Poulin pins his pen on Hofstra University
COHOES, N.Y. » Cohoes senior wrestler Reggie Poulin has put a lot of hard work and pride into his career on the mat with the Tigers. Hence, it’s fitting Poulin signed his National Letter of Intent with the Division I Hofstra Pride, starting in the fall of 2018.
Poulin joins a Hofstra squad which finished No. 28 in a 72-team field with 12 points at the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Team Championship.
Poulin spoke to how much it meant to have his high school wrestling career culminate in this moment.
“The hard work, you just got to put it in and the results will come,” Poulin said. “It’s not going to take overnight. Three day training sessions during the season, two a day training sessions out of season, it definitely pays off.”
Poulin also commented on how he pinned down on choosing to attend the Hempstead, N.Y. campus to pursue his academic and athletic endeavors.
“The campus was beautiful. The coaches made sure that that’s what I wanted to do and that’s what I want to do now,” Poulin said of his impression of the campus. “I feel like it’s the best fit for me, the guys are all cool, the teammates, coaches, we went out to eat, everything was a good time. I’m looking forward to it.”
“I’m planning on majoring in psychology and minoring in Spanish,” Poulin said of his academic pursuits at Hofstra.
While he’s looking forward, the first Tigers’ wrestler to capture a Section II title in the past 25 years, reflected on each stage of his journey at Cohoes, which began all the way back as an eighth grader on the varsity level.
“First year of being on the varsity team in eighth grade, it wasn’t the best season, it was an OK season, I went 16-24, I went two and out at the class tournament,” Poulin said of his first season.
“I took a big jump into my freshman year, I was 27-14 and I took fifth at the class tournament, not qualifying me for sectionals and then sophomore year I took an enor-
mous jump in the amount of work that I wanted to put in, that I wanted to get out and I took sixth at sectionals and I won the class tournament, which is huge,” Poulin said of his progression.
“Then I was the threetime class champ after that. I took second at sectionals junior year, won it my senior year and then on my first trip to state’s I took second and I’m proud of it,” the 5’ 10”, 220-pound Poulin said of his crowning achievement on the high school mat.
On what he expects to accomplish at the next level in his collegiate career, Poulin weighed in with this.
“My expectations, I’m going to be an NCAA champ by the time I graduate,” Poulin said.
Given all of his hard work and accomplishments to this point, Reggie Poulin is well on his way to achieving big things on the mat at the next level.