Athlete of the Week: Paul Bewak

For the 2012-2013 Hopkins wrestling squad, history was accomplished even before the season started. On Nov. 1 the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) pegged the Blue Jays at number 18 in the DIII Preseason Rankings—the highest national ranking in school history entering the first weekend. The Blue Jays are led by the mighty 5-5, 125 pound sophomore, Paul Bewak. Bewak is coming off a remarkable freshman year campaign. Bewak posted a 30-9 record en route to an individual Centennial Conference title and later earned All-American honors for his seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish of all time for a Blue Jay wrestler. The budding All-American is already off to a perfect start, going 4-0 this past weekend at the John Reese Duals at Wilkes University. The News-Letter caught up with the wrestling star to gage his mindset coming off such a dominant freshman year. Ultimately, it appears the best is yet to come.

N-L: Last year, as a freshman, you enjoyed a fantastic season earning you All-American honors at the NCAA Championships. To what and/or to whom do you attribute your previous success? PB: Firstly, my high school wrestling coach, Vince DeAugustine. He taught me everything I've needed to achieve what I have. Also my current coaches for helping me push myself and always being there for advice. And my mom, she hasn't missed a single match in over 6 years and is by far my biggest supporter, I couldn't have done it without her.

N-L: Mentally, is it a challenge post such a dominant season in the Centennial Conference, and then expect to repeat the same caliber of performance during your sophomore campaign? PB: It's sometimes stressful to always expect myself to improve on last year but that's just how I am. But being a little more mature and experienced in collegiate competition—I do expect to repeat my performance.

N-L: After being ranked fourth overall in the preseason d3wrestle.com individual rankings, you will no longer take any opponent by surprise. Can you describe the effect this could potentially have on your upcoming matches? PB: Not being a surprise won't effect my matches too much. Top level wrestlers know better then to take a person lightly even if their not ranked. Those kids will be just as competitive against me as before.

N-L: You are off to a undefeated start this season, going 4-0 this past weekend. What did you do this offseason to improve your overall game? PB: Over the summer I found a great lifting program and an even better lifting coach to motivate me and get myself to the right size for my weight class, all thanks to Joe Alessandro. In addition to that, I practiced with Coach D (my high school coach) and really nailed down some technique problems I was having.

N-L: Taking a moment to discuss the team as a whole, how do you feel this team matches up against last years squad? PB: This year’s team is a great one. While we are missing two major players, Reid Mosquera and Matt Fusaro, we have great leaders and a very strong freshmen class to fill all the spots. We are definitely better than last year and are ready to make some noise at the national level.

N-L: Who are the veteran leaders on this years team and what do they bring to the table both athletically and mentally? PB: Our captains this year are juniors Ray Yagloski and Henry Stauber in addition to senior Paul Marcello. They are all extremely hard workers both on and off the mat. They push everyone to get better, keep team moral up, and give each and everyone of us great role models to look up to. They have really helped in bringing the underclassmen even closer and having a close-knit group is vital to this sport.

N-L: Lastly, can you discuss the sport of wrestling in analogous terms? Specifically, how does the sport teach its participates life-lessons? PB: Wrestling is a unique sport in the fact that, while it is physically the most grueling sport, mentally it's even tougher. It teaches you several important lessons. One, everyone is equal and it is up to the individual to decide how far they get. No matter how talented you are, a hard working wrestler will always be the winner and get the farthest nationally. Two, it teaches people to never give up even when things seem impossible, if you think it you can achieve it. Three, it teaches you time management and discipline more than any other sport. Wrestling is a sport where without countless hours of physically and mentally exhausting exercise you won't get far. You have to be willing to sit down and organize your schedule so that you can get in your work, practices, recreational time, and sleep all in the 24 hours of the day. Every mistake counts in this sport and it teaches you how to be a perfectionist in a good way. All of these carry over into our non-wrestling lives and help each and every one of us to become better people.