FRESNO, Calif. — February 11, 2017

The 2017 NCWA California State Championships were held on February 11 inside the South Gym at Fresno State, and while whispers about the return of NCAA Division I wrestling were growing louder, the Fresno State Wrestling Club had one thing on its mind: a third consecutive team state title.

The announcement that the university’s varsity wrestling program would be reinstated in late 2017 had stirred excitement across the Central Valley. For wrestling fans, it was a long-awaited return. For the Fresno State Wrestling Club—a team born in the absence of a varsity program, built by students and sustained through grassroots effort—it posed more complicated questions. Would the community still support the club? Would the athletes be displaced? Would the years of sacrifice be overshadowed?

For now, those answers didn’t matter. Not to the wrestlers in the gym that day. “We weren’t thinking about next season. We were thinking about this season,” said one club member. “We built this thing from the ground up, and we weren’t leaving without another team title.”

And leave with one they did. Fresno State captured its third straight NCWA California State Championship, continuing a run that speaks to the resilience and pride of a program powered not by scholarships or recruiting budgets, but by sweat, belief, and a relentless team culture.

With a lineup patched together through strategic weight shifts and gritty commitment, the Bulldogs stepped up in nearly every match. Whether it was newcomers making their mark or veterans closing out their final seasons, Fresno State wrestled with purpose and pride. Several wrestlers captured individual titles, and nearly everyone walked away with medals around their necks.

As the sun set over campus that night, Fresno State wasn’t concerned with speculation about the future. The scoreboard told the story—they were champions again.

Tournament Recap

125 lbs – Christian Aguilar
Opened his tournament with a win over Jacob Gutierrez (Sacramento State), then dropped a hard-fought bout in the finals to Thomas Barragan (CSUN) to finish 2nd.

141 lbs – Llimy Garcia
Blazed through the bracket, beating Carlos Medina (CSUN) in the opener and locking up the championship with a win over Patrick Truong (UCLA).

157 lbs – Jovany Gonzalez
In his first full tournament since returning from injury, Gonzalez pinned Gage Purdie (CSUN) in his opener. He lost a tough semifinal to top-seeded Youssef Aref (UCLA), but bounced back to defeat Purdie again in the bronze match, finishing 3rd.

174 lbs – Armando Manzo
Picked up a big fall over Manuel Rivera (Sacramento State) before dropping the finals match to Gabriel Urreola (UCLA). A strong showing and a 2nd place finish.

184 lbs – Luis Jauregui
Faced off in a best-of-three series with Daniel Batoon (Sacramento State) and won both bouts to claim the championship at 184 lbs.

197 lbs – Davit Gevorgyan
Returned to form with a clean 2-0 best-of-three sweep against Teddy Anderson (Sacramento State) to take 1st place.

235 lbs – Jesus Izazaga
Rolled through the bracket with a win over Eduardo Zamora (Sacramento State) and then sealed the deal against Enrique Carranza (UCLA) to stand atop the podium.

285 lbs – Issac Romero
Was edged out by Xavier Cardenas (UCSB), taking 2nd place.

Women’s Results

109 lbs – Mai Xiong
Gave a strong effort but fell short in the finals to Marina Aguayo (UCLA), finishing 2nd.

130 lbs – Rossana Aguilar
Dominated her round-robin bracket, defeating teammate Yuritzi Boyzo and Karina Michel (UCLA) to take 1st place.

130 lbs – Yuritzi Boyzo
Dropped both of her matches in the round-robin to Rossana Aguilar and Karina Michel (UCLA) but still placed 3rd.

For a program that started with nothing more than a handful of Fresno State students and a dream, the 2017 team title meant everything. As the NCWA postseason looms, the future of the club may be in flux—but for now, the Bulldogs are focused, united, and hunting for more.

Final Results

Next Up

Fresno State heads to Bullhead City, Arizona for the 2017 NCWA West Coast Conference Championships, where the top 4 finishers in each bracket will earn automatic bids to the NCWA National Championships. With state titles behind them, the Bulldogs now set their sights on punching as many tickets to nationals as possible.