Damian Mendez liked to push himself to the limits. That’s why he shot up the national high school rankings this year after a pair of stellar spring performances. Mendez was the NHSCA senior national champion at 126 pounds then went undefeated (9-0) at NHSCA Duals a few weeks later with a win over Landon Robideau who was #11 at the time. 

That propelled him to #14 at 126 pounds after previously being unranked. 

Mendez graduated in May from Dodge City High School in Kansas after winning back-to-back state titles. He was undefeated during his final two seasons and planned to attend North Dakota State this fall after falling in love with the Fargo community. He didn’t take additional college visits since he knew the coaches cared for him. 

“He went to a couple of tournaments there in Fargo and he liked it,” Damian’s father, Sabas Garcia, said. “He didn’t care that the winters would be cold. He was just thinking about wrestling.”

Damian was just thinking about wrestling when he went for a run in the sweltering Kansas heat on Saturday, July 2. He was supposed to go with teammates but his car ran out of gas so he threw on his sweats and went alone. 

Friends and family called for hours but there was no answer. Damian’s mother, Lizette Garcia, found a location on his iPhone and began searching. He wasn’t immediately visible but they eventually found him hunched over and unresponsive.

“He was always a kid who pushed himself,” said Dodge City coach Tate Lowe. “He wanted to crawl out of the wrestling room. Every time he went for a run, he wanted to push himself to a certain limit. That’s essentially what happened. He was alone and had a heat stroke. They don’t know how long he was unconscious before somebody got to him but they know it had to be close to an hour.”

Damian was taken to the local hospital before he and his mother were airlifted to Denver. On Sunday, July 3, 2022, Damian Mendez passed away at the age of 18.

Damian Mendez won Kansas two state titles for Dodge City

A conversation with Lizette offers plenty of reasons to stay optimistic in the face of tragedy. Her firm and resolute spirit shine in every word and every memory she shares about her son. 

“It’s very hard but God gives us our children and lets us borrow them for a little bit and when he’s ready to take him to be his warrior angels that’s when he does and takes them,” Lizette said. “He’s going to be our legend warrior protecting us.

“Everything is going to remind us of him because there’s not a single thing that Damian did that didn’t hit us in a certain way. We’ll remember him from his favorite snacks. He loved shoes. He loved wrestling shoes. He was a big jokester. Always happy. He had a beautiful smile and was willing to be there for anybody in his own way. He was special and one-of-a-kind for us.”

Lizette laughs when reflecting on her favorite match. Damian was thrown in a five-point move at Southern Plains earlier this year but ultimately earned the win.

“We would tease him about that,” Lizette said. “He knew (the throw) was coming and he knew he should have gotten out of it — but he didn’t.”

Lowe remembers a tournament this season when Damian scouted an opponent for a teammate who had lost three times to the same wrestler. He learned tendencies, implemented a strategy, and his teammate eventually triumphed.

“If you showed him to do something he had it done,” Lowe said. “He could mimic it and repeat it and repeat it. I remember when he was six saying that this kid was going to be something special. 

“As he got older — especially at the high school level — he had the ability to push himself. No one was going to outwork him. He could take coaching very well. If you coached him and watched him, he would be working on it constantly.”

Work for the family remains as they take on unexpected medical and funeral costs. A Go Fund Me page was set up for anyone who would like to assist financially. 

A link to the page can be found here.

“Damian was a tremendous young man with a bright future ahead of him,” said NDSU associate head coach Obe Blanc. “He loved his family, community, and the sport of wrestling. Damian worked extremely hard to find success on the mat and in the classroom. We tend to build a very strong bond and relationship with our student-athletes and their families during the recruiting process so we are heartbroken about his passing. As we recruited Damian, I remembered how much of a fearless attitude he had and that made an impression on me.

“As you recruit these wrestlers their families become part of yours and I have a lot of respect for Damian’s mother, Lizette, who is such a strong and incredible person. She raised a fine young man in Damian. I hope that the wrestling community continues to keep Damian’s family in their thoughts during this time.”