Marino Garcia was admirably labeled the “Wrestler’s Official” by one of Missouri’s most prominent wrestling officials and rules interpreter of his time, Mr. Merril McDaniel. Garcia earned the respect of coaches, wrestlers and wrestling fans through his high energy level and his fair but firm approach to officiating.

Garcia’s attraction to wrestling began in junior high school in East St. Louis, Illinois during the late 1930s. He didn’t compete during his high school years and he enlisted in the Navy soon after his high school graduation. He was assigned to the USS Independence and defended our country for three years in the South Pacific during World War II.

After the war he returned home and enrolled at McKendree College where he played football and ran track, graduating in 1951. Garcia’s first coaching position was at St. Louis University High School, where he is credited with establishing the wrestling program in 1957.

His team was granted one corner of the gymnasium for practices, sharing it with the powerhouse SLUH basketball squad. After three years at SLUH, Garcia moved to Normandy High School in 1960 and worked with fellow Hall of Fame honoree, Hap Whitney. It was Whitney who suggested to Garcia that he would make a great wrestling official. Soon after, Garcia gave it a try, the start of a 26-year journey that began on the junior varsity level for two years before moving up to varsity matches.

To Garcia, continually learning about the sport and communicating with the coaches and wrestlers was the key to strong officiating. He attended wrestling camps with the intention of staying on top of new moves and the latest wrestling techniques.

Garcia feels fortunate to have been close friends with some of the most knowledgeable people in the sport. He credits Mr. Morris Blitz for “coaching him” after matches on difficult calls and match situations. He also values the may discussions with Mr. Stan Bergmeier on officiating. Marino loved the camaraderie the wrestling community offered.

The highly recognizable Missouri state official was featured on the cover of the 1981 National Wrestling Rules Book. He called high school and collegiate matches from 1961 through 1986, including 18 consecutive years at the Missouri State High School Championships

Marino Garcia’s record speaks for itself and he proudly represented our sport with an unprecedented level of excellence and class.