Fresno State Athletics
Wrestling Release: Feb. 7, 2000
2/7/2000 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 7, 2000
Bulldogs Feel Like A Coyote Against The No. 18 Roadrunners
In the annual battle of freeway 99, No. 18 California State Bakersfield, for the second straight year, ran past Fresno State 29-10 in Bakersfield, Calif. The Roadrunners' wrestling team brings five wrestlers rated in the Top 20 by InterMat Wrestling and the team itself is one of the best programs on the west coast. The `Dogs lost the first seven matches to the powerful Roadrunners, but Fresno State kept three of those matches very close, losing by a combined total of five points. Bulldogs' Eddie Gifford (Fr., Las Vegas, Nev.) and Dan Jackson (So., Kingsburg, Calif.) were involved in two of the previous mentioned contests, as No. 20 Ian Nelms squeaked passed Gifford 5-4 and Jackson gave the ninth rated Andy Varner all he could handle before eventually losing 5-3. No. 6 Paris Ruiz (Sr., Fresno, Calif.) earned his 25th win of the season and bolstered his major decision total to 12. But the most impressive Bulldog victory was in the heavyweight category, as Grant Harrington (So., Visalia, Calif.) got win number nine by collecting his second pin of the season. The `Dogs drop to 9-7 in dual matches this year and will next be in competition at the All-California Tournament in San Francisco, Calif. on Saturday Feb. 5 at 9 a.m.
`It's A Dog Day Afternoon' for Fresno State Wrestling
The 24th annual All-California Invitational in San Francisco, Calif. has the Bulldogs first team lapping up the top point total with 64.5 points. The `Dogs second team also grabbed seventh place with 42.5 points. The Bulldogs took on the best the state of California had to offer as seven of the top wrestling programs in the state accented in the bay area for the tournament. Paris Ruiz (Sr., Fresno, Calif.), Ralph Lopez (Fr., Fresno, Calif.), Tim Cornish (Sr., Manhattan, N.Y.) and Eddie Gifford (Fr., Las Vegas, Nev.) ran the gauntlet by taking championship status in each of their respective weight classes. Other notable Bulldogs were Derrick Hayes (So., Seaside, Calif.), Jonte Davis (Sr., Fresno, Calif.), Dan Jackson (So., Kingsburg, Calif.) and Jason Rossotti (Jr., Selma, Calif.) as each of them took second place. Fourth place finishers were Grant Harrington (So., Visalia, Calif.) and Darrick Duran (So., Fresno, Calif.). Last year, at this same invitational, Fresno State won the team title with a point total of 118.5. Stephen Abas (So., Hayward, Calif.) and Matt Demers (Jr., Modesto, Calif.) walked away with individual titles at the event. The `Dogs will start their one week home stand against the Cal Poly Mustangs on Tuesday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m.
