Leaving It on The Mat: A Feature Story on Adams State Wrestler Dominic Carollo
This is the fourth profile of five individuals being inducted into the 2017 RMAC Hall of Fame on Friday, July 14 at the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel. The 1999 University of Nebraska at Kearney Softball Team will also be inducted. Tickets for the Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet can be purchased by clicking here.
From the judo mat to the wrestling mat, it was no secret Dominic (Nick) Carollo had a niche for grappling. He grew up in Redondo Beach, California with both parents blackbelts in judo, which ultimately began Dominic’s wrestling career.
“His mother was a fourth degree blackbelt, which is the highest level of any Caucasian woman,” said RMAC Hall of Famer and Dominic’s Head Coach, Frank Powell. “They both had a judo studio where they taught judo and of course, this was Nick’s early preparation for wrestling.”
Powell was the former Adams State Head Wrestling Coach who recruited Dominic out of El Camino College in Torrance, California.
“I recruited Nick through his coach, Dave Hengsteler,” said Powell “Dave Hengsteler was an excellent junior college coach and had sent me several wrestlers before that. [He] had an excellent heavyweight in the name of Nick Carollo. He said Nick was the best and I believed him and he certainly was the best.”
Dominic came to Adams State University (formerly known as Adams State College) in 1966 and continued to wrestle for the Grizzlies until 1968. He was known for his intensity and determination to win every match.
“He prepared mentally and physically better than any other wrestler I ever had,” said Powell. “He really worked hard and the biggest thing was his mental preparation I think.”
Dominic wrestled in the heavyweight class, which at that time was an unlimited weight class.
“You could weigh as much as you [wanted]. There were several wrestlers [that] weighed 300 or 400 pounds and Nick was wrestling at the weight of about 210, 220 [pounds] maximum.”
However, the weight difference was never a factor for Dominic. He was confident in his technique and preparation and preferred to wrestle with the heavyweights.
“He had learned through his experience in judo, how to handle people no matter what size they were and he had excellent technique in all of his movements,” said Powell. “You see, as a young child he started judo. He competed in over 500 matches in judo and was successful in all but four…Judo stresses a lot in perfect technique, which Nick was excellent in practicing perfect technique and he needed perfect technique to wrestle the wrestlers he did.”
In 1967, Dominic’s name was quickly recognized in the collegiate wrestling. That season, he was crowned NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) heavyweight champion and the team finished second overall. He also was the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I runner-up. During the 1968 campaign, he went down a weight class to 191-pounds where he dominated everyone he wrestled.
“He settled at 191 and was undefeated in 191 where he won the conference, the MIWA [Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association] tournament, the NAIA and went on to win the university division of the NCAA [Division I] tournament," said Powell. "At that time, and even today, there are three national tournaments. There’s the NAIA, NCAA college division and [NCAA] university division. The university division is considered the toughest tournament of all and Nick was able to win the NAIA and the toughest tournament of all at 191, which we are very proud of his wrestling at that time.”
Dominic finished the season with a 4-0 record and guided the Grizzlies to their first ever wrestling national championship team title at the NAIA level. He was the NAIA champion at 191-pounds and afterwards, made school history becoming the only man to win an NCAA Division I wrestling championship title.
After his collegiate career, Dominic participated in the 1971 Pan American Games held in Cali, Colombia. He notched a gold medal defeating Cuban grappler Francisco Lonchan at 100 kilograms. As a result of his successful career, Dominic was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1977, the Adams State Hall of Fame in 2002, and the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. He was also a member of Adams State’s 1968 Wrestling Team, which was inducted in to the RMAC Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Adams State Hall of Fame in 2009.
Dominic will be recognized at the 2017 RMAC Hall of Fame on Friday, July 14 at the Colorado Springs Marriott Hotel.