Richele Reyes 

Hometown: Buckingham, United Kingdom  

High School: Alconbury High School  

Major: Aerospace Engineering 

Year: Freshman  

Sport(s): Women's Wrestling  

What made you want to attend Penn State Altoona?  

I visited the campus two years ago on a tour with a wrestling camp I was attending. When senior year came around and I found out I could get the admissions fee waived because I took a tour, I applied, specifically to the Altoona campus for women's wrestling.  

How did you get your start in your sport? 

I did gymnastics my whole life, but when I moved to Belgium the language barrier got in the way. My dad told me I had to be competitive in something and after a friend suggested I try it, I picked up wrestling. 

What are some of your favorite memories from your time as a Penn State Altoona student-athlete so far? 

Going to Sweet Frog and getting froyo even though I was 1.5 over-weight. (Thank you Penn State for paying for my meals on trips) We also went to Chipotle right after and Olive Garden the next day. 

Do you have any mentors or role models at Penn State Altoona? If so, how have they helped you improve as a person? 

My Calc 1 professor, Juan Gill, is my role model because he's shown me that you can be great at math and great at whooping students in wollyball (not a typing error, "volleyball played with the wall"). He is a symbol of a strong mind and serve. 

Outside of sports, what do you hope to accomplish during your time at Penn State Altoona? 

I hope to get my driver's license while I'm at Penn State Altoona. 

What career role would you like to have in the future? How is Penn State Altoona helping you reach that goal? 

In the future I hope to be an engineer or project manager, both of which require a decent understanding of effective leadership. Penn State Altoona is helping me reach that goal by providing opportunities for me to get that leadership experience. 

What advice would you give to a freshman student-athlete? 

Time management is super important. After an early morning lift, then a full day of classes, and practice you really need to dig deep to be able to carve out time to study but also to take care of yourself (shower, eat, clean your dorm). 

Rapid Fire 

-Who is your favorite professional and collegiate sports team? Professional: Toronto Raptors; Collegiate: Norwich Wrestling  

-Who is your favorite professional athlete? Mike Tyson before he bit off that guy's ear. 

-Do you have any pregame rituals? Use the restroom to try to go #2 before the tournament or dual starts. 

-Altoona Pizza: yay or nay? YAY (even better if there's pineapple on it). 

-What is your go-to order at Port Sky? CYO Burger. No bun. Extra patty. No cheese. Dill pickles. No sauce (I have port sky kiosk stickers on my dorm door to prove it) 

-Outside of playing sports, what are your hobbies? I've been really into jigsaw puzzles lately. 

-What would your teammates say you are famous for doing? Quoting internet memes with a level of precision that requires 1,000 hours of screen time.