Ohio State sophomore Jesse Mendez’s celebration lasted 24 hours.
Then a conversation with Buckeyes assistant J Jaggers put a new target in Mendez’s mind.
“He sat me down and said that it’s cool winning a national title, but it’s a lot cooler winning Olympic gold,” Mendez said. “We were back in the room the next day.”
Mendez, a 2022 Crown Point graduate, won the national title in the 141-pound weight class late last month. His late takedown of Penn State’s Beau Bartlett secured a 4-1 victory in the final match as he became Ohio State’s first national champion since 2018.
In the heavyweight bracket, Michigan’s Lucas Davison, a 2018 Chesterton graduate, was the national runner-up, earning All-America honors for the third time after transferring from Northwestern as a graduate student.
While Davison reached the end of his college career, Mendez (30-2) remains in the middle of his. He also earned All-America honors as a freshman after going 19-9 and placing sixth in the country. But the four-time Indiana state champion said he started his sophomore year with the knowledge of what it takes to become a national champion.
“It’s just mentality,” Mendez said. “That really is the difference between an average college wrestler and an elite college wrestler. I want it more than most people do, and I’m willing to go a little bit farther to do that.”
Ohio State coach Tom Ryan shared similar thoughts about Mendez when he met with the media after the national tournament.
“We’ve seen him progress in so many ways,” Ryan said. “He loves the sport, he wants to be great and he really comes in with a heart to learn. It’s no surprise, because of the way he works, that he’d have a chance to win.”
Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez, left, takes on Penn State’s Beau Bartlett during the national championship match at 141 pounds in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Charlie Riedel / AP)
Individual success is not Mendez’s only pursuit. Since he committed to Ohio State, he has not shied away from publicly stating he wants to lead the Buckeyes to the team championship. They won their only national title in 2015.
“I want Ohio State wrestling to be a dynasty, to be the team that everybody wants to beat,” he said. “While I’m focusing on myself, I’m trying to get my teammates better too. I’m at the point now where I can help the guys around me.”
Crown Point won the team title during Mendez’s senior year, and he hopes to have a similar influence at Ohio State after establishing himself within the program during his first two seasons.
“It’s hard to lead that first year,” he said. “You have to show everyone what you’re about. Once people realize that this guy works hard, does every single thing right and competes in the manner that we want everyone to compete in, it’s a lot easier to follow that guy.”
Mendez’s next target is USA Wrestling’s Olympic trials, which are scheduled for April 19-20 at Penn State ahead of the Summer Olympics in Paris. He said his success at Ohio State will have no bearing on his approach as he moves forward.
“Once you start walking around like you’re hot stuff after a big win or a national title, that’s when you take a loss,” he said. “I’ll still train the same way, whether I’m a national champ or not. I’ll keep working hard now to go get a second one.”
Dave Melton is a freelance reporter.
