Fresno State Athletics
Saturday, December 29
Hoffman Estates, Ill.
7:30 A.M. PT
Fresno State
vs
Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
Photo by: Keith Kountz/Fresno State
Fresno State Wrestling heads to 56th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
12/27/2018 11:00:00 AM | Wrestling
The Fresno State Wrestling team returns to action this weekend at the 56th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State Wrestling team returns to action this weekend at the 56th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.
2018 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
Dec. 29-30, 2018 • 7:30 A.M. PT (Saturday) & 10:00 A.M. PT (Sunday) • Sears Centre Arena • Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Video: FloWrestling ($) & BTN Plus/BTN2Go ($)
Brackets & Results:Â Trackwrestling
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateWRES
Midlands Championships Event Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 29
7:30 AM PT – First Session (10 Mats)
5:00 PM PT – Second Session (10 Mats)Â
Sunday, Dec. 30
10:00 AM PT– Third Session (4 Mats) – Semis, consolation, 7th place match
5:00 PM PT – Final Session (3 Mats) – 1st, 3rd, 5th place matches
125:Â Robert Garcia IV, RFr. (3-5 overall)
133:Â Gary Joint, RFr. (4-6)
141:Â Chris Deloza, So. (6-4)
149: No. -/-/22Â Khristian Olivas, RJr. (8-5)
157:Â Isaiah Hokit, RJr. (6-6)
165:Â Jacob Wright, RFr. (10-5)
174: Dominic Kincaid, RJr. (7-3)
184:Â Jackson Hemauer, RFr. (10-3)
197: Josh Hokit, Jr. (5-1)
HWT: No. -/-/20Â AJ Nevills, (9-2)
- Rankings by FloWrestling, Intermat & Trackwrestling
35 Teams Competing at the Midlands Championships - Rankings by NWCAÂ Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll (as of Dec. 18, 2018)
Division I Teams: Air Force, No. 15 Arizona State, Army, Bloomsburg, Brown, Bucknell, Buffalo, Cal Poly, Campbell, Central Michigan, Fresno State, Harvard, No. 17 Illinois, Indiana, No. 4 Iowa, Maryland, No. 5 Michigan, No. 9 Minnesota, No. 12 North Carolina, Northern Illinois, No. 16 Northern Iowa, Northwestern, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Penn, Princeton, South Dakota State, No. 10 Wisconsin
Non-Division I Teams: Chicago, Cumberlands (Ky.), Elmhurst, Franklin & Marshall, Johnson & Wales, Mount Union & Wheaton
- Eight of the top 17 teams in the nation will be at the Midlands Championships.
- Eight Big Ten programs will be in attendance in Illinois with five of them ranked led by No. 4 Iowa.
- The Bulldogs will be one of four Big 12 teams at the Midlands joining Air Force, No. 16 Northern Iowa and South Dakota State.
- Iowa has won the last five Midlands Championships (2013-17) and nine of the last 11 dating back to 2007 adding titles in 2007, '08, '09 & '11.
Fresno State Wrestling's History at the Midlands Championships
The Bulldogs have had three seasons where they placed wrestlers at the Midlands with a pair of third place finishes by Sylvester Carver and Fred Little in 1982 and 1986, respectively. In addition, Billy Blunt and Gerry Abas placed fifth and sixth, respectively in 2000.
Bulldog         Year  Wt. PlaceÂ
Gerry Abas      2000 157  6th
Billy Blunt       2000 285  5th
Fred Little       1986 177 3rd
Sylvester Carver  1982 167 3rd
Colon & Steiner competed at The Midlands
In addition to those former Bulldogs, two Bulldogs coaches placed at the Midlands during their collegiate careers. Second-year volunteer assistant coach and 2018 World Championship bronze medalist Joe Colon won the 133-pound weight class at the 2013 Midlands Championships while competing at Northern Iowa and took seventh in 2011.Â
Bulldog head coach Troy Steiner placed third at 142 pounds in 1990, first at 142 pounds in 1991, and second at 142 pounds in 1992.
Select Bulldogs compete at Reno Tournament of Champions
Eight Bulldogs overall, three attached and five unattached, competed at the 2018 Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 20 at the Reno Events Center with redshirt freshman Jacob Wright, competing unattached, was the 'Dogs highest place finisher placing third at 157 pounds.
Additionally, redshirt junior 174-pounder Dominic Kincaid finished fifth while junior 197-pounder Josh Hokit took sixth.
Hokit returns to the mat after finishing football season
For a second straight season, Hokit has made the quick transition from the gridiron to the wrestling mat as his six-match appearance in Reno was only five days removed from helping the Fresno State football team defeat Arizona State, 31-20 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 15
The Clovis native bounced back from an opening round loss in Reno to reel off five straight wins, including a thrilling 11-9 overtime win that pushed him to the fifth place match where he was unfortunately able to wrestle due to a maximum number of matches on the day.
Hokit, who went 9-8 last season at 197 pounds and finished fifth at the Big 12 Championships, came up only one place short of qualifying for the NCAA Championships a year ago and the Mountain West champion in football looks to add being an NCAA Championship qualifier to his resume this March.
Two 'Dogs in the national rankings
Nevills has moved up to No. 20 while Olivas checks in No. 22 by Trackwrestling, in the latest rankings available on Dec. 24.
Pledge for Pins (Current count: 21)
Pledges for pins is designed to help support the Fresno State Wrestling Program. Proceeds will benefit the Fresno State Wrestling Fund for Excellence along with a portion contributing to the Valley Regional Training Center -- a nonprofit organization that supports Fresno State Wrestling.
It works like this, for example, if you pledge $5 per pin and the team accumulates 40 pins during the season, your pledge will be $200. Throughout the season, pins and pledges will be recorded and a letter will be mailed with your pledge amount and payment information.
Levels of Pledges
Cooper - $1-10
Bronze - $11-20
Silver - $21-49
Gold - $50 & Up
Up next
The Bulldogs return to dual meet action a week from today, Jan. 3, hosting Cal Baptist (1-1) at the Save Mart Center at 7 p.m. It will be Social Media Madness Night as if you follow or like Fresno State Athletics on Social Media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) you will get free admission to the dual.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter: @Fresno StateWRES
Instagram:Â fresnostatewrestling
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
2018 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
Dec. 29-30, 2018 • 7:30 A.M. PT (Saturday) & 10:00 A.M. PT (Sunday) • Sears Centre Arena • Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Video: FloWrestling ($) & BTN Plus/BTN2Go ($)
Brackets & Results:Â Trackwrestling
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateWRES
Midlands Championships Event Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 29
7:30 AM PT – First Session (10 Mats)
5:00 PM PT – Second Session (10 Mats)Â
Sunday, Dec. 30
10:00 AM PT– Third Session (4 Mats) – Semis, consolation, 7th place match
5:00 PM PT – Final Session (3 Mats) – 1st, 3rd, 5th place matches
- Opening ceremonies at 4:30 p.m. PT, Awards ceremony to conclude at 7:15 p.m. PT
- Midlands Hall of Fame Inductions will be prior to the final session
125:Â Robert Garcia IV, RFr. (3-5 overall)
133:Â Gary Joint, RFr. (4-6)
141:Â Chris Deloza, So. (6-4)
149: No. -/-/22Â Khristian Olivas, RJr. (8-5)
157:Â Isaiah Hokit, RJr. (6-6)
165:Â Jacob Wright, RFr. (10-5)
174: Dominic Kincaid, RJr. (7-3)
184:Â Jackson Hemauer, RFr. (10-3)
197: Josh Hokit, Jr. (5-1)
HWT: No. -/-/20Â AJ Nevills, (9-2)
- Rankings by FloWrestling, Intermat & Trackwrestling
35 Teams Competing at the Midlands Championships - Rankings by NWCAÂ Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll (as of Dec. 18, 2018)
Division I Teams: Air Force, No. 15 Arizona State, Army, Bloomsburg, Brown, Bucknell, Buffalo, Cal Poly, Campbell, Central Michigan, Fresno State, Harvard, No. 17 Illinois, Indiana, No. 4 Iowa, Maryland, No. 5 Michigan, No. 9 Minnesota, No. 12 North Carolina, Northern Illinois, No. 16 Northern Iowa, Northwestern, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Penn, Princeton, South Dakota State, No. 10 Wisconsin
Non-Division I Teams: Chicago, Cumberlands (Ky.), Elmhurst, Franklin & Marshall, Johnson & Wales, Mount Union & Wheaton
- Eight of the top 17 teams in the nation will be at the Midlands Championships.
- Eight Big Ten programs will be in attendance in Illinois with five of them ranked led by No. 4 Iowa.
- The Bulldogs will be one of four Big 12 teams at the Midlands joining Air Force, No. 16 Northern Iowa and South Dakota State.
- Iowa has won the last five Midlands Championships (2013-17) and nine of the last 11 dating back to 2007 adding titles in 2007, '08, '09 & '11.
Fresno State Wrestling's History at the Midlands Championships
The Bulldogs have had three seasons where they placed wrestlers at the Midlands with a pair of third place finishes by Sylvester Carver and Fred Little in 1982 and 1986, respectively. In addition, Billy Blunt and Gerry Abas placed fifth and sixth, respectively in 2000.
Bulldog         Year  Wt. PlaceÂ
Gerry Abas      2000 157  6th
Billy Blunt       2000 285  5th
Fred Little       1986 177 3rd
Sylvester Carver  1982 167 3rd
Colon & Steiner competed at The Midlands
In addition to those former Bulldogs, two Bulldogs coaches placed at the Midlands during their collegiate careers. Second-year volunteer assistant coach and 2018 World Championship bronze medalist Joe Colon won the 133-pound weight class at the 2013 Midlands Championships while competing at Northern Iowa and took seventh in 2011.Â
Bulldog head coach Troy Steiner placed third at 142 pounds in 1990, first at 142 pounds in 1991, and second at 142 pounds in 1992.
Select Bulldogs compete at Reno Tournament of Champions
Eight Bulldogs overall, three attached and five unattached, competed at the 2018 Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 20 at the Reno Events Center with redshirt freshman Jacob Wright, competing unattached, was the 'Dogs highest place finisher placing third at 157 pounds.
Additionally, redshirt junior 174-pounder Dominic Kincaid finished fifth while junior 197-pounder Josh Hokit took sixth.
Hokit returns to the mat after finishing football season
For a second straight season, Hokit has made the quick transition from the gridiron to the wrestling mat as his six-match appearance in Reno was only five days removed from helping the Fresno State football team defeat Arizona State, 31-20 in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 15
The Clovis native bounced back from an opening round loss in Reno to reel off five straight wins, including a thrilling 11-9 overtime win that pushed him to the fifth place match where he was unfortunately able to wrestle due to a maximum number of matches on the day.
Hokit, who went 9-8 last season at 197 pounds and finished fifth at the Big 12 Championships, came up only one place short of qualifying for the NCAA Championships a year ago and the Mountain West champion in football looks to add being an NCAA Championship qualifier to his resume this March.
Two 'Dogs in the national rankings
Nevills has moved up to No. 20 while Olivas checks in No. 22 by Trackwrestling, in the latest rankings available on Dec. 24.
Pledge for Pins (Current count: 21)
Pledges for pins is designed to help support the Fresno State Wrestling Program. Proceeds will benefit the Fresno State Wrestling Fund for Excellence along with a portion contributing to the Valley Regional Training Center -- a nonprofit organization that supports Fresno State Wrestling.
It works like this, for example, if you pledge $5 per pin and the team accumulates 40 pins during the season, your pledge will be $200. Throughout the season, pins and pledges will be recorded and a letter will be mailed with your pledge amount and payment information.
Levels of Pledges
Cooper - $1-10
Bronze - $11-20
Silver - $21-49
Gold - $50 & Up
Up next
The Bulldogs return to dual meet action a week from today, Jan. 3, hosting Cal Baptist (1-1) at the Save Mart Center at 7 p.m. It will be Social Media Madness Night as if you follow or like Fresno State Athletics on Social Media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) you will get free admission to the dual.
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter: @Fresno StateWRES
Instagram:Â fresnostatewrestling
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Players Mentioned
141
/ Wrestling
125
/ Wrestling
184
/ Wrestling
157
/ Wrestling
197
/ Wrestling
133
/ Wrestling
174
/ Wrestling
285
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling
157
/ WrestlingFB highlight at Hawai'i [9/20/25]
Monday, September 22
Instant Highlight: Fresno State 23, Hawaii 21
Sunday, September 21
Post-Game Press Conference [9/20]
Sunday, September 21
FB Media Availability [9/16]: QB EJ Warner
Tuesday, September 16