Fresno State Athletics
Last Bulldog Standing Becomes an All-American
3/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 21, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - Sophomore Marcio Botelho is the final Fresno State wrestler competing in the NCAA Championships, currently ongoing in Kansas City, Mo.
Botelho will face off against Kyle Smith of Michigan for seventh place on Saturday. He is guaranteed at least eighth place in the tournament, and regardless of the outcome of his match, will be an All-American this year.
Botelho beat Oklahoma's Tom Grossman 7-3 in his first match of the day. In the following match, Botelho was pinned by Sean Stender of Northern Iowa, placing him in the seventh-eighth playoff.
Senior Eddie Gifford lost his third and final match of the day at 174 to No. 2 Chris Pendelton of Oklahoma State 16-2. Gifford won two wrestleback matches prior to Pendelton. He beat No. 8 Josh Glynn of Illinois 6-3 and Pat Owen of Michigan 5-1. Gifford finishes his senior season with an overall record of 31-9.
In the 141 division, junior Casey Olson lost his second match of the day to Coyte Cooper of Indiana 11-5. Olson won his first match of the day against Josh Ruff of Binghampton 8-1. Olson finishes the season with an overall record of 24-10.
Junior Jim Medeiros also completed his season, finishing with an overall record of 36-8. Medeiros won his first match of the day in overtime over Mike Patrovitch of Hofstra. In his second match of Medeiros lost to Clovis Crane of Purdue, 5-1.
As a team, Fresno State is in 30th place entering the final day of competition. Oklahoma State, which has won more NCAA team titles than any other school, is in first place.
