National Caliber Finals: VMJ vs. Synder

Photo Credit & Shoutouts to our rockstar photographer Jeff Randall!

Folks at the Show Place Arena were abuzz and hyped for Saturday’s 190-pound Class 4A-3A state title clash of unbeaten seniors between Stephen Decatur’s second-ranked Peter Snyder and Perry Hall’s top-ranked Victor Marks-Jenkins.

Having captured his fourth straight Baltimore County and Class 4A-3A North Region crowns over the previous two weekends, Marks-Jenkins was seeking his third consecutive Class 4A-3A state title after having placed third at states as a 145-pound freshman.

First-year Gators’ coach Steve Amenta was impressed with Marks-Jenkins, being a two-time county runner-up who earned a pair of regional crowns and placed second at states before graduating in 1992 from Perry Hall.

“At the beginning of this season I was not sure what to expect as the new head coach,” Amenta said. “I knew Victor would be the leader of the team as a returning two-time state champion, three-time county and three region champion.”

That was the case yet again opposite Snyder whose incoming 41-0 record justified his 25th national ranking as much as his run to the finals comprising consecutive technical falls by scores of 21-6 and 20-5 to go with a 88-second fall over Catonsville’s 18th-ranked junior Josh Agen-Davis.

By comparison Agen-Davis had lost to Marks-Jenkins over the previous two weekends by scores of 7-0 and 6-0 in the county semifinals and as a regional-runner-up to Marks-Jenkins.

At states, Marks-Jenkins pinned three opponents in 90 seconds, 1:41 and 5:22 for the right to face Snyder, whose coach, Josh August, had called out Marks-Jenkins during the preseason.

Although Marks-Jenkins said, “the fact that he said my name didn’t mean anything to me,” Amenta confirmed Marks-Jenkins’ desire to answer that call.

“Early in the season, Victor weighed 205 and told me that he would wrestle 215 during the season for the team, but for the end of the year tournaments, Victor wanted to drop to 190 to face the nationally ranked wrestler from Stephen Decatur,” Amenta said.

“Victor worked incredibly hard all year and made the cut. Although you can never be sure what is going to happen in a wrestling match, Victor wanted to prove that he was the best in Maryland, and he completely dominated Snyder in their state final.”

Initially, however, Snyder parried several takedown attempts during a scoreless first period before choosing the neutral position in the second, granting Marks-Jenkins a 1-0 lead.

But momentum changed for good when Marks-Jenkins exploded for an 8-1 advantage thanks to a seven-point lateral drop – three-points for the takedown and four near-fall points, nearly planting Snyder’s shoulders to the mat.

“It was a double-under hook to the outside trip,” Marks-Jenkins said. “I had attempted to secure the double-underhook several times before hitting that big move, but this time, he wasn’t able to fight it off.”

Another takedown stretched Marks-Jenkins lead to 11-1 lead entering the third, where a head-butting penalty from a frustrated Snyder accounted for a 12-1 major decision victory.

“I was being dominant and winning and I guess that he got mad,” Marks-Jenkins said. “I didn’t even realize where the one point had come from, but that’s why the final score was 12-1.”

Ranked 19th nationally by High School on SI, Marks-Jenkins improved his record on the year to 54-0 with 40 pins and two technical falls, having earned his third straight state title after capturing his fourth county and regional tournament crowns.

“Victor is very good at getting double-under hooks and throwing. Before the match I told Victor if he was unable to get them, move onto something else,” Amenta said. “But early in the second period Victor was able to secure the double-underhooks and throw Snyder to his back. After that, I knew the match was over. I’m extremely proud of him, will miss him, but am grateful to have been with him as his coach this year.”

Marks-Jenkins improved his career record of 199-1 with 156 pins and 15 technical falls, surpassing Maryland’s all-time victories milestone for public school wrestlers of 195-5 previously held by South Carroll’s Joey Thomas, winner of three state championships over the course of 2015, 2016 and 201

“There was no pressure about setting a record, but it is a great example to the people who are coming up and who can become inspired,” said Marks-Jenkins, who is bound for George Mason University. “I feel like my legacy is one of winning. If anyone wants to try to supersede that I would applaud them. In the end, personally, it has nothing to do with me.”

Committed to Northwestern University, Snyder had returned to the Seahawks following three seasons at Blair Academy, where he earned a National Preps crown as a 165-pound freshman, placed fifth at Preps as a sophomore and missed his junior season due to an injury.

Snyder has also placed sixth and second at Beast Of The East as a sophomore and junior, eighth as a junior at The Ironman, eighth and third as a freshman and sophomore at The Journeyman World Classic, second and seventh as a sophomore at the Journeyman Fall Classic and the Fargo's Freestyle Nationals, and sixth and seventh as a freshman at Escape The Rock and the U.S. Open Under-17 Freestyle.

“Having Peter on our team this year has been a blessing for us. He elevated the guys around him. Our 215 and 285 went from being JV wrestlers to state qualifiers,” said Seahawks’ coach Josh August. “Peter had a great season and tournament. VMJ is an awesome wrestler, and I’m glad they got to meet in the state finals. The match didn’t go our way, Victor wrestled a heck of a match. Hats off to him. I’m excited to see what both guys will do in college.”

The difference may have been Marks-Jenkins’ national experience, according to Legacy Wrestling’s Billy Buckheit.

“VMJ's more recent forays into the national realm paid dividends today. Snyder hasn't been as active in that world this cycle and it showed. Victor excels at Greco and that was what opened up that match for him. The double underhook was a textbook move from that style,” Buckheit said.

“VMJ hit Snyder with that, and he never recovered. VMJ was a Fargo All-American in Greco Roman and lost in the blood round in Freestyle. And that's in the big boy Junior Division. He's a beast nationally at 190.”

Marks-Jenkins’ state title match performance against Snyder was even more supreme than that of a year ago as a 175-pounder, when he grinded out a 5-1 decision over Marriotts Ridge senior Jonah Obitz of Marriotts Ridge.

Marks-Jenkins finished at 48-0 with 34 pins and six technical falls after defeating the muscular Obitz, who entered their bout with a 49-0 record after having placed second and first in each of his previous two appearances in the Howard County and regional tournaments.

“The only reason [the matches with Obitz and Agen-Davis] went the distance is because they weren’t wrestling as aggressively,” Marks-Jenkins said. “They were backing out a lot. It doesn’t matter whether I pinned [Agen-Davis,] the fact is that I won. That’s the only reason the two of our matches had gone the distance.”

Marks-Jenkins had risen in weight several times during his career until dropping for good to 190 pounds in advance of last month’s Baltimore County Tournament, going from 175 to 215 a year ago and 215 to 285 this year before.

"I wrestled 190 once before in the regional duals, but the drop wasn't actually that crazy. For most of the year, I've only been about one or two pounds over at around 192, so the cut was like, just sleeping, and I was on weight," Marks-Jenkins said. "So that was pretty good. Wrestling at 285 and 215, they're definitely stronger, but at the same time, I'm quite strong myself, and I can definitely handle it. So, coming down didn't feel like much, and I didn't think that it would be."

As a 157-pound sophomore, Marks-Jenkins went 47-0 with 40 pins and two technical falls as a sophomore, planting all four state tournament rivals in 51 seconds, 2:54, 2:59 and 5:30.

It was midway through Marks-Jenkins' sophomore season that former Gators' wrestler Matt Green predicted that he "will be the best wrestler to come out of Perry Hall High School."

Green went 31-0 as a 220-pound junior to earn his first county, Class 4A-3A North and Class 4A-3A state titles in 2012 before finishing at 45-0 at 285 pounds in 2013 for his second straight crown in all three of those tournaments.

Green had transferred to Perry Hall from the private school St. Paul's, where he had placed second in the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament and finished third at the private schools' state tournament.

Green was impressed with Marks-Jenkin’s talents as a 145-pound freshman, when he finished third at states, ending with a record of 50-1 with 42 pins and four technical falls.

"Victor's a monster. To tell you the truth, I was surprised that he didn't win the states last year."Comparing me to Victor is like comparing apples to oranges,” Green said. “I was wrestling against the heavyweights. I didn't have to be that much faster than them because those guys were not very fast."

As a ninth grader, just 90 seconds separated Marks-Jenkins from a berth in the Class 4A-3A state championship match. Marks-Jenkins led his semifinal match, 1-0, against state runner-up, Aidan Rivenburg, when the senior from North Point High of Charles County scored a reversal and three near-fall points for an eventual 5-1 victory.

“This year was about nothing but wanting to win states again, brother, just like I want to win every match I’m participating in,” Marks-Jenkins said. “I feel like a lot of people like watching my style. I feel like they love me because I’m a very kind, open person.”