This local senior declined a spot in Ohio’s state diving tournament. He chose to wrestle instead.

Talawanda senior Sean Mondello competes in two sports. Both in the same season. For four years.

He earned right to compete in both in state championships, in the same year. Twice.

As a diver for the Talawanda boys’ swimming and diving team, he finished fourth in last month’s district meet and earned the right to compete in Canton, but passed up that opportunity to take part in sectional wrestling and worked his way up to this weekend’s state championships in that sport.

Two years ago, as a sophomore, he qualified to state in both sports and was able to compete in both because the school was in Division II and there was no conflict.

This year, he opted to compete in wrestling when the conflict arose even though he has signed a college letter of intent to attend Miami University as a diver, making this weekend possibly his final wrestling competition.

It was not a decision he made lightly but decided to take the opportunity to use his wrestling skills for one last time. It’s a sport he has been involved with since age 6.

“I committed (for college) for diving. I talked to my college coach about this being my last year. I wanted to go out with a bang. He said it was fine. I kind of made a deal. He said he would support me whatever I do with state,” Mondello said. “Diving earned my chance for academic purposes and financial purposes. I love Miami and my diving coach. I have worked with him since middle school. I talked with my family a long time. This was my best choice.”

He was scheduled to open state competition Thursday in the 160-pound weight class with a first-round match against Paddy Gallagher, of St. Edwards, among top-ranked wrestlers in the state.

Mondello may be considered an underdog in the state meet but said the sport is largely mental and he was going in with a good frame of mind.

“By ranking, I’m at a huge disadvantage,” he said. “Wrestling is all mind set, 90 to 95 percent it’s how the feel before the match or the week before. Your brain decides how you will do. Any sense of doubt puts you at a disadvantage.”

Mondello’s love of wrestling goes beyond his own experience with the sport as he lists names of wrestlers who have gone from the college ranks to the long process of competing at the world level. The experience of people at that level is a lesson for him, however.

He cites Kyle Dake and David Taylor, two members of the world team who graduated from college in 2012 and spent six years training to reach that level he calls “the pinnacle of wrestling.”

There is no draft day awaiting him in either of his sports so he entered the past week just planning to make the most of his second opportunity in state competition in wrestling and then turning his focus back to diving where he will be looking to represent Miami in NCAA competition in the future.

With either a win or a loss in his first-round match, the bracket had him going against wrestlers he has met before and he was looking forward to his chances at state in the school on Tuesday.

“Drilling with college kids and kids from LaSalle, the preparation should do me well,” he said.

He has talked to coaches who have done swimming and wrestling in the same season as he has been doing and got advice on training and working to get the best of both.

His double state repeat qualification this year comes after a sophomore year when he was actually able to compete at state in both sports. His junior year was a disappointment but the senior year comeback has him excited. His junior year saw him more focused on wrestling and missing the state in both sports.

His diving this year came alongside sophomore teammate Sam Hool, who took first place at the district meet and did compete at state.

“With Sam, I had a friendly competition. It made us want to be better. It serves to push you. I was excited to have him on the team and see how much he had grown. We dove together when we were younger,” Mondello said. “I was excited for him when he broke my record. (Former Talawanda diver) Travis Myers talked about Talawanda with us and said he liked bringing Talawanda back to the forefront.”

He said he has had a lot of success over four years of high school. The opportunity to pursue one more wrestling state appearance was a dream come true and he thanks those who have supported that.

“I’m lucky to have parents, teachers and coaches who got me here. It’s really amazing,” he said. “I don’t understand how I do it. I just do it.”

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