Kyle Botelho pins Carlos Mendez in the 165 lb. bout.
SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco State wrestling team made quick work of Simpson on Sunday with a 41-3 dual victory inside the Main Gym at Don Nasser Family Plaza.
The Gators improve to 5-4 in dual matches while the Redhawks fall to 0-2 versus four-year institutions. SF State opened with major decisions from
Zach Wright and
Tony Margiotta. Wright scored five takedowns while Margiotta scored two takedowns and converted both into four-point near falls. SF State took a quick 13-0 match lead thanks to
Andre Dargani's tech fall. Dargani led 10-0 with two four-point near falls in the first period and had two more takedowns before the whistle blew.
Sean Yamasaki battled but came up short, 5-4, at 149 lb.
Josh Tolentino cruised to another major decision for the Gators thanks to three takedowns.
Kyle Botelho earned the only pin of the day at 165 lb. over Carlos Mendez.
The Gators picked up 12 points with forfeits at 174 and 197 lb.
Gavin Funk squeezed out a 3-2 victory at 184 lb. and heavyweight
Emilio Franco Sandoval finished things off with a 4-2 victory.
The Gators also had a pair of extra countable matches.
Stefano McKinney led 8-1 after a period but his opponent at 141 lb. withdrew due to injury.
Marco Ruffinelli, wrestling at 157 lb, set the tone early with a tech fall of Jaden Madding. Ruffinelli needed just 1:33 to amass an 18-0 advantage.
Between the 149 and 157 lb. matches, SF State took time to welcome back and honor three recent alumni: Jackson Redhair, Aria Mazroy, and Mason Boutain.
Redhair joined the program in 2018 and wrestled for the Gators at the 2019 NCAA Division II Regionals but was limited to action due to the pandemic and injuries. He showed true Gator spirit and commitment to the team by joining the coaching staff during the 2021-22 season where he became an integral part of the leadership. He was also a two-sport athlete, competing in track & field.
Mazroy spent all four years with the program and was a leader on and off the mat, competing at 125 lb. and serving as president of the student-athlete advisory committee. Mazroy has moved back to his hometown of San Diego where he has joined a successful real-estate team.
Boutain, who wrestled at both 149 and 157 lb. for the Gators. The Benicia native redshirted in 2016-17, burst onto the scene in 2017-18 with a 22-13 record. He was named to the all-RMAC First Team and was the RMAC champion at 157 lb. that season. He wrestled at 149 lb. in 2019-20 and was named to the all-RMAC First Team yet again, and was ranked as No. 5 nationally. Last season, he was an RMAC All-Conference and Academic All-Academic First Team selection, was ranked as high as No. 8 in the nation at 157 lb., finished in third place at Regionals, and punched his ticket to Nationals with a 3-1 overtime victory. He also earned the department's Arete Award.
On December 17, SF State heads to the Desert Duals to face CSU Pueblo, Simon Fraser, and No. 20 Minnesota State.
