Bulldogs Host 2026 NCWA California State Championships
FRESNO, Calif. — February 28, 2026
The Bulldogs returned to the Fresno State Student Recreation Center - West Gym, hosting the 2026 NCWA California State Championships for the first time since 2017.
The tournament featured programs from across California, including San Jose State, Sacramento State, UCLA, UC San Diego, CSU Northridge, Menlo College NCWA, and Menlo College NCAA, who is currently in a transition phase.
Serving as a season finale for some and an opportunity for others to get mat time, the event carried added importance for the Fresno State women’s team. With the shift to freestyle during the regular season, the Bulldogs had not competed in folkstyle since November. For several athletes, this marked their first opportunity in months to get head to head matches against NCWA competition as the postseason approaches.
Jocelynn Benitez continued her dominant season, securing the 103 pound NCWA State Championship with two technical fall victories over Menlo NCWA opponents Isabelle Inda and Megene Abdalla.
On the men’s side, Emmanuel Plascencia worked his way to a third place finish at 141 pounds. After a semifinal loss, he battled back through the consolation bracket with wins over Ryan Zepeda and Juan Diaz to reach the podium.
Tournament Recap
Women’s Team
103 lbs — Jocelynn Benitez (Champion)
Benitez defeated Isabelle Inda (Menlo College NCWA) by technical fall, 19-4, and Megene Abdalla (Menlo College NCWA) by technical fall, 19-3, to claim the state title.
131 lbs — Lilian Busnardo (3rd Place)
Busnardo was defeated by Gwendolyn Tomkins (Menlo College NCWA) before rebounding with a fall over Araceli Zeferino (Fresno State). She later dropped a match to Lastevia Muir (Menlo College NCWA) to finish third.
131 lbs — Araceli Zeferino
Zeferino dropped matches to Lastevia Muir (Menlo College NCWA) and Lilian Busnardo (Fresno State), and later forfeited to Gwendolyn Tomkins (Menlo College NCWA).
138 lbs — Jazmin Kumler
Kumler opened with a decision win over Delilah Lozano (Fresno State), then fell to Gabriela Espinoza (San Jose State). She later lost to Shamara Ramsey (Menlo College NCWA) before closing with a decision win over Martha Zurita-Ortez (Menlo College NCWA).
138 lbs — Delilah Lozano
Lozano dropped a decision to Jazmin Kumler (Fresno State), then lost in sudden victory to Martha Zurita-Ortez (Menlo College NCWA). She later fell to Gabriela Espinoza (San Jose State) and Shamara Ramsey (Menlo College NCWA).
138 lbs — Gabriela Flores (3rd Place)
Flores opened with a fall over Lavinia Lei (UCLA), then was defeated by Leia Hernandez (Menlo College NCWA). She rebounded with a fall over Angelique Huerta-Alvarado (Fresno State) and secured third with another fall over Lavinia Lei (UCLA).
145 lbs — Angelique Huerta-Alvarado
Huerta-Alvarado was defeated by Kayla Zeidler (Menlo College NCWA), then received a bye before falling to Gabriela Flores (Fresno State). She closed her tournament with a fall over Ashley Matys (San Jose State).
men’s Team
141 lbs — Emmanuel Plascencia (3rd Place)
Plascencia opened with a fall over Eli Magann (Sacramento State), then was defeated by Carson Gonzalez (Menlo College NCWA). He rebounded with a decision over Ryan Zepeda (Sacramento State) and secured third with a fall over Juan Diaz (Menlo College NCWA).
149 lbs — Josiah Rowland
Rowland received a bye before falling to Safiullah Zia (Sacramento State). He rebounded with a fall over Christopher Tran (UCLA) before dropping his next match to David Arroyo (Menlo College NCWA).
157 lbs — Michael Villa
Villa received a bye into the semifinals, where he was defeated by Nathan Engelbertson (San Jose State). He later fell to Brandon Chiang (UCLA) before closing with a technical fall over Mark Simmons (UC San Diego), 19-3.
174 lbs — Noe Gutierrez
Gutierrez was defeated by Jeremy Jon-Foster (CSU Northridge), then received a bye before forfeiting to Torin Lipska (Menlo College NCWA).
285 lbs — John Pegorari
Pegorari was defeated by Luke Randazzo (Menlo College NCAA), then received a bye before falling to Emitt Mercado (Menlo College NCAA). He closed his tournament with a fall over Tony Sanchez (Sacramento State).
Next Up
Fresno State will turn its attention to the 2026 NCWA West Coast Conference Championships, hosted by Menlo College in Atherton, California.
The event will serve as the qualifier for the NCWA National Championships, with the top six finishers in each weight class earning automatic bids. The Bulldogs now shift their focus toward postseason competition as they look to secure national qualifiers on both the men’s and women’s sides.
