FRESNO, Calif. – February 14, 2015

Wrestling in front of a home crowd, the Fresno State Wrestling Club delivered a dominant performance at the 2015 NCWA California State Championships on February 14, earning the team title in convincing fashion.

With six programs in attendance—Fresno State, CSU San Marcos, UC Merced, USC, UCLA, and UC Santa Barbara—the Bulldogs led wire-to-wire, racking up 158.5 team points to secure the championship. UCLA finished in second with 101 points, followed by USC with 88.

Fresno State had four individual champions on the day and numerous podium finishes to seal their victory.

Tournament Recap

133 lbs – Brandon Rodriguez
Rodriguez had a strong showing for the Bulldogs, winning the 133-pound bracket and becoming one of Fresno State’s individual champions on the day.

141 lbs – Dylan McCombs
McCombs battled through a tough bracket, ultimately finishing 4th place and contributing to the team point total.

149 lbs – Jovany Gonzalez
Gonzalez faced a tough early draw and was knocked into the consolation bracket. He rallied with determination to fight his way back and earn a 3rd place finish.

157 lbs – Davit Gevorgyan
Gevorgyan put together one of the tournament’s most impressive runs. He pinned Jordan Riding (CSU San Marcos) in the opening round, then upset #2 seed Youssef Aref (UCLA) with a dominant 15–6 win in the semifinals. In the finals, he edged out #1 seed and returning national qualifier Armand Farrokh (USC) by a tight 6–5 decision, claiming the 157-pound championship.

157 lbs – Eric Vandell
Vandell navigated the same deep 157-pound bracket, battling his way into a 4th place finish. He was not a point scorer for the team but wrestled with resilience.

165 lbs – Mason Temple
Temple entered as the top seed and lived up to the billing. After a first-round bye, he pinned Jesus Nunez (UCLA) in the semifinals and then went head-to-head with #2 seed Gabe Urreola (UCLA) in the finals. In a hard-fought, tactical match, Temple came out on top 3–2, earning a tournament title.

165 lbs – Kevin Pereira
Pereira fell to Urreola in the semifinals but rebounded in the consolations to finish 3rd place. Like Vandell, he was not a point scorer, but added valuable depth to the bracket.

174 lbs – Jesus Medina
Medina wrestled tough throughout the day and gave his all in a challenging bracket.

184 lbs – Cameron MacLeod
Typically a 174-pounder, MacLeod bumped up a weight class to help the team. His efforts paid off with a 3rd place finish, securing key points for the team title.

197 lbs – Jesus Izazaga
Izazaga cruised through the bracket and finished as tournament champion at 197 pounds, adding another individual title for the Bulldogs.

235 lbs – Jose Maldonado
Maldonado reached the finals at 235 pounds and finished 2nd place, contributing a strong point total to the Bulldogs' dominant performance.

285 lbs – Jesus Marez-Lopez
Marez-Lopez capped the day with a championship run at heavyweight, winning the 285-pound bracket and sealing a dominant team performance.

With four individual champions, multiple finalists, and 158.5 team points, the Bulldogs were crowned Team Champions of the 2015 NCWA California State Championships. They now shift focus to the NCWA West Coast Conference Championships hosted at Grand Canyon University—the next step on the road to nationals.