Super Mario
Balky back can’t stop Mario Marougi
By Steve Stein
Mario Marougi had a great senior season last spring with the Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School boys rowing team. His varsity 4 and varsity 8 boats were winners at St.Mary’s Laddie Cup Regatta on Orchard Lake and the Scholastic Rowing Association of Michigan boys state championships at Kensington Metropark.
It was the first time St. Mary’s varsity 8 boat won at state in nearly a decade.
A determined Mario Marougi walks to a race at the high school state championships last spring at Kensington Metropark.
Then it was off to the Scholastic Rowing Association of America National Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge, Tenn., for the Eaglets. St. Mary’s varsity 4 boat placed second, finishing less than two seconds behind the boat from La Salle Academy from Philadelphia.
But the Eaglets finally finished in front of the boat from St. Ignatius College Prep from Chicago, which placed third. St. Ignatius had beaten St. Mary’s four previous times during the season including the national qualifier, a national heat and national semifinals.
“We pulled in front of them on the last leg, the last 60 meters of the (1500-meter) national championship race, “ Marougi said.
The fact that Marougi was in the boats at all for those accomplishments was nothing short of a miracle. He overcame and fought through back problems that had hampered him since his sophomore season. He originally hurt his back during winter training before that season.
“I still have severe back issues,” he said last month. “But now it’s just occasionally. Before, it was constant. I can do just about anything I want to do now.”
Marougi, 18, is a freshman at Oakland University. He plans to study business with a goal to being residential and/or commercial real estate agent.
His rowing career is over. It began when he was a freshman at St. Mary’s and included two other trips to the national regatta. “I don’t regret getting involved in rowing at all,” he said. “I met so many great people. I’ll miss rowing, but not enough to do it again.”
Now that he’s not rowing anymore, does Marougi think his back problems will go away?
“God, I hope so,” he said.
It took physical therapy before the season and tons of work during the season to allow him to compete last spring. Basically, he said, he learned to deal with his back issues.
He said he was confident he was well enough to win a state championship, but the second-place national finish was a pleasant surprise.
St. Mary’s assistant coach Dave Stration was impressed.
“It’s a challenge to compete in rowing with any type of injury,” Stration said. “Mario focused on injury prevention and made some technical changes to keep him going.”
Marougi is a winner away from the water, too, according to Stration.
“He’s a great guy. Very hard working and focused,” he said. “He was always lifting himself and his teammates with lively banter.”
Marougi’s parents are Joey and Shelly. The family lives in West Bloomfield.