Perry Hall’s top-ranked, 175-pound junior Victor Marks-Jenkins has embraced the inception of the new rules implemented by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Wrestling Rules Committee regarding the “three-point takedown,” the “four-point nearfall” and the “one point of contact” inbound directive.
“The rules haven’t necessarily enhanced my abilities,” said Marks-Jenkins, a 3.8 student within Perry Hall’s Bio-medical Science program. “I focus only on Freestyle and Greco. The matches I have in the winter are to grow my ability for the offseason.”
Marks-Jenkins did have an exemplary offseason.
There was his technical fall over a 2024 champion in both Fargo freestyle and the National High School Coaches Association, Lake Highland Prep’s Lucas Boe. Boe is ranked 9th-nationally at 157 pounds by Sports Illustrated and is the top seed entering this weekend’s National Preps Tournament.
There was also another victory over a Fargo Greco-Roman Bronze medalist, Ohio’s Zack Aquila by Marks-Jenkins, who is ranked 26th nationally by Sports Illustrated.
Marks-Jenkins begins pursuit of his third straight Baltimore County title this weekend at CCBC-Essex. Also, a two-time regional title winner, Marks-Jenkins won last year’s 157-pound Class 4A-3A state title after having been a runner-up as a 145-pound third-place finisher as a freshman.
Already an explosive, dominant wrestler with the penchant and proficiency to end his matches swiftly, Marks-Jenkins’ acknowledges being particularly more effective scoring on the edge of the mat, thanks to the inbounds’ rule.
“Being 5-foot-11, height normally hasn’t affected me in my matches,” said Marks-Jenkins, whose record on the season is 38-0 with 26 pins, five technical falls and seven forfeits. “That is until this year. This year, my ability to stay inbounds has been crucial to my ability to be able to pin as opposed to just getting a technical fall.”
As a freshman, Marks-Jenkins went 50-1 with 42 pins and four technical falls, earning county and regional titles and finishing third at the state tournament. Marks-Jenkins was a repeat county and regional champion as a sophomore, ending with his first state title and a record of 47-0 that included 40 pins and two technical falls.
As a ninth grader, just 90 seconds separated Marks-Jenkins from a berth in the Class 4A-3A state championship match and potentially an undefeated season at 145 pounds. 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.
Mark-Jenkins has a career record of 135-1 with 108 falls and 11 technical falls, including this year’s domination of wrestlers at 190 and 215 pounds this season.
Having risen in weight, Marks-Jenkins often employs the cat-like swiftness and leverage from his days as a lower weight against those he currently faces at 175 pounds, especially on takedowns and nearfalls.
“I think the three-point takedown encourages wrestlers to score more often by removing the concern about the equivalency of the two-point reversal [to the two-point takedown,]” Marks-Jenkins said. “There is also the incentive of an extra point [for a three-point takedown.] It’s the same thing for the [four-point nearfall.] I believe those rules encourage scoring and the incentives of taking slight risks for a larger benefit.”
Marks-Jenkins has maximized the latter against larger opposition.
Another among Marks-Jenkins's offseason victories is one over third-ranked senior Adin Hastings of Williamsport, a Class 2A-1A state runner-up last season after winning states as a sophomore, at the Journeymen Fall Classic.
Also, at the Journeymen Fall Classic, in the third-place match, Marks-Jenkins pinned 7th-rated at 190lbs by Sports Illustrated, Robert Kucharczk of Lake Highland Prep in Florida.
At 190 pounds, Marks-Jenkins owns a 39-second pin against 12th-ranked senior Carter Alexander of North County, a returning fourth-place finisher in the Anne Arundel County Tournament.
Marks-Jenkins has registered a 17-2 technical fall over Curley’s 16th-ranked junior Bailen Boutz, a 190-pounder who has placed third in each of the past two Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournaments, and fifth at last weekend’s Maryland Private Schools State Tournament.
A loser to Marks-Jenkins by an 18-3 technical fall was 24th-ranked senior Derek Owumi of The Saint James School, who was sixth at last weekend’s Maryland Private Schools State Tournament.
Marks-Jenkins had a record of 18-9 in college opens during his offseason.
“I think one more beneficial rule would be the efficiency of stalling calls,” Marks-Jenkins said. “They should do it in the same way they do with the Olympics’ style, where stalling is supposed to be called within a certain time limit of no one scoring.”
So, Marks-Jenkins is all-in on the changes, which mirror similar alterations previously made in college wrestling toward increasing the value of a takedown from two points to three and rewarding more offensive action in the sport.
“I like that these rules set wrestlers up for the college experience,” Marks-Jenkins said, “before we have to go through them in college.”
Victor Marks-Jenkins At A Glance
Junior Year
Record: 38-0
Pins: 26
Technical falls:5
Forfeits 7
Sophomore
Record: 47-0
Pins: 40
Technical falls: 2
Forfeits 3
Freshman
Record: 50-1
Pins: 42
Technical falls: 4
Forfeits 1
Career Record:135-1
Career pins: 108
Career Technical falls: 11
Forfeits 11
College Opens Record: 18-9