Fresno State Battles Adversity, Qualifies Four to Nationals at NCWA West Coast Conference Championships
PHOENIX, Ariz. – February 28, 2015
The Fresno State Wrestling Club entered the NCWA postseason for the first time, competing at the NCWA West Coast Conference Championships hosted by Glendale Community College of Arizona on the Grand Canyon University campus. Nine teams were in attendance, including BYU, Dixie State, USC, UCLA, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara, University of Arizona, and UC Merced.
Fresno State's performance was defined not only by results but by grit under pressure. The team was met with unexpected adversity before the tournament even began—injuries to key starters, a delayed departure that pushed back travel several hours, and a lengthy stop en route that further complicated their trip. Upon arrival, Arizona's non-recognition of daylight savings time created confusion around early weigh-ins, leaving athletes scrambling for recovery and weight cuts with virtually no prep time. The team had only enough time to nap and regroup before competition began.
Still, the Bulldogs stepped on the mat ready to compete—and they did.
Tournament Recap
141 lbs – Brandon Rodriguez
Rodriguez was hit hardest by the travel complications, as the lack of time forced him to bump up from 133 to 141 lbs. After dropping his opener to Freddy Hsiao of UCLA, he fought through the backside with three straight wins. His season ended after a second bout with Hsiao in the consolation semifinals, where he dropped a 7–2 decision.
141 lbs – Dylan McCombs
McCombs opened with a bye, then scored a solid 6–2 win over Tyler Carlyle (BYU) in the quarterfinals. In the semis, he was caught and pinned by Billy Guillermo of Dixie State. In a rematch with Carlyle in the consolation semifinals, McCombs lost a tight 11–9 decision, ending his season just short of a qualifying spot.
149 lbs – Daniel Avalos
Avalos opened with a loss to Shae Bryant of BYU (11–6) and later fell to Carlos Morales of UCLA in the consolations, bringing his tournament run to a close.
157 lbs – Davit Gevorgyan
The second-seeded Gevorgyan looked poised for a finals run. After a bye, he pinned Jordan Aguilar of Arizona in the quarterfinals. In the semis, he faced Stephen Stryker (Glendale CC) and was in full control when a last-second desperation throw flipped the result in Stryker’s favor. The loss was a heartbreaker. Still recovering from the emotional swing and the day’s fatigue, Gevorgyan dropped a 3–1 Sudden Victory match to Youssef Aref (UCLA) in the consolation semifinals—an opponent he had beaten the weekend before—ending his postseason bid.
165 lbs – Mason Temple
Seeded #2, Temple had a bye, followed by a win over Ramone Wilson (Glendale CC) in the quarterfinals. He then lost a hard-fought 8–5 decision to Kordell Provchy (Glendale CC) in the semis. In the consolation final with a trip to nationals on the line, Temple once again faced Gabe Urreola (UCLA)—a rematch from the previous week. In another razor-close match, Temple dropped a 3–2 decision. Fortunately, his efforts were later recognized, and he earned a wild card bid to the national tournament.
165 lbs – Kevin Pereira
Pereira faced a rough draw, falling to Ramone Wilson in the opening round and Ryan Jarkowski in the consolations, both of Glendale CC. His tournament ended early.
174 lbs – Cameron MacLeod
MacLeod lost his opening match to Quentin Grill (Glendale CC) by fall and suffered an injury, forcing him to medically default out of the tournament.
197 lbs – Jesus Izazaga
Izazaga gave the Bulldogs their first-ever automatic national qualifier, pinning Presley Ramirez of UC Merced in the semifinals. Though he fell in the finals to Ryan Peterson (Dixie State) by an 11–2 decision, his runner-up finish earned his trip to nationals.
235 lbs – Jose Maldonado
Maldonado followed a similar path, pinning Jorge Lopez-Loya (Arizona) in the semifinals. He met Enrique Carranza (UCLA) in the finals—a rematch of their NCWA State final—where Carranza came out on top. Still, Maldonado secured his auto-qualifier status with the finals finish.
285 lbs – Jesus Marez-Lopez
As the #1 seed, Marez-Lopez had a bye into the semifinals, where he pinned Kyle Lane (BYU). In the finals, he lost a close 6–4 match to Sam Nuss (BYU), but his runner-up finish made him the Bulldogs’ third auto-qualifier to nationals.
Women’s Exhibition
123 lbs – Rossana Aguilar
Aguilar made the trip with the men's squad and competed in an exhibition bout at 123 pounds, scoring a dominant win by fall. Though eligible, she and the program made the decision to not attend the nationals, preserving a year of eligibility.
Next Up
With three automatic qualifiers—Jesus Izazaga (197), Jose Maldonado (235), and Jesus Marez-Lopez (285)—already locked in, Fresno State awaited the wild card allocation votes. The announcement brought great news: Mason Temple (165) earned a wild card bid, making him the fourth Bulldog to punch his ticket to the NCWA National Championships.
The Bulldogs now prepare for the program’s first-ever trip to the national tournament, held March 12–14 at the Credit Union of Texas Arena in Allen, TX. Despite every obstacle along the way, Fresno State is still standing—and still climbing.
