Wareham and Ruacho Claim Titles at Battle at Sparta Invitational
SAN JOSE, Calif. — November 16, 2024
The Fresno State Wrestling Club returned to action on Saturday at the Battle at Sparta Invitational hosted by San Jose State University. Competing against a field that included wrestlers from Menlo NCWA, San Jose State, Sacramento State, Skyline College, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Riverside, the Bulldogs produced two individual champions and two runner-up finishes.
Leading the way for Fresno State were William Wareham and Gabriela Ruacho, who each captured tournament titles in their respective weight classes. Wareham claimed the championship at 149 pounds, while Ruacho continued her strong start to the season with a dominant performance in the women's 180/207-pound division.
The Bulldogs also received strong performances from Damian Galvan and Michael Brent, both of whom advanced to their respective championship matches. Galvan finished runner-up at 157 pounds, while Brent placed second at 235 pounds after recording four victories throughout the tournament.
Battle at Sparta marked another productive outing for Fresno State as the Bulldogs continued to gain experience against a variety of collegiate programs early in the 2024-25 season.
Tournament Recap
125 lbs – Santos Bribiesca
Bribiesca competed at 125 pounds, receiving an opening-round bye before falling to Kokayi Mayfield (Menlo NCWA) in the quarterfinals. His tournament ended in consolation action against Rolondo Berton (Sacramento State).
133 lbs – Christian Saldana
Saldana opened in the quarterfinals against Giancarlo Plaza (Menlo NCWA) before returning in consolation action, where he fell to Marcus Mullins-Thomaz (Skyline College).
149 lbs – William Wareham (Champion)
Wareham opened his tournament with a 14-5 major decision over Eric Smith Williams (Menlo NCWA) before adding a 9-6 decision against Ricky Thompson (UC Santa Barbara). After a loss to Michael Ramos (Menlo NCWA), Wareham closed the tournament with a medical forfeit victory over Jack MacAndrew (San Jose State) to secure the 149-pound title.
157 lbs – Damian Galvan (Runner-Up)
Galvan advanced to the championship match with a 19-4 technical fall over Thomas John Caballero (San Jose State) and a 12-5 semifinal decision against Damien Rivera (Skyline College). He finished the tournament as runner-up after falling to Jesus Loreto (Menlo NCWA) in the finals.
174 lbs – Jason Briseño
Briseño opened against Torin Lipska (Menlo NCWA) before picking up a medical forfeit victory over Josh Danzinger (UC Santa Barbara) in consolation action. His tournament ended against Simon Nguyen (UC Riverside).
235 lbs – Michael Brent (Runner-Up)
Brent opened with a 10-7 decision over Luca O’Neil (Menlo NCWA) before pinning Harshal Sharma (San Jose State). After a loss to Andrew Mannion (Menlo NCWA), Brent responded with a fall over MaCaleb Turner (Sacramento State) and a 5-4 decision against Pascual Garcia (UC Santa Barbara) to finish second.
124 lbs – Darlene Ortiz
Ortiz competed at 124 pounds, gaining valuable experience against opponents from Sacramento State, UC Riverside, and Skyline College.
138/145 lbs – Delilah Lozano
Lozano competed in the combined 138/145-pound bracket, facing opponents from San Jose State, Sacramento State, and Skyline College throughout the tournament.
138/145 lbs – Ebony Cardenas
Cardenas also competed in the combined 138/145-pound bracket, gaining matches against opponents from Skyline College, Sacramento State, and San Jose State.
180/207 lbs – Gabriela Ruacho (Champion)
Ruacho dominated her bracket from start to finish, opening with a fall over Brynn Adasiewich (Skyline College) before earning a 19-7 major decision against Jamie Micallef (Skyline College). She capped off her championship run with a 31-second fall over Amber Banks (San Jose State) to secure the title.
Next Up
Fresno State returns to action on November 22, 2024, when the Bulldogs travel to St. George, Utah, for the Utah Tech Stampede.
