Janke Sets Sights On Title Nic Wrestler Dominates After Leaving Oklahoma

It was easy, at least outwardly, for Mark Janke to quit wrestling two years ago.

Then a redshirt freshman starter for Oklahoma at 142 pounds, Janke already had a bad shoulder but still won the Oklahoma Open.

Soon after, the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee was torn at the early season Las Vegas Open, requiring reconstructive surgery. Plus, Janke didn’t get along with the Sooners’ new coach.

“It was pretty easy to (quit),” Janke said. “When I left Oklahoma, I wanted to be closer to home. I’ve got a lot of family.

“I was just getting tore up in practice. The abuse my body was taking was something.”

Janke returned to Moses Lake, Wash., where he’d won State AAA wrestling titles in 1991 and 1992 as a junior and senior. His career record included 135 victories in 140 matches, the five losses each by one point.

Janke started wrestling at age 2 and had his pick of collegiate programs.

“I chose Oklahoma because the Big Eight is probably the toughest league in the nation,” Janke said.

Janke flew home after knee surgery and went to work for an air-bag manufacturer. He realized, “that factory work wasn’t for me. I needed to get back to school.”

North Idaho College wrestling coach John Owen learned of Janke’s situation by accident, at a summer softball tournament.

It seemed the “untouchable” recruit for Owen in 1992 was now very much available. An NCAA medical hardship ruling wiped Janke’s 1994 season at Oklahoma from the books, leaving four years of collegiate eligibility. NIC needed a 158-pounder.

Owen’s first telephone conversation didn’t coax Janke out of retirement. The second call rendered the commitment. The 22-year-old Janke, who also played high school football and baseball, admittedly was in the worst physical condition of his life.

“It was tough at first getting it back,” Janke added. “I use a lot of speed. These guys are stronger than me. They’re bigger.”

Later this week, Janke will see just how far he has come since NIC practices started five months ago.

The Cardinals ended two months of two-a-day practices last week. Now, they taper workouts for the National Junior College Athletic Association championships this weekend in North Dakota.

There is just one returning individual champion in the NJCAA field, Matt Ironside of Iowa Central at 134.

Janke (29-6) and freshman 167-pounder Jason Moaney (32-3) lead NIC, ranked No. 1 in the final NJCAA poll, into the national tournament. Janke won the Region 18 outstanding wrestler award two weeks ago.

“My goal is to win it,” said Janke following Monday’s practice. “I’m just going to have to wrestle my match; not go upper body with them, keep to my style, and I should be all right.”

Wrestling up two weight classes from where Oklahoma put him isn’t the only distinct difference Janke notices between NCAA Division I and NJCAA levels.

“The intensity of the wrestlers and the (physical) shape - they go 7 (minutes) hard and intense in Division I,” Janke said. “(NJCAA) kids will break faster. You get ahead of them, frustrate them, and they break down.”

But there’s still plenty for Janke to prove, both to himself and to Owen.

“That’s the unfortunate thing: there is lots of talk,” Owen said. “There’s no timeouts, no subjectivity in our sport. It all takes place in the arena. (Janke) needs to go there and prove himself. He’s got a good record.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: NJCAA Wrestling Tournament When: Friday, first-round matches 9:30 a.m. (PST), quarterfinals 4:30 p.m. Saturday, semifinals 9 a.m.; championships, 5 p.m. Where: Bismarck (N.D.) State College At stake: All-American status for top eight placers per weight. Defending team champion: Lassen (Calif.) College and Garden City (Kan.) Community College tied with 117.5 points each. Garden City has since dropped its program. Team contenders: Lassen, North Idaho College, Iowa Central, Gloucester (N.J.) Community College. NIC facts: The Cardinals were third last year and return no 1995 national qualifiers. NIC has won 10 national titles since 1974, the last in 1993. NIC qualifiers: 118-Dan Vega (31-12), freshman, Tucson, Ariz.; 126-Jessie Schaeffer (36-12), fr., Columbia Falls, Mont.; 150-Josh Morton (33-8), fr., Spokane (Mead); 158-Mark Janke (29-6), fr., Moses Lake, Wash.; 167-Jason Moaney (32-3), fr., Dover, Del.; 177-Josh Clausen (25-15), fr., Apple Valley, Minn.; 190-Orlando Jordan (33-11), soph., Richmond, Va.; Heavyweight-Aaron McArthur (18-18), fr., Polson, Mont. NIC leaders: Takedowns-Schaeffer 128. Reversals-Morton 17. 3-point near falls- Moaney 42. 2-point near falls- Moaney 23. Pins-McArthur 11. Coach’s comment: “We’re wrestling well at the end of the year,” said NIC’s John Owen. “We just seem to be building, building. We’ve really picked it up in the last month. They’re very confident; they really want to win a national title. We think that Lassen has got the better individuals, and we’ve got the better team.”