Vocal talents set Piccolotti apart
Freshman will sing anthem
Vocal talents set Piccolotti apart

By Matt Patterson

Published: October 17, 2007

Marina Piccolotti will sing the national anthem at Oklahoma City University's first women's wrestling dual on Nov. 10. Turns out, it's not the first time she's been in front of a mic.

Piccolotti is a charter member of OCU's women's wrestling program. The 18-year-old freshman came to Oklahoma City from Pacifica, Calif., where she followed in her father's footsteps and became a girl's state wrestling champion, going 44-2 last season.

That in itself makes Piccolotti unique. But the 138-pounder's vocal talents set her apart.

"I've been singing longer than I've been doing anything else,” she said. "I grew up watching Disney movies and singing along with the Little Mermaid and Mary Poppins.”

Her love of singing, especially country music, led to the recording of a demo tape that eventually landed into the hands of a friend of Merle Haggard. Piccolotti took the summer off between her sophomore and junior years in high school to perform with Haggard's drummer at shows in Sacramento. Her family eventually hired a manager, and before long, Piccolotti was in talks with PolyGram on a recording contract. It wasn't to be, and that was Piccolotti's call.

"It got to the point where I had a chance to sign and move to Nashville and be home schooled,” she said. "I just sat back for a minute and thought about what I wanted to do and I wanted to be a state champion like my dad. I wanted to finish what I started.”

Piccolotti sometimes thinks about what could have been. As it is, she's a typical college kid, and very much a girl. She even brought her prized Maltese onto the winner's platform at meet in California. But with the right breaks in Nashville, anything might have been possible.

"When I go to practice I sometimes think ‘Why am I doing this',” she said. "At the end of the day I always think I made the right decision. I don't know where I'd be without wrestling. It's kept me focused.”

She hopes to make the 2012 women's Olympic team. And maybe after that she'll get serious about music again.

"When I was three I dreamed about being on stage and singing,” she said. "Now wrestling is a different stage for me. I've made the mat my stage.”

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