Bulldogs Battle to Top-6 Finish at Western Regional Duals
ST. GEORGE, Utah — January 27-28, 2017
The Fresno State Wrestling Club hit the road to compete at the 2017 NCWA Western Regional Dual Championships, held January 27–28 at Dixie State University. With 16 teams in the hunt for regional bragging rights and national duals seeding points, the Bulldogs held their own, finishing with a 2–2 record and a top-six placement after an intense two-day grind.
The weekend didn’t start the way Fresno State had hoped, dropping the opening dual to the Grey’s Harbor “B” squad, 27–36. The Bulldogs wrestled hard but gave up key match points in the middle weights that proved too much to overcome.
Rather than fold, the team regrouped and stormed through the consolation bracket. Their first bounce-back came against host school Dixie State, where Fresno State controlled the tempo from the outset, securing key wins and a momentum-building team victory.
They followed that up with another strong showing against North Texas in the consolation quarterfinals, winning critical matches and showcasing improved depth and resilience.
With a top-5 finish on the line, Fresno State then squared off with Richland College in the consolation semifinals. It was a hard-fought dual, but Richland came out ahead, handing the Bulldogs their second loss of the tournament.
Slotted to face Montana Tech for the fifth-place dual, Fresno State was unable to compete due to wrestler match count limitations. With several athletes already hitting their cap, the Bulldogs had to forfeit the final bout, officially finishing in sixth place.
Despite the tough ending, it was a gritty performance by the Bulldogs, who continued to prove they belong in the upper tier of the NCWA’s Western Region.
The lineup for the tournament featured a battle-tested group of wrestlers:
125 lbs - Christian Aguilar
133 lbs - Eric Loredo
149 lbs - Jonathan Jimenez
157 lbs - Marcus Marquez
174 lbs - Armando Manzo
197 lbs - Luis Jauregui
235 lbs - Omar Benavides
285 lbs - Isaac Romero
On the women’s side, a special side tournament was held, with athletes grouped into lower and higher weight divisions. Fresno State entered four women into the competition:
Mai Xiong (Lower Weight) placed 3rd, showcasing her usual speed and tactical awareness.
Rossana Aguilar (Higher Weight) battled through a tough bracket but did not place.
Yuritzi Boyzo (Higher Weight) showed promise in her first tournament of the season.
Gurleen Chahal (Higher Weight) also earned a 3rd-place finish, giving Fresno State two spots on the podium in the women's brackets.
Next Up
Fresno State heads to Los Angeles for the Super Sunday Duals next weekend, where they’ll see familiar conference opponents and continue tuning up for the postseason stretch.
