Being a two sport athlete in college is truly a challenge. Being a collegiate student athlete means tougher classes, competition and higher expectations in all regards. For Penn State Behrend senior Jacob Marzka, being a college athlete with a disciplined schedule is nothing new. “It will be odd in a year from now when I am not getting ready for practice at 4 p.m. because this is the time I always had practice in high school and college,” Marzka stated. Marzka is a 2015 graduate of Fort Leboeuf High School, where he learned that discipline and time management are keys to prosperity in college.

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Initially, Marzka was only a member of the track and field team, but then he decided to join the cross country team as well. Marzka was not a distance runner in high school, and in fact played football in high school. Many of his track and field teammates convinced Marzka and a few other teammates to also join the cross country team.

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When asked about how being a two sport athlete has played to his advantage, Marzka said “It makes me active throughout the whole school year. I do cross country to get me in shape for track and both of those sports seasons combined together happen to take the entire school year. With this being said, it has really helped me remain active and also pushed me to remain a good student so I can continue to help my teams.”

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Marzka runs the 100 meter, 200 meter, 4x100 meter, and 4x400 meter events. His competitiveness, hard work and versatility make this possible. “I am a pretty competitive guy, and this comes from me wanting to be good athletes like my older brothers,” Marzka admitted. While Marzka admired his older brothers growing up, he spoke about his parents being the two primary people who motivated Marzka throughout his running career.

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“My parents are the most influential people in my life. They always pushed me to be my best in school and athletics. I remember when I was younger my parents said if I did not do great in school, I would have to take a year off sports to focus on school,” Marzka commented. The morals and characteristics his parents Cindi and Lee Marzka instilled in him have paid dividends both in athletics, but more importantly in life.

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In addition to his parents, Penn State Behrend track and field and cross country coach Greg Cooper has been an essential part of Marzka’s collegiate success. Marzka stated of Cooper “Coach Cooper has had the biggest impact on my college athletics. He always makes me put forth my best effort and although I may never thank him for pushing me to my limit after the workout, I really do appreciate the all the work he does for both myself and my teammates.”

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Marzka’s closest friends, and roommates, Brian Hazel, Dallas Gray and Phil Myers are three fellow student athletes who have had the most peer influence on Marzka. While Marzka has a lot of people by his side, his career is something he has taken initiative in on his own.

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Marzka is an accounting major and finance minor who has had an internship at Boetger Retirement Plan Services for the past two summers. “I cannot tell you how much I really enjoy it there,” Marzka said. “I find the work I do there very interesting and it helps me understand the material for finance classes I have been taking.” It would seem that Marzka has chosen a steady career path. While Marzka’s career after college will likely be in business, he is hopeful to become a coach as well.

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Marzka’s future as a coach could lie in football or running. In high school, he was an All-Region cornerback and wide-receiver. In track and field, he was a four year letter winner and was named to the First Team All Region for the 4x100 meter relay. At Behrend, he has been named a CSAC All-Academic and also helped the Behrend Lions win three CSAC Championships in track and field as well as two AMCC Championships in cross country.

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His favorite memory at Penn State Behrend as a student athlete was the CSAC Conference Championship meet his freshman year. Marzka commented “That meet was awesome because we had so many athletes that were just dominating their events. I wish I could go back and just watch our team perform because I did not realize how dominant some athletes on our team were in their events.”

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Marzka’s transition to cross country was not something he foresaw, but this decision is one that has helped him achieve greater success so far in his academic and athletic career. He is well on his way to a successful career in accounting and finance and surely will help many people make the best decisions for their future, much like his parents and others have done for him. Marzka has one more year of cross country and track and field at Behrend, and there is little doubt that he will make the most out of the time he has left.