Still processing their grief, coach Tate Lowe and the Dodge City wrestling team have spent the past two days recalling their favorite Damian Mendez moments.  

Whether it's discussing Mendez's mind-boggling accomplishments on the mat, his unrivaled work ethic, or his infectious personality, the stories are legendary in Red Demon circles. 

"Wrestling was (already) big in Dodge City, and he made it real big," Lowe said. "He is Dodge City wrestling. Within the last four years, you say Dodge City wrestling, you're thinking Damian Mendez. 

"(Before a competition) we weren't worried; we had Damian Mendez with us on our team. Anywhere we showed up, we were the best wrestling team because we had Damian Mendez." 

But Mendez's reputation and legacy also stretched far beyond Dodge City and southwest Kansas, and wrestling communities across the state were reeling following the 18-year-old's tragic passing over the weekend.  

Mendez died Sunday night at a Denver hospital after suffering a heat stroke on Saturday while out on a run.  

When word of Mendez's passing began to spread, athletes and coaches throughout the state and region took to social media to express their condolences and tell their own Damian Mendez stories. 

The outpouring of support came as no surprise to Lowe.  

"He's not just a Dodge City wrestler. There's so many other people that have had an impact on his wrestling career, and that's why you're seeing that outpouring, it's because he touched the lives of so many people," Lowe said.  

Mendez completed his tremendous high school wrestling career last February by capturing the 132-pound Class 6A title for his third state championship. He went 80-0 over his last two seasons.  

Mendez also enjoyed big-time success outside of high school wrestling, including winning a national title at the NHSCA High School Nationals last April.  

Lowe described Mendez's legacy as being known as "everyone's kid." 

"It doesn't matter where he went, coaches and kids gravitated toward him," Lowe said. "Everyone across the state.

"If he was struggling with something, it'd be Danny Grater at Manhattan, Josh Carroll at Olathe North, Carlos Prieto at Garden City, Clint Snyder at Olathe North, Doug Hoover at Goddard, they would be in his corner. So many people were able to be around him -- so many great wrestling people around the state -- because they loved wrestling, and he loved wrestling." 

Mendez was set to continue his wrestling career at North Dakota State, signing with the Bison last March.  

"It is a time of sadness for Damian and his family, as well as our Bison family and the wrestling community," North Dakota State wrestling coach Roger Kish said in a statement. "At this time, we just ask for support and prayers for his family and friends in such a difficult time." 
 
"We were excited to welcome Damian into our family when he committed to us and he had a bright future ahead of him," Kish added. "He was such a bright young man and certainly made an impact on our coaching staff and his Bison brothers. He will be truly missed by those that knew him." 

Lowe said he first met Mendez when he was 6 years old and was immediately impressed by his tenaciousness.  

"He came into our freestyle room, and just right away I knew he was special," Lowe said. "You could show him anything and he would mimic it right away. Just naturally gifted. And then he was competitive. He hated losing. He would throw tantrums out the wazoo for losing. He didn't do that later on his career, but early on, he hated it. He refocused it to -- if I lose, I'm going to make corrections and work harder. 

"As he became older, he became the most driven, hardest-working kid I've ever seen in my life." 

Mendez captured the 106-pound title as a freshman and finished runner-up at 113 pounds as a sophomore before winning back-to-back titles at 132 pounds.  

He set the state record for most takedowns in a season as a senior, and surrendered just one takedown over the last three years of his high school career. 

"He's in that top group of the best of all-time (in the state)," Lowe said. "You don't know what would have happened (in college), but I was expecting big things. 

"Everyone saw what he did in competition, but anyone who ever was around him in the practice room and just conversations and talking about wrestling, it wasn't surprising at all how successful he became. He had the biggest drive and the most outrageous work ethic." 

Lowe said Mendez was also partly responsible for Dodge City's big senior class this past season.  

"He, in middle school, got them out for wrestling and in high school kept them out for the wrestling," he said. 

Lowe said his wrestlers and members of the community will continue to lean on each other.

"We're going to be sad. But the way Damian lived, he doesn't want you to be sad, he wants you to be happy. Always smiling, always joking around -- he wants you to live how he did. In his 18 years of life, that's all he did, was live. He was doing something all the time. I think that's something we have to carry on with us …  just live. 

"We can be sad, but we also need each other," Lowe added, choking back tears, "and we need to tell those funny stories, and we need to laugh, and we need to love. You can't do that when you're sitting alone, because that's not Damian. Damian was always around people, and that's what we need right now is people." 

A Go-Fund-Me page to help Mendez's family with funeral and medical expenses can be found at the following link: Fundraiser by Lizette Garcia : Damian Mendez Medical, Funeral,& related expenses (gofundme.com)