Pueblo, Colo. — Kyle Botelho and Basil Othman will represent the San Francisco State wrestling team at the NCAA Division II Championships after punching their tickets at the NCAA Division II Super Regional VI. The Gators finished in sixth place out of 11 teams on Saturday at Massari Arena.

The 11-team event, consisting of the nine RMAC teams plus No. 9 Nebraska-Kearney and Fort Hays State, was hosted by CSU Pueblo. The top three finishers in each of ten weight classes advance to the NCAA Division II Championships, March 15-16 in Wichita, Kansas at Hartman Arena. UNK won the regional with 143.5 points and eight top-three finishers. The Golden Gators posted 82 points.

Botelho finished in second place at 165 lb. After a first-place bye, Botelho scored a takedown with 20 seconds left in overtime to earn a sudden-victory over Elijah Valdez (CSU Pueblo). Botelho squeezed then earned a 4-1 victory over CSU Pueblo's Cyruss Meeks with a takedown with two seconds remaining. In the championship match, Adams State's Aaden Valdez edged Botelho 2-1. Valdez scored a second-period escape and had the edge with riding time. Botelho's point came as a result of Valdez stalling but Botelho was unable to earn another point.

Othman battled back to place third at 157 lb. He opened with a tech fall over Colorado Mesa's Erik Contreras, then dropped a narrow 5-4 decision to CSU Pueblo's Cyruss Meeks. Othman led 4-2 in the third period but Meeks scored a takedown with 12 seconds remaining in the match. Othman bounced back with a major decision over Chadron State's Hunter Gilmore, then punched his ticket with another major decision, 8-0, over Colorado Mines' Jakob Smith.

The Gators' seniors saw their dream of a Nationals appearance extinguished despite strong showings. At 125 lb., Tony Margiotta suffered an opening round loss and battled all the way back to the third-place bout, where he suffered a heartbreaker to Western Colorado's Patrick Allis. A second-period escape was the difference in the 1-0 bout. At 149 lb., Lawrence Saenz dropped back-to-back bouts but finished his career with a win in the fifth-place match with a 10-2 major decision. At 174 lb. Gage Mettler came up short in his final bout, a 9-2 decision for a fourth-place finish. 

Perhaps the most hearbreaking bout for the Gators was at 141 lb. Johnny Lopez, who bounced back from a 4-2 decision to No. 12 Angel Flores with a pair of pins, to advance to the third-place bout. In a rematch with Flores, Lopez was up 4-2 in the third period but Flores scored a reversal and a two-point near fall with 17 seconds left for a 6-5 comeback.

125: Zach Wright (9-10)
        Champ. Round 1 - Christian Lopez (RV Colorado School of Mines) 12-9 won by decision over Zach Wright (San Francisco State) 9-10 (Dec 12-9)
        Cons. Round 1 - Zach Wright (San Francisco State) 9-10 received a bye
        Cons. Round 2 - Zach Wright (San Francisco State) 9-10 won by tech fall over Roberto Estrada (#24 Western Colorado) 14-13 (TF-1.5 5:49 (20-4))
        Cons. Round 3 - Rhys Sellers (New Mexico Highlands) 20-11 won by decision over Zach Wright (San Francisco State) 9-10 (Dec 4-1)

133: Tony Margiotta (14-6), fourth place
        Champ. Round 1 - Tony Margiotta (San Francisco State) 14-6 received a bye
        Quarterfinal - Patrick Allis (#24 Western Colorado) 10-6 won by decision over Tony Margiotta (San Francisco State) 14-6 (Dec 9-6)
        Cons. Round 2 - Tony Margiotta (San Francisco State) 14-6 received a bye
        Cons. Round 3 - Tony Margiotta (San Francisco State) 14-6 won by fall over Kevin Honas (RV Fort Hays State) 10-16 (Fall 4:16)
        Cons. Semi - Tony Margiotta (San Francisco State) 14-6 won by decision over Drew Arnold (#9 Nebraska-Kearney) 15-12 (Dec 3-2)
        3rd Place Match - Patrick Allis (#24 Western Colorado) 10-6 won by decision over Tony Margiotta (San Francisco State) 14-6 (Dec 1-0)

141: Johnny Lopez (7-2), fourth place
        Champ. Round 1 - Johnny Lopez (San Francisco State) 7-2 received a bye
        Quarterfinal - #12 Angel Flores (RV Adams State) 24-7 won by decision over Johnny Lopez (San Francisco State) 7-2 (Dec 4-2)
        Cons. Round 2 - Johnny Lopez (San Francisco State) 7-2 received a bye
        Cons. Round 3 - Johnny Lopez (San Francisco State) 7-2 won by fall over Joseph Misitano (New Mexico Highlands) 13-15 (Fall 0:33)
        Cons. Semi - Johnny Lopez (San Francisco State) 7-2 won by fall over Grayston DiBlasi (RV Colorado School of Mines) 19-8 (Fall 1:34)
        3rd Place Match - #12 Angel Flores (RV Adams State) 24-7 won by decision over Johnny Lopez (San Francisco State) 7-2 (Dec 6-5)

149: Lawrence Saenz (17-5), fifth place
        Champ. Round 1 - Lawrence Saenz (San Francisco State) 17-5 received a bye
        Quarterfinal - Lawrence Saenz (San Francisco State) 17-5 won by decision over Juan Garcia (Colorado Mesa) 14-14 (Dec 8-3)
        Semifinal - Dean Noble (#24 Western Colorado) 22-8 won by decision over Lawrence Saenz (San Francisco State) 17-5 (Dec 8-5)
        Cons. Semi - John Burger (#9 Nebraska-Kearney) 16-7 won by major decision over Lawrence Saenz (San Francisco State) 17-5 (MD 11-3)
        5th Place Match - Lawrence Saenz (San Francisco State) 17-5 won by major decision over Juan Garcia (Colorado Mesa) 14-14 (MD 10-2)

157: Basil Othman (16-4), third place
        Champ. Round 1 - Basil Othman (San Francisco State) 16-4 received a bye
        Quarterfinal - Basil Othman (San Francisco State) 16-4 won by tech fall over Erik Contreras (Colorado Mesa) 2-4 (TF-1.5 5:55 (21-3))
        Semifinal - Cyruss Meeks (CSU Pueblo) 18-12 won by decision over Basil Othman (San Francisco State) 16-4 (Dec 5-4)
        Cons. Semi - Basil Othman (San Francisco State) 16-4 won by major decision over Hunter Gilmore (#T14 Chadron State) 5-5 (MD 16-2)
        3rd Place Match - Basil Othman (San Francisco State) 16-4 won by major decision over Jakob Smith (RV Colorado School of Mines) 12-7 (MD 8-0)

165: Kyle Botelho (15-7), second place
        Champ. Round 1 - Kyle Botelho (San Francisco State) 15-7 received a bye
        Quarterfinal - Kyle Botelho (San Francisco State) 15-7 won in sudden victory - 1 over Elijah Valdez (CSU Pueblo) 13-15 (SV-1 4-1)
        Semifinal - Kyle Botelho (San Francisco State) 15-7 won by decision over Walker Heckendorf (#24 Western Colorado) 16-7 (Dec 4-1)
        1st Place Match - Aaden Valdez (RV Adams State) 24-3 won by decision over Kyle Botelho (San Francisco State) 15-7 (Dec 2-1)

174: Gage Mettler (16-7), fourth place
        Champ. Round 1 - Gage Mettler (San Francisco State) 16-7 received a bye
        Quarterfinal - Gus Dalton (Colorado Mesa) 14-8 won by fall over Gage Mettler (San Francisco State) 16-7 (Fall 2:02)
        Cons. Round 2 - Gage Mettler (San Francisco State) 16-7 received a bye
        Cons. Round 3 - Gage Mettler (San Francisco State) 16-7 won by major decision over Juan Urbina (RV Fort Hays State) 12-15 (MD 11-3)
        Cons. Semi - Gage Mettler (San Francisco State) 16-7 won by decision over Wyatt Reisz (RV Colorado School of Mines) 19-8 (Dec 14-7)
        3rd Place Match - Gus Dalton (Colorado Mesa) 14-8 won by decision over Gage Mettler (San Francisco State) 16-7 (Dec 9-2)

184: Kweli Hernandez-Maitre (10-8)
        Champ. Round 1 - Cole Gray (#24 Western Colorado) 21-8 won by decision over Kweli Hernandez-Maitre (San Francisco State) 10-8 (Dec 7-2)
        Cons. Round 1 - Kweli Hernandez-Maitre (San Francisco State) 10-8 received a bye
        Cons. Round 2 - Kweli Hernandez-Maitre (San Francisco State) 10-8 won by decision over Zackary Small (New Mexico Highlands) 5-13 (Dec 5-2)
        Cons. Round 3 - Keegan Gehlhausen (#T14 Chadron State) 9-4 won by major decision over Kweli Hernandez-Maitre (San Francisco State) 10-8 (MD 11-1)

197: Laith Gilmore (5-12)
        Champ. Round 1 - Laith Gilmore (San Francisco State) 5-12 received a bye
        Quarterfinal - #11 Tereus Henry (RV Fort Hays State) 26-7 won by major decision over Laith Gilmore (San Francisco State) 5-12 (MD 8-0)
        Cons. Round 2 - Sage Harrison (#24 Western Colorado) 14-20 won by decision over Laith Gilmore (San Francisco State) 5-12 (Dec 7-2)

285: Emilio Franco Sandoval (15-10) fifth place
        Champ. Round 1 - Emilio Franco Sandoval (San Francisco State) 15-10 received a bye
        Quarterfinal - #9 Taniela Feliciano-Takafua (RV Simon Fraser) 14-2 won in tie breaker - 1 over Emilio Franco Sandoval (San Francisco State) 15-10 (TB-1 3-2)
        Cons. Round 2 - Emilio Franco Sandoval (San Francisco State) 15-10 received a bye
        Cons. Round 3 - Emilio Franco Sandoval (San Francisco State) 15-10 won by decision over Zach Schraeder (#24 Western Colorado) 7-13 (Dec 2-1)
        Cons. Semi - Laith Ibrahim (RV Colorado School of Mines) 11-7 won by decision over Emilio Franco Sandoval (San Francisco State) 15-10 (Dec 2-1)
        5th Place Match - Emilio Franco Sandoval (San Francisco State) 15-10 won by medical forfeit over #6 Mason Watt (#T14 Chadron State) 19-5 (M. For.)

Quotables

"I have to say, this year has been such a fun ride. I really feel like we're starting to get it right. Hats off to our seniors and our team leadership. Congratulations to our two NCAA qualifiers of course! But I also really want to highlight the team effort that took place and how many individuals we had placing," said Head Coach Jason Welch. "This is the best we've ever done as a team during my time at San Francisco State, as well as the best dual meet record we've had. That speaks to the overall growth of the entire team, and how we come together together as a group. Excited for Nationals in two weeks!"

Up Next

Botelho and Othman will pack their bags for the 2024 DII wrestling championship, March 15-16 in Wichita, Kansas at Hartman Arena. DII qualifiers are set to be officially released at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 3 followed by a bracket release at 12:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 8.