Regarded as one of the premier collegiate wrestlers in New York State in the early 1950s, Hank Domingos helped to establish the wrestling team at Clarkson and played a major role in the rapidly growing interest in the program as a sport on campus.
As a freshman in 1952-53, the Massena, NY native competed on the College’s club team and came through undefeated in four matches under student coach "Rip" Bloodgood.
Under legendary coach and inaugural Clarkson Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Jack Hantz, wrestling became a varsity sport at Clarkson in 1953 and Domingos figured to be a prominent wrestler for the Knights over the next three seasons, completing his career with an undefeated dual-meet record of 37-0.
Competing at 130 and 137 pounds as a sophomore, Domingos went 7-0 and helped the Green and Gold make an impressive debut as a varsity sport at the college. The Knights chalked up a 6-1 record with victories earned twice over Queens and Paul Smiths, once over Colgate and a split with McGill.
In 1954-55, Domingos, the bespectacled Holcroft counselor, went undefeated at 12-0 with nine falls and three decisions.
With the opening of Alumni Gym on the hill campus in 1955, the wrestling program found a new home after three years at the old gym on Pierrepont Avenue and experienced tremendous support from the student body in the new facility as Domingos enjoyed an outstanding senior campaign. He finished undefeated in the regular season with a perfect 14-0 record wrestling at 130 pounds.
In March of his senior campaign, Domingos, along with teammate Bob Shepard, became the first postseason wrestling aggregation in history to represent Clarkson College at the 4-I (Interstate Intercollegiate Individual Invitation) tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.
Seeded #2 in the tourney, Domingos competed against the best small-college wrestlers in the East. After totaling up 21 minutes of tournament wrestling in less than ten hours, a tremendous strain on the human body, Domingos won a fourth place medal in the 130-pound class.
An outstanding student, he also excelled in the classroom. Majoring in electrical engineering, he was ranked among the top five in his senior class and was involved in numerous campus activities. Upon graduation, Domingos was awarded the prestigious Levinus Clarkson Award, presented at commencement to one of two students who in the judgment of the University faculty has demonstrated the best combination of scholarship and professional achievement.
Domingos served many years at the University as a professor and Department Chairman School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He won the University’s Outstanding Teaching Award in 1989 and was also a recipient of the Golden Knight Alumni Award.
His daughter, Gigi ‘83, and son, Scott ‘88, also attended Clarkson and played hockey on the women’s and men’s team, respectively.
Domingos is a founding committee member of the Clarkson Athletic Department Hall of Fame.
Hank Domingos accepts his Athletic Hall of Fame plaque from Clarkson AD Sean T. Frazier
