Fresno State Athletics
Four Bulldogs Appear In Wrestling Preseason Rankings
10/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Oct. 12, 2004
Fresno, Calif. - Four Fresno State wrestlers were ranked in the preseason individual polls announced this week by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Amateur Wrestling News, the two major polls in college wrestling.
Both polls rank the top 20 teams in the nation based on their tournament strength, and also rank the top 20 wrestlers by weight class.
Seniors led the way for the Bulldogs going into the 2004-05 season. Jim Medeiros, returning after taking a redshirt year last season, has the highest initial ranking for the Bulldogs. Medeiros is ranked No. 8 in the NWCA polls for the 157 division, and No. 10 in the AWN rankings.
Two other seniors, Marcio Botelho and Clint Walbeck are also ranked. Botelho was an All-American at 197 in 2002-03, and is ranked accordingly, coming in No. 9 in the AWN poll and No. 10 in the NWCA poll. Walbeck, a heavyweight, was ranked No. 13 in the AWN and No. 15 in the NWCA poll.
Rounding out the ranked Bulldogs is Junior Greg Gifford. The 184-pound Gifford was ranked No. 18 in the AWN poll and No. 19 in the NWCA poll, in what will be his 3rd year starting in that division.
The four wrestlers in both polls is more than last year, where only Botelho was ranked in both polls. Gifford was ranked in the AWN poll, while departed senior Casey Olsen was ranked in the NWCA poll.
