Crown Point, Indiana native, Jesse Mendez, has had a successful first season with Ohio State. Courtesy of Ohio State Athletics
Ups and downs are a part of the learning process in wrestling, whether it’s taking a loss on the chin, grinding through practice or striving to improve, all are on the path for wrestlers to develop successful legacies.
This season saw new faces enter Ohio State’s program, as head coach Tom Ryan believes many young wrestlers can contribute to a storied Ohio State program. Freshman Jesse Mendez has been one of the newcomers who’s taken advantage of early opportunities.
Coming from Crown Point, Indiana, Mendez is used to the spotlight, having been a top prospect in the state, according to outlets like FloWrestling, and sought after by many top wrestling programs in the country as part of the class of 2022.
Mendez said his older teammates have helped him progress in his career. When he first got to Ohio State, they showed him the ropes and helped him to settle into the environment.
“Seeing how they take it. Day in and day out. Seeing how they progressed in the season and how they handled stuff, the first couple of weeks, they showed me the ropes,” Mendez said. “The older black shirts, having them in the room and having their guidance has helped.”
It didn’t take long for Mendez to earn his own black shirt — awarded to those who help the team in decision-making and display discipline, grit, selflessness and excellence, according to Ohio State Athletics — through unanimous approval from the coaching staff and current black shirts.
The 133-pound Mendez earned his black shirt Jan. 18, winning eight of his first nine matches, including his first two in Big Ten duals.
Like many freshmen, Mendez has had his ups and downs since coming into the program, learning from the wins and defeats. He’ll carry a 13-3 record and 7-1 mark in Big Ten competition into the conference championships this weekend as the No. 2 seed in his weight class.
There have been some low points, such as a loss to Penn State graduate Roman Bravo-Young — the conference tournament’s No. 1 seed in the 133-pound class — that brought him back to reality, and Mendez said he realized there were currently guys ahead of him.
Redshirt senior 184-pounder Kaleb Romero said he’s seen Mendez through highs and lows, watching the freshman’s determination and ability to bounce back.
“I think from each of those losses he doesn’t hang his head on it and get down on himself,” Romero said. “He just looks at [losses] as a way to improve and get better. That shows the maturity of him. It shows the leadership abilities that he has.”
Since joining the program in the summer, Mendez said he feels like a better wrestler than he was, and knows he can step up to challenges on his road to a hopeful national tournament berth, something he plans on winning.
Mendez has been a leader from a young age. In high school, he said he wanted to help his teammates by building relationships. He said he wants more than just an individual title — he wants to see his team win a title together.
“As I’ve grown older, I want a team title more and more. I want to see the success of my teammates,” Mendez said.
Ryan said he sees the confidence in Mendez, which he describes as a genuine and diligent mindset that’s formed through dedication to improving as a wrestler.
“Jesse’s confidence is authentic,” Ryan said. “He’s competent in the areas you need to be. He’s competent with his cardiovascular system, his skill set and in the area of being uncomfortable and still pushing on. These are things that throughout his life he has managed. When you do it all the time, you’re confident.”
Mendez’s first season has yielded success, but it’s far from over.
“There’s always a few that transform the whole, and Mendez is one of them. When you’re passionate and love what you do, it allows you to put the number of minutes in that you need to put in to become a great wrestler,” Ryan said. “He has a deep love and passion for what he is doing and because of that, the minutes he gives to wrestling in his life is a non-factor.”
