A.J. Raya (Cal Baptist)
Sophomore A.J. Raya had the tournament of his life that saw him claim the 2019 Roadrunner open hosted by Cal State Bakersfield. Competing at 149-pounds, Raya completed the day with a 5-0 record that saw him win against Andrew Garr (Columbia University) and Jeremy Huang (San Francisco State) in the early rounds. In the championship semifinal round, Raya defeated two-time NCAA qualifier Russell Rohlfing (Cal State Bakersfield) 4-2 thanks to an escape and a takedown in the third period. In the finals, Raya defeated former Cal Baptist grappler Greg Gaxiola (Fresno State) 4-3 thanks to a reversal 42 seconds into the third period. Rohlfing is currently ranked No. 17 while Gaxiola No. 22 in the country.
Anthony Orozco (Menlo)
NAIA Champion Anthony Orozco proved to all doubters that he can compete with anyone in the country regardless of their level of competition. He finished the day with a 4-0 record by defeating four NCAA Division I wrestlers to claim the second Roadrunner Open title of his career at 184-pounds. In the semifinal round, Orozco defeated Dominic Kincaid (Fresno State) 8-3 and then defeated another Bulldog in Hunter Cruz 4-2 to claim the title. Orozco is in the hunt to claim a second NAIA Championship title and also become a four-time All-American for the Oaks.
Fresno City wins third straight CCCAA Team Dual State Championship
With four of their grapplers ranked No. 1 in the latest state rankings, the Fresno City College wrestling team captured their third consecutive CCCAA Team Dual State Championship on Sunday night. The Rams, ranked #1 in the state, defeated #2-ranked Cerritos College, 30-8 in the championship match in Norwalk. Fresno City won all three of their titles against the Falcons, while this was the fourth straight season the two squared off in the state championship match.
Nicolas Aguilar (Rutgers)
Former Gilroy standout Nicolas Aguilar had a great weekend that saw him win the Navy Classic by defeating two-time NCAA qualifier Gage Curry (American) 3-1 in the championship round. Prior to defeating Curry, Aguilar got a big win over Sidney Flores (Air Force) 7-4 in the quarterfinal round. Due to his outstanding performance, Aguilar entered the Flo College rankings as he is now the No. 16 wrestler in the country with a 10-1 record in the season.
Shane Griffith (Stanford)
Currently ranked No. 7 in the country at 165-pounds by Flo Wrestling, Stanford’s Shane Griffith outscored the competition 37-11 as he finished the tournament with a 4-0 record while recording three falls and one major decision. His closest match was a 13-3 major decision over Fresno State grappler Ricky Padilla. In the finals, Griffith pinned another Bulldog in Adam Kemp in the third period. Griffith is currently undefeated on the season with an 11-0 record and recording six falls in the season.