Eric Boggs
Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez has etched his name among the Buckeye greats, capturing his second consecutive NCAA wrestling championship at 141 pounds. With his triumph on Saturday, Mendez joins an elite group of multi-time national champions for Ohio State, including Logan Stieber and Kyle Snyder. The No. 3 seed, Mendez delivered a stunning comeback victory over top-seeded Brock Hardy of Nebraska in the championship match, solidifying his place in Buckeye history.
The title bout started with Hardy surging to an early 5-1 lead, but Mendez remained composed and executed a pivotal three-point takedown at the end of the first period to narrow the deficit to one. Hardy extended his lead with an escape to start the second, but Mendez responded with a takedown to claim a 7-6 advantage. He then unleashed a dominant four-point near fall, pushing his lead to 11-6 by the end of the second period. Hardy managed a late takedown in the third, but Mendez maintained control, securing an additional riding time point to clinch a 12-9 victory.
Reflecting on his performance, Mendez told ESPN’s Quint Kessenich, “I visualized this tournament 100 times. One of those times you’ve gotta visualize going down big early. I know I’ve got the motor, I know I’ve got the technique to do it. I just have to believe in it, and that’s exactly what you saw. No matter the score, I’m going to keep coming, keep coming, keep coming. That’s just the way I want to wrestle.”
Mendez’s path to the final was nothing short of impressive. In the semifinals, he avenged two previous 4-2 losses to No. 2 Beau Bartlett of Penn State, securing a dramatic takedown in the tiebreaker period to earn his spot in the championship match. “I’m not gonna give up, no matter what,” Mendez said after the victory. “I had six seconds, and I did it. There’s no task too tall.”
Before his semifinal showdown, Mendez dominated his competition, collecting three bonus-point victories. He overwhelmed No. 30 Briar Priest (Pitt) with a 21-5 technical fall, dismantled No. 14 Sergio Lemley (Michigan) in an 11-2 major decision, and crushed No. 6 Vance VomBaur (Minnesota) with a 17-5 major decision. His win over VomBaur secured his third career All-American honor, adding to his national championship in 2024 and a sixth-place finish as a freshman in 2023.
Mendez was one of two All-Americans for the Buckeyes at this year’s NCAA Wrestling Championships. Dylan D’Emilio capped off his collegiate career with a fourth-place finish at 149 pounds. In his fifth NCAA appearance, D’Emilio notched key victories over No. 20 Koy Buesgens (NC State), No. 29 Jack Gioffre (Virginia), and No. 12 Ethan Stiles (Oregon State) before falling to No. 1 Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech). He rebounded with a 7-1 win over Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) before dropping the third-place match to Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness.
As a team, Ohio State finished tied for fifth in the national standings with 51.5 points, sharing the spot with Minnesota. The Big Ten once again dominated the national landscape, with Penn State capturing its 13th team title with 177 points. Nebraska secured second place with 117 points, while Oklahoma State (102.5) and Iowa (81) rounded out the top four.
With two national titles under his belt, Mendez will return next season aiming for a third, and he’ll have the chance to accomplish the feat in his home state as Cleveland hosts the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Tournament. With his relentless drive and championship mindset, Mendez is poised to leave an even greater legacy at Ohio State.
