Fresno State Athletics
Wrestling Kicks Off Season This Week
11/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 17, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - WRESTLING KICKS OFF 2003-04 SEASON
Fresno State hosts an alumni match in the North Gym on Wednesday at 7 p.m. before heading to its first tournament. The alumni match will feature Fresno State wrestlers of the past like Stephen Abas against this year's starting lineup. The public is encouraged to come to the free event where they can meet the team and collect autographs. The Bulldogs will then travel to Cal State Fullerton for the Fullerton Open on Saturday. Last season Fresno State took home four individual first place awards while six other wrestlers placed in the top six of their respective divisions.
RETURNING ALL-AMERICAN
Junior Marcio Botelho returns to the Bulldog lineup after an All-American performance last season. He is the 33rd wrestler under head coach Dennis DeLiddo to earn All-America. Botelho went 3-2 at the NCAA Championships to take eighth place in the 197 division. Last season he went 35-10 overall with 12 pins.
BULLDOGS IN THE RANKINGS
Fresno State is ranked 24th by the National Wrestling Coaches Association for dual meet wrestling teams. Individually, three Bulldog wrestlers are ranked in their respective divisions. Senior Casey Olson, who went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships last season, is ranked 19th in the 149 division by InterMat Wrestling. Sophomore Greg Gifford is ranked No. 20 by Amateur Wrestling News in the 184 division. Botelho is ranked 3rd by InterMat Wrestling and 4th by Amateur Wrestling News.
MEDEIROS OUT
Senior Jim Medeiros is redshirting the 2003-04 season to train for the 2004 Olympic Trials. He comes off a 36-8 season and second place finish at the West Regional. Medeiros was consistently ranked in the 157 division where he was Fresno State starter last season.
RECORD SEASON
Head coach Dennis DeLiddo should notch his 300th career win this season. DeLiddo enters his 23rd year as head coach for the Bulldogs with 296 wins and 152 losses.
2002-03 SEASON RECAP
Fresno State took 30th place at the NCAA Championships, its first non-top 25 finish at nationals since 2000, but the Bulldogs did come away with an All-American in Botelho. Other Bulldog wrestlers at nationals were: Eddie Gifford, Medeiros, Olson and Ben Baca. Fresno State placed third at the West Regional. For the second year in a row, Northern Iowa won the meet and Air Force took second. Four Bulldogs took second place in their respective divisions while three others took third. The 2002-03 wrestling team finished the regular season with a record of 13-6, winning 10 consecutive dual meets. No other Fresno State wrestling team has won more consecutive meets since the 1991-92 team that won 13 in a row.
