ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Reid Mosquera

If last year was any indication,
this season was
junior Reid
Mosquera's
for the taking.
After
making it all
the way to
the NCAA
N a t i o n a l s
in the 2010-
2011 season,
Mosquera, a
native of Andover,
MA
who competes
in the
197-pou nd
w e i g h t
class, was
happy with
his success
but hungry
to improve
and advance
even further.
This past
w e e k e n d ,
Mosquera's
r e s i l i e n c e
and vision
came to fruition, as he defeated
Ursinus's Connor
McNamara for the conference
197-pound title. On a
greater scale, Mosquera's
victory helped pave the
way for the Blue Jays to
win their first ever Centennial
Conference wrestling
championship in program
history. Mosquera could
not be more proud of the
guys on the team and to
be a part of Blue Jay nation.
For Mosquera's accomplishments,
leadership
and selflessness, he was an
easy choice for this week's
Athlete of the Week.
The News-Letter (N-L):
How does it feel to help
the Blue Jays win their
first Centennial Conference
title in program history?
What do you think
are some of the most special
things about the team
that led you guys to accomplish
this feat?
Reid Mosquera (RM): This
is the most talented wrestling
team that I have ever
had the opportunity to be
a part of. It was not just the
skill of each individual that
allowed us to win the championship
this year, however,
but rather the team chemistry
that we have developed
over the past two seasons.
I can personally say that
the majority of my focus
and motivation going into
my finals match was driven
by a desire to match the
intensity and dedication
of my teammates. There is
a unique understanding
among this group of wrestlers
that each member has a
role to play that can only be
accomplished through hard
work and commitment.
N-L: How did your experience
in the NCAA
playoffs last year help
your performance and the
team's performance in the
conference title matches?
RM: I believe our trip
to the NCAA tournament
last year left myself and
my teammate, [junior] Paul
Marcello, with an unsatisfied
hunger to get back to
Nationals and prove ourselves
as some
of the best
wrestlers in the
country. This
instilled within
us an attitude
that refused to
accept defeat
and set the tone
for the team
as we entered
the conference
championship.
How else
can you explain
[freshman] Paul
Bewak's two
pins, [sophomore]
Henry
Stauber's upset
of both the
first and second
seeds or [sophomore]
Matt Fusaro's
avenging
pin over an opponent
who had
stuck him only
weeks before?
N-L: What do you think
are some things you need to
build on in order to compete
to the best of your abilities
later into the postseason?
RM: I have
c o m p l e t e
faith in [Head
coach Keith
Norris]'s ability
to prepare
us for the National
tournament
over
these next two
weeks. He
emphasizes
mental toughness,
physical
stamina and
c o n f ide nc e
in the game
plan we have
worked on
all season. It
will certainly
be a grueling
two weeks of practice, but I know it will
only increase our chances of
coming home with five national
placers.
N-L: What has been
your favorite part of this
season so far?
RM: My favorite part of
the season was our match
against Franklin and Marshall,
which turned out
to be the first time in our
program's history that we
defeated a D-I squad. I believe
it ended up being the
only time we put our full
lineup out all season, and
we could see the incredible
potential our team possessed
if we stayed healthy.
N-L: How do you get
mentally prepared before
a big match? If there is one
song on your iPod, which
is it?
RM: Before my matches,
I like to visualize myself
executing each takedown,
escape or reversal to perfection.
I always feed off
the crowd's energy and
make sure to watch each
of my teammate's matches
before I take to the mat. If
you went through my prematch
playlist, you'd find
plenty of Red Hot Chili
Peppers and Wale.