Ohio State junior wrestler and defending individual national champion Jesse Mendez lines up against Chattanooga’s Isaiah Powe at the Covelli Center Thursday night. Mendez won 23-7 by technical fall, and Ohio State won 33-6. Credit: Reid Murray | Managing Editor for Design
Reaching the peak of a national championship is challenging, but staying at the top is even more difficult.
During the 2023-24 wrestling season, Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez reached that peak, claiming the Big Ten Championship and the NCAA Championship at 141 pounds. Now a junior, Mendez must defend his dual championships with a target on his back.
Despite the nation’s best 141-pound wrestlers chasing Mendez down, he said he doesn’t feel any added pressure.
“It’s the same thing as last year; nothing really changes,” Mendez said. “I just don’t think being the returning national champ adds more pressure because it’s going to be tough every time.”
Mendez’s mentality that nothing comes easy speaks to his passion as a wrestler and a person, Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan said. In addition, he said he commends Mendez for his championship-level work ethic.
“He just loves what he does. He has a belief system that is dead-on accurate,” Ryan said. “He believes in improving, coming in at least twice a week in the morning and really working on his skill. His capacity to stay focused in competition and choose the right option is incredibly high.”
Early this season, Mendez has demonstrated a strong ability to not let past results affect his performances. In the 2024 National Wrestling Coaching Association All-Star Classic Nov. 16, Mendez defeated Penn State’s Beau Bartlett — the same rival he defeated for the Big Ten and NCAA Championships last season.
Ohio State assistant coach Logan Stieber said keeping Mendez excited to wrestle is as easy as it gets.
“He’s very motivated, so we don’t have to do much as a coaching staff to keep him motivated,” Stieber said. “He wants to win really, really bad, and he has a lot of goals yet to accomplish.”
Wrestling is grueling on the body, as constant weight cuts and physical demands can be draining.
After claiming the national championship last year, Mendez said he understands this fact more than ever. But he also knows he’s capable of working hard and rising to the occasion.
“I just have too much fight; I refuse to lose,” Mendez said. “College wrestling is tough. You’re on a Big Ten schedule. You got a good guy week-in and week-out.”
With his success on the mat, Mendez said he has used his experiences to become a more vocal leader for the team. Ryan, however, feels like he was a leader from the moment he stepped foot on campus.
Part of that leadership is rooted in Mendez’s iron will to win.
“What I haven’t seen is his desire to improve diminish at all,” Ryan said. “Sometimes you win a title, and it’s hard to repeat because you’ve been to the mountaintop. I haven’t seen that. He wants to win his second and then a third.”
Mendez set the tone for his season at Ohio State’s very first tournament, the Nov. 3 Clarion Open. He collected a perfect 5-0 record to claim the first-place trophy, tacking on two pinfall victories in the process.
Winning one national championship has already cemented Mendez in Buckeye history, but he said he wants to leave a legacy that extends much farther.
“I want people to look back and say, ‘Jesse Mendez is the reason why the Buckeyes went on to win for the next 10 years,’” Mendez said.
Even so, an individual legacy is not the only goal on Mendez’s mind.
“There’s your personal legacy, but I also want to be remembered as a leader and somebody that people strive to be like,” Mendez said.
Having earned an 8-0 record in the 2024-25 season so far, Mendez is ranked as the No. 2 wrestler in the country at 141 pounds, according to FloWrestling.
The season will progress into the new year, and Mendez will soon face conference duals and highly touted opponents. Still, his end goal remains the same: Stand atop the podium in March with gold in his hands.
“March is where you make your money,” Mendez said.
