Fresno State Athletics
Tough First Day But Grapplers Wrestle Back
3/20/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 20, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - After only one Fresno State win in the first round of the NCAA Championships, the Bulldogs were down but fortunately not out.
Sophomore Jim Medeiros was the lone Bulldog to win a first round match, doing so in upset fashion over eighth-seeded Joe Johnston of Iowa 5-3. But the thrill of the win was short lived when Medeiros lost to No. 9 Alex Tirapelle from Illinois, 4-3. Medeiros now drops into the wrestleback draw, where he could still finish as high as third place. He will wrestle Mike Patrovich on Friday morning.
At 141, junior Casey Olson lost in the first round to Phillip Simpson of Army, 6-2. He did, however, win his next match, 14-5, against Clint Frease of Brown in the 141 wrestleback draw. He is also fighting for third and faces Josh Rush of Binghampton tomorrow.
Senior Ben Baca dropped both of his matches today. His second lost eliminated him from the tournament.
In the 174 division, senior Eddie Gifford dropped his first round match to No. 3 Robbie Waller of Oklahoma, 2-1. But in his first wrestleback match he dominated Nate Yester of Edinboro 13-3. Gifford will now face No. 8 Brian Glynn of Illinois.
Sophomore Marcio Botelho will also see wrestleback competition at 197 after dropping his first round match to No. 7 Nik Fekete of Michigan State. In the second round he faced off against his former teammate Landon Seefeldt from Cal State Fullerton and beat him, 12-5. Botelho faces David Schenk of Cal Poly, whom he beat earlier this year, 5-2.
The NCAA Wrestling Championships continue today and tomorrow in Kansas City, Mo.
