Badger Bites
Returns to wrestling after playing NCAA Division I football at Rice University in Texas ... earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at Rice ... is pursuing a Master's degree at Wisconsin in Sports Leadership.
Honors and Awards
- 2023 Rice Scholar Athlete Award
- 2022 CoSIDA Academic All-District® 7 (2022)
- 2022 C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal
- 2022 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
- 2021 C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal
- 2021 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
- 2020 C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll
Year-By-Year
2023-24 (Graduate): Klarkowski went 1-4 overall in his first season as a Wisconsin Badger and collegiate wrestler... competed in two opens including the Pointer Open in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Michigan... took down Jordan Loose of Itasca by fall in 3:51 in lone win on the season... graduate transfer from Rice where he played varsity football for the Owls ... will have two years of eligibility for wrestling at Wisconsin at heavyweight (285 pounds) ...
Rice University (Football)
2022-23: View Rice football bio ... Started five football games and played in eight for the Owls, while dealing with an injury sustained in Game 1 ... one of his five starts was in the Lending Tree Bowl, the first bowl Rice has played in since 2014 ... named a 2023 Rice Scholar Athlete Award winner based on character and accomplishment in school and in sport and maintaining at least a 3.3 GPA.
2021-22: Knocked out of the lineup with an injury before the Texas Southern game after starting the previous 10 games dating back to his debut in the 11th game of 2019 ... had taken 668 consecutive snaps before missing the Texas Southern game.
2020-21: Started all five football games and took 355 snaps while playing the entire season with a cast on his left hand, the result of a preseason injury.
2019-20: True freshman walk-on who joined the Rice football team at the start of training camp but found himself in the starting lineup for the final two games ... had been working with the scout team all fall, but was promoted to the travel squad the day before the North Texas game after starting center Shea Baker became ill ... stepped in as the starter and took all 123 offensive snaps against the Mean Green and at UTEP as the Owls completed their season-ending, three-game winning streak ... a member of Mike Bloomgren's second recruiting class who walked on in 2019.
High School Football: Two-way football standout for coach Tim Birr at Green Bay Southwest high school, earning all-conference and all-region honors on both offense and defense ... led team to the 2017 WIAA (Wisconsin) Division 2 semifinals ... did not allow a pressure in 244 pass attempts on offense while piling up 61 tackles (6 for loss/3 sacks) on defense as a senior ... only allowed 15 pressures in 1,013 snaps on offense in his career and was credited with 121 tackles (14 for loss/7.5 sacks) on defense ... semifinalist for the Joe Thomas Award as the state’s top offensive lineman.
High School Wrestling: A four-year letterman in wrestling with over 100 career wins ... finished 3rd as a senior at Wisconsin State Championships in 2019 ... also placed first in Greco at State as a senior in 2019 ... state qualifier in 2018 as a junior ... ranked 4th in his weight class ... Valedictorian, National Honor Society, Student Council, Key Club, Peer Athletic Council ... member of the Science and Math teams.
Personal: Parents are John and Missy ... has two sisters Rachel and Faith... Uncle Jeff Karkowski wrestled at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, cousin Zach Klarkowsk played football at St. Norbert College uncle Jason Willems played football at St. Norbert and baseball at Western Wisconsin Technical College for one year ... earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Rice University in Mechanical Engineering and is earning his Master's degree at Wisconsin in Sports Leadership.
| Year |
Overall |
Dual |
B1G |
Pins |
B1Gs |
NCAAs |
| 2023-24 |
1-4 |
-- |
-- |
1 |
-- |
-- |
| Career |
1-4 |
-- |
-- |
1 |
-- |
-- |
Why Wisconsin?
"I get to be close to home and compete for my home state."
Off The Mat
- Favorite wrestling memory: 2019 Wisconsin State tournament
- Fun fact: Enjoys playing the guitar
- You're stranded on an island, what three things are you bringing? Bible, rope and fire starter.
