Fresno State Qualifies Seven to Nationals at NCWA West Coast Conference Championships
ST. GEORGE, Utah — March 2, 2019
The Fresno State Wrestling Club traveled to St. George, Utah for the NCWA West Coast Conference Championships hosted by Dixie State University. Facing competition from Arizona, Cal Poly SLO, Sacramento State, Colorado State, Ottawa, UCLA, UNLV, USC, and the host Trailblazers, the Bulldogs brought seven athletes and successfully qualified all seven to the NCWA National Championships. The standout performance came from 125-pounder Matt Gamble, who pinned his way through the bracket to become Fresno State’s third-ever NCWA West Coast Conference Champion.
Tournament Recap
125 lbs – Matt Gamble (Champion)
Gamble, the No. 2 seed, stormed through the bracket with three straight pins. He defeated Garrison Garcia (Ottawa University) in the quarterfinals, James Yun (USC) in the semifinals, and Brayden Warner (Dixie State) in the finals to claim the conference title.
133 lbs – Johnny Platas (2nd Place)
Platas opened with a fall over Robert Scalia (USC) before dropping the finals to Cole Patterson (Dixie State), finishing as the conference runner-up.
149 lbs – Llimy Garcia (3rd Place)
Garcia started strong with a fall against Kane Jajieh (UCLA) before falling in the semifinals to Cody Ferrara (Ottawa). In consolation action, he pinned Tai Nguyen (USC) and then defeated Matthew Salazar (Arizona), 9–3, to secure third place.
Women’s Division
At 101 lbs, Mai Xiong weighed in but was unopposed, earning an automatic conference title and national qualification. She later bumped to 109 lbs for exhibitions. At 123 lbs, Rossana Aguilar also won her bracket by default and moved up to 143 lbs for exhibitions. Toni Rodriguez (155 lbs) took the same path, crowned champion uncontested before bumping up to 170 lbs for extra matches. Paola Juarez (116 lbs) registered but did not compete, finishing as runner-up by default.
Next Up
The Bulldogs now turn their attention to the NCWA National Championships, set for March 14–16 in Allen, Texas, where they will test themselves against the nation’s best as the postseason begins.
