SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State wrestling team closed out the regular season with a 23-15 victory over Menlo on Thursday night inside the Main Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza.
The Gators, who received a vote in the fourth 2018-19 NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Team and Individual Rankings presented by the United States Marine Corps, faced stiff competition in the Oaks, who are the No. 6 ranked team in the NAIA.
The match began with Senior
Brandon Vu dropping a nailbiter in overtime to Riley Siason, the No. 10 ranked wrestler in the NAIA at 125 pounds. The Gators gained the momentum thanks to 133-pounder
Jordan Gurrola. The senior moved to 17-6 and his eighth consecutive victory with a pin of Blaysen Terukina.
The Gators dropped the 141 and 149 pound weight classes, both by decision, and fell behind 9-6 in the match. 157-pounder
Mason Boutain put the Gators back up for good with a tech fall over Joshua Arrieta. He used a takedown in the first period to score a two-point nearfall and three four-point nearfalls and end the bout in 2:23. Boutain, who recently saw his nine-bout win streak snapped, is now 10-3 on the season.
At 165 pounds,
Maxamillian Schneider (9-2) was victorious in his fourth consecutive bout thanks to a fall of Alejandro Garcia, the No. 6 ranked 165-pound wrestler in NAIA. Schneider has now won five bouts by fall.
At 174 pounds,
Kurtis Clem used a pair of takedowns and a reversal to edge Peter An. Clem moves to 13-9 and has won six of his last seven bouts. The Gators dropped the 184 and 197 pound bouts by decision to a pair of nationally-ranked grapplers but the Gators still led 20-15. Heavyweight
Ricardo Jaramillo needed to avoid the pin but instead of going on the defensive, came out shooting. He grabbed an early lead with a first-period takedown. He also scored an escape, on a penalty, and added a point with riding time to seal the team victory with a 5-0 win of his own.
Head Coach Jason Welch: "Tonight was a great way to finish off the regular season. I'm really proud of our seniors. It's been great to develop a relationship with them over the past two years and see them grow into young men. At the end of the day, it was a great dual meet win but I'm super proud of those six young men who will graduate and go onto the next level of their lives. We'll miss them."
The Golden Gators will now turn their focus onto the postseason. The NCAA Division II Super Region 6 Championships begin Saturday, February 23 in Kearney, Nebraska. The NCAA Division II Championships will be held in Cleveland beginning Friday, March 8.
