Two of NIU wrestling’s key contributors to its success this season have one thing in common.

J.D. Oliva (197 pounds) and Marlon Felton (125 pounds), both seniors, were walk-ons for the Huskies.

“Most people look up to me,” Felton said. “A lot of people don’t know that I walked on. But now I am treated as fair as a Scott Owen or a Ben Heizer. It’s a good feeling to be on a bad-ass team and have everyone all get along.”

Even though they weren’t on scholarships their freshman seasons, they both have full rides now.

Oliva and Felton both are ranked near the top of their weight classes in the MAC individual rankings.

Oliva has an 18-9 record while Felton has a 12-5 record with four pins for the second semester. Felton missed the entire first semester because he didn’t have enough academic credits toward his degree because he switched majors.

Felton went to the NCAA Championships last season, and only went Downstate one year while at Kankakee High School, his senior season.

While Felton has been to the NCAA Championships, he said some state champs from high school have yet to qualify.

“They want what I have now, while they had what I wanted in high school,” Felton said.

Felton doesn’t appear intimidated when he has to face a state champ.

“I can name some state champions that I have pinned,” Felton said. “It’s all just numbers, it doesn’t matter to me anymore. Everyone treats everyone all the same on this team.”

Oliva missed going Downstate at Streamwood High School his junior and senior years by one match each season, even though he had back-to-back 30-win seasons.

Despite his records while a prep, it didn’t mean he would get a scholarship. He had some offers to DIII schools, but he wanted to go to a Division I school.

Oliva’s high school coach believed that J.D. could walk-on at any school in the country because of his work ethic, Oliva said.

“I wanted to go DI; it was real important to me,” Oliva said. “I am really competitive, I took it as disrespect. I expect so much out of myself, for a kid that has never done anything, I don’t know why I expect so much out of myself, it was just really important to go to a DI school.”

Coach Dave Grant talked about how great it is to have guys on the team who love the sport so much, and make it a part of their lives.

“Oliva and Felton have made it in Division I wrestling through hard work,” Grant said. “They have dedicated themselves to the sport and their academics. You see guys like that come through your program and see them work so hard, it makes you proud of them.”