Zeeland East's Marty Landes commits to wrestle at Case Western Reserve University
For the first time in a long time, a Zeeland East wrestler will be continuing his grappling career at the college level.
Marty Landes recently committed to wrestle at Case Western Reserve University, a Division III school in Cleveland, Ohio. The Chix have had several great wrestlers through their program in recent years, like last year's state champion Carter Hinson, but they opted to pursue just academics in school instead of taking the plunge into collegiate athletics.
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According to Martin Landes, Marty's dad as well as the Chix wrestling coach, Marty Landes is the first Chix wrestler to plan to compete in NCAA wrestling since 1979. He doesn't see that as pressure to make a name for Zeeland East in the college wrestling world. Instead, he's just excited to put the Chix back on the map.
"It is a great honor to be able to continue wrestling at the next level," Marty Landes said. "My teammates and coaching in Zeeland East wrestling have prepared me for the hardships I will have in the future, molding me physically and mentally."
Marty Landes had several suitors for his talents. That does tend to happen as a two-time all-state wrestler and two-time conference winner. It was a daunting task taking all the schools that wanted him to join their program and narrowing it down to one he really loved.
He decided to pick the Spartans for a multitude of reasons. The wrestling program is legendary at the Division III level. While he's excited for the chance to join the historic program, the academic side of things was a big factor as well. Case Western Reserve is regarded as one of the top research universities in the world. Marty Landes will get several chances to conduct that research during his time as a pre-med student.
The senior was also excited about the chance to live outside of Michigan and experience a new city.
"Although it was a very tough decision between several other colleges," Marty Landes said. "I picked Case because of the academic rigor, the beautiful campus, and the opportunity to explore something new in Cleveland."
Martin Landes has seen the hard work it's taken his son and wrestler to get to this point in his career. He couldn't be more proud of the effort he's seen that's led him to this opportunity.
“Marty has always pushed himself to do his best in everything he does. He has never been satisfied with average accomplishments," Martin Landes said. "He has always tried his hardest to rise above everyone’s expectations of him both in the classroom and on the competition field to achieve more than what most people believed he was capable of."
Marty is hoping to add to the already rich legacy of wrestling at Case Western Reserve. The Spartans boast four individual national championships as a program and have also had 19 All-Americans on the mat.
Though they've taken a bit of a dip in recent years, failing to name an All-American in the past decade, that's not a deterrent for Marty Landes. If anything, it makes him more excited to get to work and get the Spartans back on the right track.
"I am very excited to join the wrestling program at Case Western Reserve University, I love the coaches and the wrestlers I have met so far," Marty Landes said. "I am excited to use my talents to help rebuild the program to its former glory."
—Contact Assistant Sports Editor Will Kennedy at Will.Kennedy@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @ByWillKennedy and Facebook @Holland Sentinel Sports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Zeeland East's Marty Landes commits to wrestle at Case Western Reserve University
