SAN FRANCISCO – SF State Gators' wrestling team will return to the mat this Thursday evening at 7pm, when they travel to Atherton, Calif., for a non-conference dual with Bay Area foe Menlo College.  The Gators are 16^th in the nation in the most recent NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Poll that was released this past Wednesday.  Menlo College is 15^th in the nation in the most recent NAIA rankings.
 
The Gators (7-4) went 1-1 in their final two home duals this past Friday.  SF State lost 24-12 to Bakersfield in which the Gators won three matches in Zach Jimenez (5-4 decision at 184), Marc Collier (3-2 decision at 125) and Isaiah Hurtado (won by fall at 0:43 at 133).
 
SF State came back and defeated Simon Fraser by a score of 31-16 in which the Gators won four matches by major decisions, fall or technical falls and the final two by forfeit.  Hurtado won by fall at 5:19 at 133 while Dylan Phillipy won by an 18-0 technical fall decision at 2:52 at 141.  Jimenez won by an 11-3 major decision at 184 and Andrew Reggi won at 197 by a 14-4 major decision.  Tavis Ino and Conrad Snell each won by forfeit at 157 and 149 respectively.
 
Dylan Phillipy highlighted the Gators' day at the 38^th Annual California Collegiate Open on Saturday with a second place finish at 141.  Phillipy won his first two matches on Thursday by 16-0 and 18-2 technical fall decisions.  He then defeated Oregon State's Joey Delgado by a 15-6 major decision in the semi-finals.  IN the championship match, he lost by a 4-2 decision to Simpson's Anthony Vega.
 
Menlo College is coming off a weekend in which saw the Oaks lose 28-12 to NAIA #7 Southern Oregon this past Friday at home in which they won three matches at 141 (Steele Escobedo), 165 (Eric Lopez) and 285 (Scott Brasil).  Menlo also participated in the California Collegiate Open in which Brasil placed second at 285.
 
The Oaks have six grapplers that are ranked in the top 20 in their respective weight classes highlighted by Eric Lopez being number one at 165.  Brasil is 8^th at 285 while Justin Harrison is 15th.  Troy Lakin is 12^th at 125, Escobedo is 15^th at 141 and Jason Ladd is 16^th at 149. 
 
The Gators defeated Menlo 24-16 last season with current wrestlers winning for SF State:  Isaiah Hurtado, Conrad Snell, Vicente Aboytes and A.J. Simon.
 
SF State is currently 16^th in the nation in the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association rankings with the next rankings set to come out this Wednesday, February 12.
 
After this weekend, the Gators will just have one dual left on Feb. 14 at Cal Baptist in gearing up for the 2014 NCAA Division II Super Region IV/Rocky Mountain Athletic Championships, Feb. 28-Mar 1 in Grand Junction, Colo.