Senior Dominick Reyes is no stranger to the spotlight. The weekend of Feb. 26, Reyes won the NCAA Mideast Regional title in the 165-pound weight division for the second consecutive time, securing his bid to the NCAA Division III championships for the third time in his career as a Blue Jay.
In light of his impressive performance, Reyes was named Athlete of the Week. In an interview with The News-Letter, Reyes discussed his thoughts heading into his final tournament as a Jay.
The News-Letter: How does it feel to not only make the NCAA Championships for the third time but also to be the first wrestler in program history to win the regional championship twice?
Dominick Reyes: I have a mix of emotions. I am extremely grateful to have made it out to the NCAA championships, but I was also expecting to resume what was taken in the 2019-20 season when COVID-19 had cancelled the NCAA championships. As it turns out, the NCAA tournament is in the same city as it was two years ago — Cedar Rapids, Iowa — so I’m excited to pick back up where I left off. Even better is that I get to go with my roommate of four years, Hank Behaeghel. [He] and I took a gap year together between our junior and senior years due to COVID-19 cancelling the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons to have this exact shot at going to nationals. From wrestling in 6-feet-tall-ceiling basements together to buying wrestling mats [and] traveling around the city to find places to wrestle, it’s awesome to be on this journey together, and I look forward to furthering the journey at the NCAA tournament. With regards to being the first wrestler in program history to win the regional championship twice, it's definitely a nice accolade to have and reinforces that I am heading in the right direction. However, the point of that tournament is to make it out of the NCAA championships, whether that is placing first, second or third. The real prize is in Cedar Rapids.
N-L: What will your training and practices look like as you prepare for the championships in two weeks?
DR: Training and practices are going to be aimed at enjoying the last ride. This tournament will be the culmination of a 16-year-long wrestling journey for me. I have given a lot of my effort, time, faith and body for this sport. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. My coaches, teammates and I all know that I have what it takes to win a title, so the name of the game is performance. I have faith in my coaches and teammates that they will put me in the best position to wrestle my very best.
N-L: Besides winning the championship for your weight class, do you have any other goals or a specific mindset heading into what I assume will be your last matches as a Hopkins wrestler?
DR: My main goal is to leave every ounce of effort on the mat and enjoy it all. It's really easy to become tunnel visioned and lose sight of the "why" when enduring this tough sport. At the end of the day, it's about pushing your own limits and seeing how far you can go. I am excited to let it fly one last time.
