Freshman IU wrestler Devin Skatzka had a laundry list of accomplishments during his time at Richmond High School in Richmond, Michigan.
He won four individual state titles and two team state titles and set a school record for number of pins. He was a three-time FloWrestling All-American and a letterman in three other sports, including football, for which he was named All-State as a running back.
In his first year at IU, wrestling unattached, Skatzka led the Hoosiers with 12 pins and has added nine more to that list this season.
Wrestling unattached means to take the mat in open tournaments while not officially representing the school. Skatzka said he believes doing so helped his transition from high school wrestling to college wrestling particularly with the positioning differences.
The success Skatzka had in high school and to begin his college career might give an athlete a sense of entitlement, a reason to boast or belief that he is better than everyone else, but that’s not how Shatzka operates.
His high school coach, Brandon Day, described him in one word.
“Humble,” Day said. “He did so many amazing things in high school, and he’s doing great in college now. Sometimes getting a word out of him was so hard, and he made the things that seemed unattainable to some people where they would be going crazy, but Devin was always humble and smiling.”
Day said Skatzka was never looking for attention and was always more excited about what the team accomplished rather than what he was able to accomplish individually.
Despite his humility, there is no hiding Shatzka’s athletic ability on the mat.
Last season, wrestling unattached and using the season to redshirt, Skatzka went 25-8 and finished on the podium in five different tournaments, including the Eastern Michigan Open, where he finished second. He also came within one match from being on the podium in one of the best tournaments, the Midlands Tournament, of the season.
Day said he remembers Skatzka making things look easy in high school even if they weren’t.
“He’s strong and explosive,” Day said. “Devin is a finisher. He’s truly strong, probably the strength of a 197-pounder wrestling 184 in high school. Sometimes it was just unfair. He was ripping kids’ arms off and making it look easy. It was not easy. He is just that special.”
In high school Skatzka said he worried people would think he was going to rip their arms out due to his aggressive nature and his style of always attacking hard and going for the pin.
When deciding where to attend college Skatzka first had to decide whether to pursue football or wrestling at the college level.
“I could have played college football at Central Michigan,” Skatzka said. “Other than that probably some smaller schools. I had a lot more success in wrestling and figured I could get to a higher level in wrestling.”
When wrestling became his choice, plenty of schools, including IU, saw how special he could be. Day said it was the connections Skatzka built at IU that made his decision final.
Skatzka was able to make vital connections with IU sophomore Cole Weaver and Associate Head Coach Nick Simmons during his recruitment process because both are from Michigan. Day said IU offered Skatzka the same values and morals he was raised with at Richmond and made him feel at home and comfortable right away.
Now in his first season officially representing the Hoosiers, Skatzka finds himself leading the team in pins and getting a taste of the national rankings. He is 18-6 with two wins against nationally ranked opponents and two podium finishes at the Navy Classic and the Midlands Tournament.
Skatzka has plenty of accolades to his name already. In his three-plus remaining years at IU he said he is eager for more accomplishments.
“This year is the NCAA Championships and an All-American,” Skatzka said. “That’s the ultimate goal. From then on I just want to get better each year, be All-American each year and get to the top of the podium.”
