Jauregui Reaches Finals, Xiong Returns at Mat Cat Open

McMINNVILLE, Ore. — January 8, 2023

The Fresno State Wrestling Club opened the new year by traveling to Oregon for the Mat Cat Open, where Luis Jauregui led the Bulldogs with a runner-up finish at 197 pounds.

Now in his master's program, Jauregui continued his strong season by advancing to the championship match before finishing second against a competitive field.

The trip also marked the return of a familiar face. Four years after earning NCWA All-American honors, graduate student Mai Xiong stepped back onto the mat one final time in a Bulldog singlet. Having trained for only a short time leading up to the tournament, Xiong wasn't focused on results. Instead, she wanted to experience how far the program had come since joining the team in 2015.

What once was a local club program had grown into one traveling across the West Coast to compete in regular-season tournaments. For Xiong, the opportunity to compete in Oregon and explore the area with her teammates afterward reflected the growth of the program she helped build.

Tournament Recap

125 lbs — Gabriel Martinez
After an opening-round bye, Martinez fell to Nicholas Stringer (Simpson). He dropped into the consolation bracket before his tournament concluded against Jacob Moore (Linfield). Martinez finished fifth after receiving a bye in the fifth-place match.

157 lbs — Jose Pacheco
Pacheco fell to Peter Fengler-Johnson (Linfield) before being eliminated by Kyle Huard (Western Washington).

197 lbs — Luis Jauregui (2nd Place)
After an opening-round bye, Jauregui pinned Sean Lightbody (Western Washington) in the semifinals to advance to the championship match. He finished the tournament as runner-up after falling to Tyson Stover (Corban).

285 lbs — Ricardo Jauregui
Jauregui dropped his opening match to Jacob Barnes (Linfield) before battling back with victories over Ali Ali (Western Washington) and Julian Ortiz (Linfield). His tournament came to a close in a 4-3 decision against Jacob Westfall (Western Washington).

109 lbs — Mai Xiong
Xiong returned to collegiate competition for the first time since earning NCWA All-American honors in 2019. She capped off the tournament with a fall over Shelby Bell (Eastern Oregon).

130 lbs — Jamilynne Gonzalez
After receiving an opening-round bye, Gonzalez fell to Kelsey Louen (Unattached) and Kaylee Moore (Eastern Oregon).

Next Up

Fresno State travels to Los Angeles on February 3 for the Southern California Duals.