I recently wrote about wrestler Vincent Robinson, a Homewood-Flossmoor alum who dealt with the adversity of coming up short time and again in high school only to break through for a national championship in his first year competing at North Carolina State.
Today’s wrestling story takes essentially the opposite path. But the trophy at the finish line remains the same.
Winning was all Dean Hamiti knew during his time at Joliet Catholic. He won three state championships before his senior year, but his chance to become a four-time champ was wiped out during the pandemic.
A college title proved more elusive. Four years and two schools later, however, Hamiti came through in his final opportunity.
A senior at Oklahoma State, Hamiti won the 174-pound national championship last month in Philadelphia.
“It’s still a little surreal,” Hamiti said. “I’ve worked my whole life to accomplish that goal. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and thankful for my coaches, my teammates and my family who have pushed me to be where I’m at now.”
In the finals, Hamiti won 4-1 in overtime against Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole, a two-time national champion.
Hamiti, who lost to O’Toole at the Big 12 Tournament, felt the key was not putting too much pressure on himself knowing this would be his one and only shot at a college championship.
“Staying loose was a big thing for me,” Hamiti said. “It’s a big match on a big stage, and if I let that get in my head, I wouldn’t have done as good as I did.
“I was joking around with my coaches before the match and just trying to kind of go blank in my head and let my instincts cover the rest of the way.”
Hamiti got himself out of a couple sticky situations before coming through with the national title takedown in overtime.
It was the kind of match that he felt epitomized how he has grown as a wrestler.
“Being patient was a big thing I really worked on with these coaches this year,” Hamiti said. “In past years, I was really adamant to go get a takedown when I didn’t necessarily need one and I’d end up getting taken down myself.
“I think being patient in those big moments is what really helped me this season.”
Hamiti did his best to soak in the moment, but it took a bit of time to process everything.
“The adrenaline at first kind of kept it a little bit of a blur,” he said. “It hit me a little bit with my family when I went down there and they were all pumped, yelling and screaming and really happy.
“But I think it took a day or so for it to really sink in when I could sit down, relax and reflect on it. It feels great.”
Hamiti spent his first three seasons at Wisconsin. He had back-to-back sixth-place finishes at the national tournament as a freshman and sophomore before missing the podium as a junior.
That disappointment fueled him as he transferred to Oklahoma State for his final season.
“I was obviously down about last year, but when I got here, my confidence went up almost immediately,” Hamiti said. “The coaches instilled that in me. They told me I was doing all the right things and I could get this done.”
They were right.
And here’s where Hamiti’s story syncs up with Robinson’s journey. Both felt their championships were even sweeter because of the setbacks that proceeded them.
For Hamiti, that came in college, where he could no longer take being on top for granted.
“College wrestling is a different animal than high school,” he said. “Everything has to be near perfection, but it’s not always going to be perfect in wrestling. It’s way harder to win a national championship, and I think the adversity helps you.
“It helps push you through the hard times so you can eventually accomplish those goals in the end.”
Joliet Catholic's Dean Hamiti celebrates winning the state championship at 152 pounds at the State Farm Center in Champaign on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020. (Rob Dicker / Daily Southtown)
Although his college career is now over, Hamiti still has big plans. He will continue his work at USA Wrestling’s Regional Training Center in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
“My future goals are to be a World and Olympic champion,” Hamiti said. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Ever since I was little, my goals were to be an NCAA champ, a World champ and an Olympic champ. I think these coaches and teammates will help me get there.
“I’m excited for the next chapter.”
And I’m excited to watch Hamiti chase more dreams.
It would not surprise me one bit if the tiny, baby-faced kid I watched dominate his way to a state championship as a freshman becomes an Olympic hero.
