Fresno State
A 29th place finish with 11.5 points may not sound impressive at first but it is impressive considering this is the Bulldogs 2nd year back from purgatory. Fresno State was also the highest placing California team this year (California can and should do better in the future). Troy Steiner is doing a great job rebuilding this program in the middle of the California wrestling hotbed of the San Joaquin Valley.
The Bulldogs finished with a 9-8 dual meet record with their biggest wins coming against Oregon State and Wyoming. Fresno State finished in 25th place at Cliff Keen and 7th at Midlands. They finished 5th out 12 teams at the Big 12 championships getting 5 wrestlers qualified for the NCAA tournament. Fresno State got its first AA, Josh Hokit, since the reestablishment of the program.
Fresno State returns all of their starters next season, adds Utah Valley transfer Durbin Lloren and is bringing in a very solid freshman class. This team is definitely on an upward trajectory. (And I’m hoping that Penn State pairs up a visit to Fresno on the weekend they travel out to Tempe next season. I normally try to avoid going to Fresno but in this case I would happily make an exception.)
125
Robert Garcia IV (So) <Selma, CA>
Justin Mejia (So) <Clovis, CA>
Destin Summers (Fr) <Snake River, ID>
This weight class seems open to competition as Garcia finished with a 6-14 record and went 0-2 in the Big 12 Championships. He didn’t have any wins over NCAA qualifiers. Mejia went 4-1 in limited action. His loss was against Nick Kunz of the Montana State University Northern Lights (NAIA). Incoming freshman Destin Summers is a three-time Idaho state champion (not ranked by InterMat).
133
Gary Joint (So) <Lemoore, CA>
Joint went 18-15 overall and qualified for the tournament by placing 5th at the Big 12 Championships (5 allocations). He had the 29 seed and went 1-2 at the NCAAs. Joint’s biggest wins were over Paetzell (Lehigh) and Sykora (NDSU). <Bonus: 27.3%, RPI: .581>
141
Chris Deloza (Jr) <Clovis North, CA>
Lawrence Saenz (Fr) <Vacaville, CA>
Durbin Lloren (Jr) <Buchanan, CA>
This appears to be another weight class that is up for grabs. Deloza finished with a 12-13 record and went 0-2 in the Big 12 Championships, not qualifying for the NCAAs. He did have a win against one NCAA qualifier, Willits (Oregon State). Saenz is coming off a redshirt season where he went 9-5. One of his losses came against incoming Utah Valley transfer Durbin Lloren. Lloren went 4-1 in limited action last season with his loss coming against NCAA qualifier Sam Turner (Wyo). Lloren was Utah Valley’s starter in 2017/18 (going 15-17).
149
Khristian Olivas (Sr) <Clovis, CA>
Olivas went 21-13 overall and qualified for the NCAAs a 2nd time when he placed 6th at the Big 12 Championships (7 allocations). He went 0-2 from the 21 seed. <Bonus: 32.4%, RPI: .602>
157
Jacob Wright (So) <Dinuba, CA>
Wright went 28-11 but it wasn’t enough to qualify for the tournament. He placed 5th at the Big 12 Championships but the conference only had 1 allocation at that weight. His biggest win was against NCAA qualifier Chase Straw (ISU). <Bonus: 25.6%, RPI: .610>
165
Isaiah Hokit (Sr) <Clovis, CA>
Isaiah (Josh’s brother) went 15-12 and didn’t qualify for the NCAAs after going 1-2 in the Big 12 Championships. He didn’t have any wins against NCAA qualifiers. <Bonus: 25.9%, RPI: .546>
174
Dominic Kincaid (Sr) <Clovis, CA>
Kincaid went 12-11 and didn’t qualify for the NCAAs after going 2-2 and not placing in the Big 12 Championships. He didn’t have any wins against NCAA qualifiers. <Bonus: 13.0%, RPI: .515>
184
Jackson Hemauer (So) <DeForest Area, WI>
Hemauer went 23-13 overall and qualified for the tournament after placing 5th at the Big 12 Championships (5 allocations). He was the 23 seed and went 0-2. Hemauer had several wins over NCAA qualifiers, including two over Tate Samuelson (Wyoming). <Bonus: 27.8%, RPI: .599>
197
Josh Hokit (Sr) <Clovis, CA>
Hokit went 27-8 overall and placed 4th at the Big 12 Championships (7 allocations). He received the 16 seed for the NCAA tournament. Josh became the Bulldogs first AA since 2003. After getting decked by Bo Nickal (no shame in being part of that club), Hokit marched through the wrestlebacks upsetting #11 Brunner and #5 Warnerov along the way. After losing to Brucki, Josh won again in another upset over #6 Willie Miklus (ISU) to take 5th place. <Bonus: 22.9%, RPI: .658>
Heavy
AJ Nevills (Jr) <Clovis, CA>
Nevills went 24-9 overall and had the Bulldogs highest placement at the Big 12 Championships, finishing 2nd to Derek White (OSU). He qualified for the NCAA Championships a 2nd time getting the 14 seed. Unfortunately, AJ was upset twice going 0-2 in the tournament. AJ had wins against several qualifiers with his biggest coming against Tate Orndorff (UVU). <Bonus: 24.4%, RPI: .630>
New Faces
Fresno State has four top-20 (in weight class) incoming freshman which include three CIF state champions:
Kyle Parco <De La Salle, CA>
Parco is a 4-time state qualifier and won the CIF 132 championship in 2019. He’s ranked #18 at 132 by InterMat.
Jace Luchau <Selma, CA>
Luchau placed 3rd @152 at the 2019 CIF Championships and 4th @152 in 2018. He’s ranked #7 at 152 by InterMat.
Matthew Olguin <Buchanan, CA>
Olguin won the CIF championship @160 in 2019, placed 3rd @138 in 2018, 3rd @113 in 2017 and was the champion @106 in 2016. He’s ranked #5 at 160 by InterMat.
Ryan Reyes <Gilroy, CA>
Reyes won the CIF championship @195 in 2019, placed 3rd @195 in 2018 and 2017 and 7th @170 in 2016. He’s ranked #3 at 195 by InterMat.
A 29th place finish with 11.5 points may not sound impressive at first but it is impressive considering this is the Bulldogs 2nd year back from purgatory. Fresno State was also the highest placing California team this year (California can and should do better in the future). Troy Steiner is doing a great job rebuilding this program in the middle of the California wrestling hotbed of the San Joaquin Valley.
The Bulldogs finished with a 9-8 dual meet record with their biggest wins coming against Oregon State and Wyoming. Fresno State finished in 25th place at Cliff Keen and 7th at Midlands. They finished 5th out 12 teams at the Big 12 championships getting 5 wrestlers qualified for the NCAA tournament. Fresno State got its first AA, Josh Hokit, since the reestablishment of the program.
Fresno State returns all of their starters next season, adds Utah Valley transfer Durbin Lloren and is bringing in a very solid freshman class. This team is definitely on an upward trajectory. (And I’m hoping that Penn State pairs up a visit to Fresno on the weekend they travel out to Tempe next season. I normally try to avoid going to Fresno but in this case I would happily make an exception.)
125
Robert Garcia IV (So) <Selma, CA>
Justin Mejia (So) <Clovis, CA>
Destin Summers (Fr) <Snake River, ID>
This weight class seems open to competition as Garcia finished with a 6-14 record and went 0-2 in the Big 12 Championships. He didn’t have any wins over NCAA qualifiers. Mejia went 4-1 in limited action. His loss was against Nick Kunz of the Montana State University Northern Lights (NAIA). Incoming freshman Destin Summers is a three-time Idaho state champion (not ranked by InterMat).
133
Gary Joint (So) <Lemoore, CA>
Joint went 18-15 overall and qualified for the tournament by placing 5th at the Big 12 Championships (5 allocations). He had the 29 seed and went 1-2 at the NCAAs. Joint’s biggest wins were over Paetzell (Lehigh) and Sykora (NDSU). <Bonus: 27.3%, RPI: .581>
141
Chris Deloza (Jr) <Clovis North, CA>
Lawrence Saenz (Fr) <Vacaville, CA>
Durbin Lloren (Jr) <Buchanan, CA>
This appears to be another weight class that is up for grabs. Deloza finished with a 12-13 record and went 0-2 in the Big 12 Championships, not qualifying for the NCAAs. He did have a win against one NCAA qualifier, Willits (Oregon State). Saenz is coming off a redshirt season where he went 9-5. One of his losses came against incoming Utah Valley transfer Durbin Lloren. Lloren went 4-1 in limited action last season with his loss coming against NCAA qualifier Sam Turner (Wyo). Lloren was Utah Valley’s starter in 2017/18 (going 15-17).
149
Khristian Olivas (Sr) <Clovis, CA>
Olivas went 21-13 overall and qualified for the NCAAs a 2nd time when he placed 6th at the Big 12 Championships (7 allocations). He went 0-2 from the 21 seed. <Bonus: 32.4%, RPI: .602>
157
Jacob Wright (So) <Dinuba, CA>
Wright went 28-11 but it wasn’t enough to qualify for the tournament. He placed 5th at the Big 12 Championships but the conference only had 1 allocation at that weight. His biggest win was against NCAA qualifier Chase Straw (ISU). <Bonus: 25.6%, RPI: .610>
165
Isaiah Hokit (Sr) <Clovis, CA>
Isaiah (Josh’s brother) went 15-12 and didn’t qualify for the NCAAs after going 1-2 in the Big 12 Championships. He didn’t have any wins against NCAA qualifiers. <Bonus: 25.9%, RPI: .546>
174
Dominic Kincaid (Sr) <Clovis, CA>
Kincaid went 12-11 and didn’t qualify for the NCAAs after going 2-2 and not placing in the Big 12 Championships. He didn’t have any wins against NCAA qualifiers. <Bonus: 13.0%, RPI: .515>
184
Jackson Hemauer (So) <DeForest Area, WI>
Hemauer went 23-13 overall and qualified for the tournament after placing 5th at the Big 12 Championships (5 allocations). He was the 23 seed and went 0-2. Hemauer had several wins over NCAA qualifiers, including two over Tate Samuelson (Wyoming). <Bonus: 27.8%, RPI: .599>
197
Josh Hokit (Sr) <Clovis, CA>
Hokit went 27-8 overall and placed 4th at the Big 12 Championships (7 allocations). He received the 16 seed for the NCAA tournament. Josh became the Bulldogs first AA since 2003. After getting decked by Bo Nickal (no shame in being part of that club), Hokit marched through the wrestlebacks upsetting #11 Brunner and #5 Warnerov along the way. After losing to Brucki, Josh won again in another upset over #6 Willie Miklus (ISU) to take 5th place. <Bonus: 22.9%, RPI: .658>
Heavy
AJ Nevills (Jr) <Clovis, CA>
Nevills went 24-9 overall and had the Bulldogs highest placement at the Big 12 Championships, finishing 2nd to Derek White (OSU). He qualified for the NCAA Championships a 2nd time getting the 14 seed. Unfortunately, AJ was upset twice going 0-2 in the tournament. AJ had wins against several qualifiers with his biggest coming against Tate Orndorff (UVU). <Bonus: 24.4%, RPI: .630>
New Faces
Fresno State has four top-20 (in weight class) incoming freshman which include three CIF state champions:
Kyle Parco <De La Salle, CA>
Parco is a 4-time state qualifier and won the CIF 132 championship in 2019. He’s ranked #18 at 132 by InterMat.
Jace Luchau <Selma, CA>
Luchau placed 3rd @152 at the 2019 CIF Championships and 4th @152 in 2018. He’s ranked #7 at 152 by InterMat.
Matthew Olguin <Buchanan, CA>
Olguin won the CIF championship @160 in 2019, placed 3rd @138 in 2018, 3rd @113 in 2017 and was the champion @106 in 2016. He’s ranked #5 at 160 by InterMat.
Ryan Reyes <Gilroy, CA>
Reyes won the CIF championship @195 in 2019, placed 3rd @195 in 2018 and 2017 and 7th @170 in 2016. He’s ranked #3 at 195 by InterMat.
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