Temple Claims Title at Gauntlet Invitational, Bulldogs Return Home Battle-Tested
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – February 6, 2016
The Fresno State Wrestling Club continued its 2015–16 campaign at the Gauntlet Invitational, hosted in Los Angeles by UCLA and USC. The tournament featured a deep pool of NCWA talent, including teams from California (Fresno State, Sacramento State, UC Merced, UC Santa Barbara, UCLA, USC), Arizona (Grand Canyon University, University of Arizona, Gateway International Bible Institute), and Utah (Dixie State, BYU).
Facing familiar conference opponents and new regional rivals, the Bulldogs battled through a tough day of competition, highlighted by a championship performance at 165 pounds.
Tournament Recap
133 lbs – Eric Loredo
Loredo kicked off his tournament on a high note with a win over Sacramento State in the opening round. He then dropped a tough match to the University of Arizona. In the consolation bracket, he rebounded with another solid victory over USC before being eliminated in a close bout against Dixie State.
149 lbs – Christopher Dela Cruz
Dela Cruz had a tough draw, facing a strong Grand Canyon University wrestler in the opening round. He dropped a close bout to BYU in the consolation bracket, ending his day early.
157 lbs – Kevin Pereira
Pereira started strong with an opening-round win over GCU. He was then edged out in two hard-fought matches, ending his tournament with a 1–2 record on the day.
157 lbs – Frankie Cardenas
Cardenas drew a tough GCU opponent in his first match, then dropped a follow-up bout to Dixie State to close out his day.
157 lbs – Greg Garrison
Garrison also ran into strong competition, losing to GCU in the opening round and Gateway International Bible Institute in the consolations.
165 lbs – Mason Temple
Temple, one of the returning national qualifiers, turned in one of his most complete tournament performances of the year. After an opening-round bye, Temple defeated Sacramento State in the quarterfinal match. In the semifinals, he faced a dangerous Dixie State opponent who had upset the #2 seed earlier in the bracket. Temple wrestled strategically, avoiding throws and winning a close decision. In the finals, Temple controlled his match against Grand Canyon University and scored a fall out of bounds—taking full advantage of the college rule set to claim the 165-pound Gauntlet Invitational title.
174 lbs – Omar Benavides
Benavides dropped his first match to the University of Arizona and was unable to recover in the consolation bracket.
174 lbs – Jarette Suikowsky
Suikowsky opened with a bye before defeating UC Santa Barbara in the quarterfinals. He lost a tight match to Gateway International in the semifinals. Dropping to the consolation side, Suikowsky rebounded with a fall over Arizona and secured a third-place finish with a win over UCLA.
197 lbs – Jesus Izazaga
Izazaga received a first-round bye before picking up wins over Sacramento State and Arizona to reach the finals. In the championship match, he battled USC to a sudden-death overtime finish, ultimately falling just short and finishing as the tournament runner-up.
235 lbs – Evan Ram
Ram faced UCLA in the opening round and dropped his next match in the consolations, ending his tournament.
285 lbs – Jesus Marez-Lopez
Marez-Lopez competed hard through a tough slate of matches, facing off against opponents from Dixie State, UCLA, and Gateway International.
Next Up
The Bulldogs return home to host the 2016 NCWA California State Championships on February 14 at the West Gym at Fresno State. The team looks to defend its state title and continue building momentum heading into the postseason.
