I became aware of Vega, and furthermore a fan of his during his freshman season. Here was a short, small 125 lbs wrestler that looked like he was born a few years too late and missed the opportunity to be a 118 lbs college wrestler. He didn't look big enough or strong enough to contend at the 125 lbs weight class.
Yet, as the saying goes sometimes its not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog that matters. Despite often being smaller than his opponents, Vega overcame the size difference with an unmatchable intensity and will to win. Vega may have been smaller is mass and height, but in measurements of overall heart, he was second to no one.
I loved whenever Minnesota would come to Iowa City or Ames during this time to dual Iowa or Iowa State. It was a chance to watch Vega in action. During his junior year against Iowa, he was wrestling rival Jody Strittmatter who had yet to defeat despite some very close matches. Even though I was with my high school wrestling team, and we were all decked out in black and gold Iowa Hawkeye gear, I couldn't help myself but clap and pump my fist when Vega secured the take down to garner the victory. I had to be about the only person in the stands that day that was happy about Vega's win.
He had placed fifth twice at the NCAA championships as a freshman and sophomore and taken a third place finish as a junior. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was going to walk out of his final NCAA appearance as a four time All American.
Most of the wrestling publications had Vega ranked second but none even gave him a chance of upsetting two time NCAA champion Stephen Abas of Fresno State.
"Abas looks to win his third NCAA title this weekend with Vega being a distant second." The headline read. This infuriated me. Yes, Vega did have some losses already that season, but when he got in the right mindset I knew he was capable of beating anyone. There wasn't anyone else in that bracket of 32 that I think could have beat Abas, but I do believe that Vega could have.
I looked forward to the finals between Abas and Vega and an opportunity for Vega to silence the critics who showed him little respect. I knew in the very least Vega would at least give Abas a scare and it would be an exciting, entertaining match.
It never happened.
After a 13-4 major decision in the first round, Vega was wrestling Hofstra's Tom Noto who he had manhandled 10-1 in an earlier meeting that year. Yet this time he wasn't taking Noto down left and right like he had in their first match. Both wrestlers had only scored escapes and as the time on the clock dwindled down, the score remained 1-1.
"Take this guy down!" I thought to myself. "What's wrong Vega? Double leg this guy and get it over with."
The match went into overtime and next thing I knew Noto was raising his arms in victory as Vega knelt on the mat in defeat. He got up, shook Noto's hand and ran off the mat.
My heart sank a little, because I wanted to see Vega decked out in the solid gold singlet run up the stairs onto the Carolina blue NCAA finals mat. Now I knew that would never happen. Yet, I kept my optimism because I was confident that he was coming back through the consolations to finish third.
He looked like the Vega I knew in his first consolation match as he lit up Stanford's Nathan Peterson with a series of take-downs before pinning him late in the second period.
His next opponent was Georgia four time state champion Chris Rodrigues of North Carolina. A guy with 12 losses, some of whom had been to guys that Vega had demolished. I wasn't worried about him.
I should have been.
Like in the Noto match Vega couldn't get an offense going and despite being the aggressor, no points were scored in the first period.
In the second Rodrigues chose down and Vega rode him for nearly the entire period. A minute and 48 seconds to be exact. After the referee made what I still feel to this day was an unfair stalling call on Vega, Rodrigues escaped to lead 1-0.
Going into the third period I was anxious but not worried because Vega had a minute riding time and I was confident that Rodrigues couldn't keep him down.
The period started and Vega struggled to get away. Fingernails already gone, I began chewing on my pen.
"Get out...get out...get out...get out." I quietly repeated to myself as I tapped my foot.
Boom! Yes! Vega hit a reversal to take a 2-1 lead. Just needed to hold on, get the riding time back and win this one 3-1.
Then the unthinkable happened. Rodrigues scored a reversal of is own. Score was 3-2 and there was still enough time left in the match for Rodrigues to erase the riding time.
I clenched the arm rest on my seat so hard that it left a bruise, that remained black and blue for two weeks as I watched the final moments of that match.
Leroy Vega wasn't going to be a four time All American. Chris Rodrigues has just upset him 3-2.
I don't remember what Vega's reaction was immediately after his loss because I didn't watch it. I couldn't sit there amongst the Iowa faithful who were rooting and hollering in celebration that one of Minnesota's guys had gotten knocked off. I got up from my seat, went into the bathroom, locked myself in a stall and cried.
I was 15 years old at the time. I had such a high respect and admiration for Vega, for not only the wrestler that he was but the person that he was. He was a hero to me. Someone I looked up to and wanted to be like. This wasn't right. This shouldn't have happened. This was unfair. This was wrong.
Vega's collegiate career was over. Yet, the greatest lesson that he would teach me had yet to come.
Vega could have have been a recluse and disappeared from the scene. He could have hid in the stands or left the arena feeling sorry for himself. Yet in spite of his disappointment that is not the type of person Vega is.
In his warm ups, after the most disappointing moment of his collegiate career, he was down on the mat warming up with 141 lbs wrestler Chad Erickson, getting him prepared for his blood round match with Army's Phil Simpson. I wasn't prepared for Vega's selflessness in that moment. I was only a fan. He was the one that was going through it, and yet here he was putting the team, specifically teammate Chad Erickson ahead of himself.
Erickson went on to win his All American match in a barnburner where he won in the closing seconds to defeat the future three time All American from West Point. Perhaps it didn't, but I like to think that a part of Erickson's win came from the support that Vega gave him.
Wrestling is a sport that teaches us so much more than maneuvers, techniques, conditioning and strength. It is a sport that teaches us life and how to deal with it. Things aren't always going to go your way. Even when you put in the work, you believe in yourself and you do all the right things, sometimes it still won't work out. Unfortunately disappointment is a big part of wrestling and a big part of life, and you have to learn to deal with that disappointment the best way that you can.
I often think back about the 2002 NCAA Division I wrestling tournament any time I'm in a challenging situation. I'm facing failure or disappointment and I'm on the verge of giving up or feeling sorry for myself. I'll think of Leroy Vega. I'll think of how in the wake of what had to have been a nightmare, how he handled himself with class, dignity and a passion to help his fellow teammates achieve their goals even though he had fallen short of his. That's how you handle a loss and thank you Leroy Vega for teaching me that.
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| Vega pictured left with Erickson pictured right |
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