain became less frequent. His
medication was decreased. He was able to compete in wrestling and baseball at
Dieruff High School. Only once, during a baseball game, did the pain get so
bad he had to miss a day. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Now, Marcks is down to just six pills a day and the pain is infrequent. He
said he has a spell once a month or so. He's been doing so well that Marcks
said he can't even remember his doctor's name. Marcks thinks his early
diagnosis saved him from more severe consequences. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``People who (have it diagnosed) later actually have to have parts of their
intestines removed because it's so severe,'' said Marcks. ``Some have to wear
a bag for bowel movements. I was able to catch it early and listen to what the
doctor said and get healthy as I could so I could participate in the sports I
love.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The only negative is Marcks believes Crohn's stunted his growth. While his
father and brothers are 5-foot-11 and two uncles are 6-0 or more, Marcks
checks in at 5-4. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``I think I missed a growth spurt,'' said Marcks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The positive, of course, is that the diligence with which Marcks controls
Crohn's has carried over into the wrestling room. After going 70-29 at
Dieruff, Marcks came to King's not knowing what to expect. But after a
successful freshman year, a trip to nationals and an eighth-place All-American
finish his sophomore year, Marcks has his sights set on a national title. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At nationals at First Union Arena last year, Marcks lost to the eventual
champion in the quarterfinals and suffered a sprained medial collateral
ligament. Instead of calling it quits, Marcks wrestled through the pain and
lost two more matches. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``He was an All-American on one leg,'' said McGinley. ``He just overcomes
those difficulties and part of that is he's got that major difficulty. It
makes him stronger when it comes to a pulled little muscle. That's not going
to stop him. He's gone through so much.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Marcks (27-1) is ranked fourth in the country at 125 and has an outstanding
drilling partner in West Scranton graduate Jim Morgan, a fellow All-American
who is ranked third nationally at 141. Morgan, who isn't easily impressed,
thinks Marcks can be the best in the country. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 ``In all his matches, even in practice, he's tough to score on,'' said
Morgan. ``He never gives up many points. That's just it. He's so disciplined,
it makes him tougher.'' &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Winning The Roughest One Of All King's Wrestler Turns A Dreaded Ailment Into A Spur For Success On The Mat And Dreams About A National Title.