Contact: Matthew Eaker, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, mreaker@noctrl.edu
Feb. 18, 2022 - Wrestling wasn't something that senior men's wrestler, Jason Nako was interested in during high school but after some teammates asked him to join, he fell in love and invested his time into the sport
"I did wrestling when I was a kid because my dad put me in it. I didn’t really like it but I'm older now so I tried it out. The tremendous amount of support I got from coaches, they kept pushing me even when the season was over. We had summer camps and one on one sessions, it really made me invest my time into the sport and fall in love with it" said Nako.
In high school, Nako was a multi-sport athlete, he was involved on the football team and track and field team but at the end of his junior year he decide to focus on wrestling. Nako was the first wrestler to win a sectional championship at Dwight. D Eisenhower high school since 1982 and qualified for the IHSA State Championships.
"I thought that was really cool, not only qualifying for the state tournament but I did it in a dominant fashion. That was a big memory for me and I still remember it to this day" said Nako.
Staying close to home for college was something Nako was really interested in. His family and friends have had a huge influence on his life and they have kept him motivated throughout his time in school.
“Both of my parents are huge supporters in my life. My dad is the hard parent figure, he shows me different types of qualities to have. My mom is very soft and kind, she comes once a week to North Central to support me and tell me to keep going. Having the right friends, even if it is two to three good friends who keep you motivated and out of trouble while helping you succeed in life is really important.”
When he was a Sophomore in high school, alumni and other wrestlers from schools in the area would come and wrestle during the offseason. Nako met an Alumni who he looked up to and talked to him about a major. Nako was introduced to Biochemistry and it instantly peaked his interest.
"I thought that was very cool. I was really good at chemistry and biology when I was in high school. It stuck with me and I continued it during college and I loved it even more" said Nako.
When asked about why he chose North Central, Nako said "North Central has a vast amount of resources and I just think that they put a lot of effort into academics as well as athletics and that made me want to get my degree here."
At North Central, Nako has tallied a 31-13 record in three years at 197 and 285 pounds. Nako has also been named Academic All-CCIW three times while being a two time NWCA Academic All-American.
When Nako isn't on the mat, he enjoys working out, lifting and hanging out with friends. “I try to get my homework done to manage my time and I do that so I can enjoy my workouts and lifts. I try to do that so I can feel stress free during the week" said Nako. Outside of lifting and hanging out with friends, he enjoys cooking steaks for his family and friends.
“I can cook a really good steak, it can be any type of steak. Everyone that eats my steak really enjoys it” said Nako
After he earns his degree in Biochemistry, Nako is planning to attend Pharmacy School. "I want to be close to home again. I want to get into University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) because it is a top five school in the country. Midwestern in Downers Grove so it's close to home and to North Central so i can come see the team and maybe catch a practice as well" said Nako.
Nako and the Cardinals are back in action on Feb. 25 and 26 as they travel to Dubuque, Iowa to compete in the NCAA Division III Lower Midwest Regional Championships.
Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.
Credits:
Steve Woltmann