Fresno State Athletics
Wrestlers Begin Season Saturday
11/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 7, 2001
FRESNO, Calif. - RED VS. BLUE SCRIMMAGE
The wrestling team will hold an intersquad scrimmage on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7:00 in the North Gym. The event will be open to the media and public.
BULLDOGS HOST MENLO COLLEGE AND NAVY
Fresno State begins its regular season on Saturday, Nov. 10 as it hosts Menlo College and Navy. Menlo College and Navy will dual at 3:00 p.m. The Bulldogs will wrestle Menlo College at 5:00 p.m. and Navy at 7:00 p.m.
FRESNO STATE NO. 13 IN PRESEASON RANKINGS
The Bulldogs are preseason ranked 13th in Amateur Wrestling News Magazine and Wrestling International Newsmagazine (W.I.N.). Intermat ranks the Bulldogs 21st. Senior Stephen Abas (Hayward, Calif.), senior Derrick Hayes (Seaside, Calif.) and junior Ralph Lopez (Fresno, Calif.) are ranked in their respective divisions. Abas is ranked No. 1 coming off his second national title at 125 pounds. Hayes (133) is ranked highest by W.I.N. at No. 12 and Lopez (141) is ranked highest by Amateur Wrestling News at No. 13.
DENNIS DELIDDO IN HIS 21 SEASON
Head coach Dennis DeLiddo is in his 21st year coaching the Bulldog wrestling team. In 20 years of coaching he has racked up a 169-139-5 record. Last year he guided the team to a 14th place finish at the NCAA Championships while two wrestlers earned All-American honors.
2001-02 SEASON OUTLOOK
The Bulldog wrestling team will be led by returners Abas, Hayes, Lopez, Jim Medeiros (Fremont, Calif.) and Eddie Gifford (Las Vegas, Nev.) The top of the lineup holds the most strength with three nationally ranked wrestlers in the first three weight divisions. Abas' leadership will have a positive influence on the team as he looks to repeat last year's perfect 34-0 season. Hayes, a senior, returns to the 133 division and Lopez, a junior, returns to the 141 division. Freshmen Britt Mooney (Bakersfield, Calif.), Landon Seefeldt (Modesto, Calif.) and Marcio Botelho (Lemoore, Calif.) will wrestle at the 174, 184 and 197 divisions, respectively. Their performances will have a big impact on the team. The fate of heavyweight Billy Blunt (Modesto, Calif.) rests in the hands of the NCAA clearinghouse. If Blunt is cleared to wrestle, the returning All-American will start in the hwt. division.
STEPHEN ABAS WINS SUNKIST KIDS TOURNAMENT
Abas won the Sunkist Kids/Arizona State International Open at Desert Vista High School in Phoenix, Ariz., on Sunday, Oct. 28. Abas, who didn't get scored upon in two days, wrestled in the 54 kilogram division in the freestyle tournament. He captured three wins on Saturday and two on Sunday, including a win over two-time Cuban World Champion Alexis Vilas in the finals. Abas won a 4-0 decision over Vilas to win the title. Abas had 10-0 major decisions over F.J. Ferrell, David Lewis and T.J. Hill in the first three rounds on Saturday. He won an 8-0 major decision over Tim Dernlan in the semifinals before capturing the tournament win.
