Aguilar Earns Silver at Nationals; Fresno State Wraps 2018 Season in Allen
ALLEN, Texas — March 8–10, 2018
The 2018 NCWA National Championships, held March 8–10 at the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, brought together hundreds of competitors from across the country. While Fresno State's presence was smaller than in years past, one Bulldog stood tall on the national stage once again—Rossana Aguilar.
Wrestling up at 143 lbs, three weight classes above her usual home at 123, Aguilar proved that grit and talent can overcome size. Entering as the tournament's No. 2 seed, she pinned her way to the finals, sticking Catherine Morales (Liberty) in the opening round and then Angelica Galvez (CSUN) in the semifinals. In the championship match, she battled Shannon Ripley (Husson), ultimately falling 8-2 but earning her second career All-American finish.
Aguilar, an engineering major who took much of the season off to focus on academics, almost didn’t return to the mat.
“I debated about coming back for a postseason run,” she admitted. “I just couldn’t find the time to practice with my labs and coursework. But I decided to suck it up, sacrifice even more sleep, and just go for it. I couldn’t stay away.”
Despite giving up size, Aguilar used her speed and savvy to find an edge.
“The girls were definitely stronger [at 143], but not as fast as the girls at 123,” she said. “I’m usually the stronger one at 123, but at 143 I was able to be the faster one.”
Her silver medal marks another chapter in what’s become a historic run for Fresno State’s women’s program, continuing their streak of producing NCWA All-Americans.
Tournament Recap
136 lbs – Yuritzi Boyzo
Boyzo opened her tournament against Arianna McDonald (UCSB), coming up short before being eliminated by Jazlyn Villalona (Florida State). Despite the early exit, Boyzo closes out a season filled with growth and valuable mat experience.
143 lbs – Rossana Aguilar – 2nd Place (All-American)
Aguilar dominated early with back-to-back pins over Catherine Morales (Liberty) and Angelica Galvez (CSUN). In the finals, she battled Husson’s Shannon Ripley in a physical bout, falling 8-2 and earning national runner-up honors.
155 lbs – Yaritza Hernandez
Hernandez dropped her first match to 2-seed Taj Vierra (SWOCC), bounced back with a fall over Karina Garcia (University of Houston), and was eventually eliminated by Erin Scheidt (Midland).
While this year’s national tournament wasn’t Fresno State’s largest showing, Rossana Aguilar’s silver-medal run adds another All-American to the Bulldogs’ growing legacy. With a new NCAA Division I team launching soon, the Fresno State Wrestling Club remains committed to offering competitive opportunities for student-athletes seeking to continue their wrestling journeys.
