THUNDER BAY –Rather than taking a giant leap into uncharted territory, Marco Palermo realized familiarity was an important factor in deciding his future.
The 17-year-old Thunder Bay product is sticking around his hometown as he formally signed a letter of intent last week to become the newest member of the Lakehead Thunderwolves varsity wrestling program.
As well getting to continue his athletic career in the city he calls home, joining Lakehead also gives him another sense of continuity in staying connected with the club coaches who have worked with him for the past six years.
“I found a lot of the coaches in Thunder Bay made me become a great wrestler so I think continuing with them will really help me continue my success in wrestling,” he said.
The soon-to-be St. Patrick High School graduate brings a strong pedigree to the program after winning four provincial championships in three different weight classes and a Canada Summer Games gold medal in 2013.
Those results meant Palermo fielded numerous calls from other programs, making for a hot competition on the recruiting trail.
“It was a tough decision to stay in town but I knew that would be the best decision for me, knowing I had done well over the past few years staying in town,” he said.
For Lakehead head coach Francis Clayton, recruiting Palermo sends a roaring, powerful message to the rest of the country as the Thunderwolves look to re-establish themselves as a premier program.
“It’s a statement that we’re back and serious about growing the program,” he said. “I think it’s a statement to southern Ontario because people know who Marco is. You win OFSSAA four times, people wonder where he’s going. Now he says Lakehead, people are going to be paying attention.”
Clayton sees the sky as the limit for Palermo, with future national team spots and the potential to represent Canada at the Olympics if he puts the work in and things break his way.
Now with Palermo in the fold, Clayton has an extra tool to help market Lakehead as a destination for up and coming wrestlers.
“It starts with an athlete and goes from there,” Clayton said.
“We’ve got Marco and we’re going to build around him. That’s the idea. We’re going to build a program around him and a few others. We’ll have a few more announcements coming in the next few weeks.”
The potential for a bright future, and the prospects for team success on an OUA and CIS level, also helped entice Palermo.
“I think we’re a building program right now. I think we can be a very successful program in the coming years.
