Martino's Comeback Leads Bulldogs at NCWA National Championships
ALLEN, Texas. — March 10-12, 2022
For nearly two years, Fresno State junior Nicholas Martino believed his competitive wrestling career was over.
While his older brother, Brandon, continued his wrestling career at Fresno State's NCAA Division I program, Nicholas had stepped away from wrestling, dedicating his time to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instead.
That changed when teammate Andres Cardona invited him into the Fresno State Wrestling Club room as a practice partner. One practice turned into another, and before long Martino found himself back on the mat—rediscovering the sport he once loved.
At the NCWA National Championships in Allen, Texas, Martino's journey came full circle.
Seeded eighth at 165 pounds, Martino opened the tournament with three dominant victories, defeating Garrett Laraus (Rowan), Charles Saba (North Texas), and ninth-seeded Carter Weeks (Iowa State). His reward was a quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded David Over.
With just seconds remaining, Martino held a 6-4 lead and had riding time secured, effectively leading 7-4. In a last-ditch effort, Over hit a desperation short carry, scoring a takedown and two near-fall points in the closing seconds to steal an 8-7 victory.
The heartbreaking loss could have ended Martino's tournament mentally.
Instead, it became the turning point.
Martino stormed through the consolation bracket, defeating fifth-seeded Justin Perez (Springfield Tech), third-seeded Calvin Kopstein (James Madison), and seventh-seeded Isaac Manning (Clemson) to finish third in the nation and earn NCWA All-American honors.
“After the tournament, Nicholas came up to me and thanked me for giving him the opportunity to enjoy wrestling again and have fun doing it," Head Coach Omar Benavides said. “That's what this program is all about."
Martino wasn't the only Bulldog to battle through adversity.
At 174 pounds, Andres Cardona opened the tournament with a 13-8 victory before suffering a devastating injury in his second match. An early takedown attempt sent him face-first into his opponent's hip, knocking out multiple teeth and forcing a medical default. Determined to finish what he started, Cardona returned for his consolation match despite the injury before his tournament came to an end.
Luis Jauregui also put together an impressive tournament at 184 pounds. After reaching the Round of 16, he battled through the consolation bracket to the blood round, finishing one victory shy of earning NCWA All-American honors. At 235 pounds, Ricardo Jauregui gained valuable experience in his first appearance at the National Championships.
Martino's third-place finish and NCWA All-American honors highlighted one of Fresno State's strongest National Championship performances in recent years. Combined with Luis Jauregui's blood-round appearance and the resilience shown throughout the lineup, the Bulldogs closed the season with momentum and a foundation the program would continue building upon in the years ahead.
Tournament Recap
165 lbs — Nicholas Martino (3rd Place, All-American)
Martino opened the tournament with a fall over Garrett Laraus (Rowan), followed by a technical fall over Charles Saba (North Texas) and a major decision over ninth-seeded Carter Weeks (Iowa State). After dropping an 8-7 quarterfinal decision to top-seeded David Over, Martino battled back with victories over fifth-seeded Justin Perez (Springfield Tech), third-seeded Calvin Kopstein (James Madison), and seventh-seeded Isaac Manning (Clemson) to finish third in the nation and earn NCWA All-American honors.
174 lbs — Andres Cardona
Cardona opened with a 13-8 victory over Aaron Hunter (East Carolina). He was forced to medically default his Round of 16 match before returning to the mat in the consolation bracket, where his tournament concluded against Todd Chiasson (Massachusetts).
184 lbs — Luis Jauregui
After an opening-round bye, Jauregui defeated Gabriel Hayes (Liberty) before falling to Seth Konynenbelt (Grand Valley State). He battled back with victories over Christian Poplous (Allen) and Robin Edens (Apprentice) to reach the blood round, where he fell to conference rival Tim Saunders (USC), one win shy of NCWA All-American honors.
235 lbs — Ricardo Jauregui
Jauregui dropped his opening match to sixth-seeded Shawn Conniff before receiving a consolation bye. His tournament came to a close in a 2-1 decision against Generous Yeh (Washington).
