Fresno State Athletics
Friday, November 15
Fresno, CA
7:00 PM PT
Fresno State
vs
Rutgers
Photo by: Keith Kountz/Fresno St/NCAA Phot
Bulldog Wrestling hosts Rutgers on Friday for home opener
11/13/2019 3:00:00 PM | Wrestling
FRESNO, Calif. - After opening the season in San Diego at the Battle on the Midway, Fresno State Wrestling returns home to host Rutgers on Friday for its home opener at the Save Mart Center.
Fresno State vs. Rutgers
Nov. 15, 2019 • 7:00 P.M. PT • Save Mart Center • Fresno, Calif.
Video:Â FloWrestling
Live Scoring:Â Trackwrestling
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateWRES
Series History: Rutgers leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 3, 2018 – L, 30-6 vs. No. 13 Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.
Bulldog Headlines
9,750 - The 'Dogs will look to break a program-record attendance on Friday surpassing the previous mark against Iowa State on Jan. 6, 2004 against Iowa State
6 - Number of 'Dogs who made their Bulldog debuts on Nov. 1 at the AFC Duals/Battle on the Midway
2 - This will be the second all-time meeting between Fresno State and Rutgers
Scouting Rutgers
After finishing ninth at the 2019 NCAA Championships with a pair of NCAA individual champions, Rutgers is off to a 3-0 dual start to the 2019-20 season with wins over LIU Post (43-3), Pitt-Johnstown (22-9) and Centenary (38-6) on Nov. 3 at the Rutgers Quad Meet.
The Scarlet Knights have as many as potentially eight ranked wrestlers in the lineup with freshman Sammy Alvarez being the highest among those at No. 11 by Trackwrestling at 133 lbs. 2019 NCAA Tournament qualifier Joseph Grello returns at 174 lbs. and checks in 15th by Trackwrestling and 18th by InterMat.Â
Fifth-year senior Jordan Pagano, a 2017 NCAA Tournament qualifier at 174 lbs., is ranked No. 15 at 197 lbs. while redshirt senior heavyweight Christian Colucci is No. 19 by InterMat.
Projected Starting Lineups
Fresno State vs. (RV) Rutgers Probable Lineup
125:Â Robert Garcia IV, RSo. (0-1 overall, 0-1 dual) vs. Malcom Robinson, RFr. (2-1, 2-1) OR No. -/27 Nicolas Aguilar, RFr. (4-1, 0-0)
133:Â No. -/27 Gary Joint, RSo. (1-2, 1-2) vs. No. 20/11 Sammy Alvarez, Fr. (4-2, 1-1) OR Zach Firestone, RJr. (3-1, 1-0)
141: DJ Lloren, RJr. (0-2, 0-2) vs. No. -/22 JoJo Aragona, Fr. (5-1, 3-0)
149: Greg Gaxiola, RJr. (2-1, 2-1) OR No. -/20 Khristian Olivas, RSr. (0-0, 0-0) vs. No. -/30 Gerald Angelo, RFr. (3-1, 1-0)
157: No. -/25 Jacob Wright, RSo. (3-0, 3-0) vs. Michael Van Brill, RJr. (4-2, 3-0)
165: Adam Kemp, RFr. (0-3, 0-3) vs. Brett Donner, RJr. (5-1, 1-1) OR Jackson Turley, Fr. (4-0, 1-0)
174: No. 15/16 Jackson Hemauer, RSo. (2-1, 2-1) vs. No. 18/15 Joseph Grello, RJr. (2-0, 2-0)
184: Dominic Kincaid, RSr. (0-0, 0-0) vs. No. -/32 Billy Janzer, RFr. (4-2, 3-0)
197: Ryan Reyes, Fr. (1-2, 1-2) vs. Matthew Correnti, RJr. (4-0, 0-0) OR No. 15/- Jordan Pagano, RSr. (4-1, 2-0)
HWT: Randy Gonzalez, So. (0-3, 0-3) vs. No. 19/27 Christian Colucci, RSr. (3-0, 2-0)
- Rankings by InterMat/Trackwrestling
Honorary Coach
Prior to Friday's dual, Fresno State Wrestling head coach Troy Steiner and Fresno State President Joseph Castro will join honorary coach DeWayne Zinkin on the mat.
A key proponent to bringing back Fresno State Wrestling in 2017, DeWayne has three sons who wrestled for Fresno State, Harold, DeWayne Jr. and Nick. Harold was a 1993 NCAA All-American at 134 lbs., DeWayne Jr. was a 1995 All-American at 134 lbs. and Nick accumulated 83 wins in his four-year career from 1993-97.
Looking to break the attendance record
The 'Dogs will look to pack the Save Mart Center on Friday and break the previous program-record attendance record of 9,750 against Iowa State on Jan. 6, 2004 against Iowa State.
9,750 - Jan. 6, 2004 vs. Iowa State
6,863 - Jan. 9, 2005 vs. Iowa
6,840 - Nov. 17, 2017 vs. Illinois
Fresno State vs. Big Ten opponents
The 'Dogs will wrestle their sixth dual against a Big Ten opponent since returning to the mat in 2017-18 after facing Illinois and Minnesota two seasons ago and Rutgers and the Golden Gophers last season.
Fresno State wrestled Wisconsin to start the season in San Diego winning three matches while falling 31-8 to the Badgers.
This will be the Bulldogs' second-ever dual against Rutgers and second of three against a Big Ten opponent in 2019-20 joining Wisconsin (Nov. 1) and Illinois (Feb. 21).
'Dogs in the national rankings
As many as four Bulldogs who will wrestle on Friday are ranked in a pair of national polls with redshirt sophomore 133-pounder Gary Joint ranked No. 27 by Trackwrestling, redshirt senior 149-pounder Khristian Olivas at No. 20 by Trackwrestling, redshirt sophomore Jacob Wright at No. 25 by Trackwrestling and redshirt sophomore Jackson Hemauer checks in No. 15 by InterMat and No. 16 by Trackwrestling.
'Dogs at AFC Duals/Battle on the Midway
The Bulldogs open up the 2019-20 season on Nov.1 at the AFC Duals and the Battle on the Midway in San Diego falling 31-8 to No. 4 Wisconsin, 25-9 loss to Navy and fell 29-9 decision to No. 23 Army.
Wright went a perfect 3-0 on the day with three decisions while Hemauer and redshirt junior 149-pounder Greg Gaxiola earned two wins apiece.
Wright earns Big 12 Co-Wrestler of the Week
For the second time in program history, Fresno State Wrestling had a Big 12 Wrestler of the Week after Wright was named the Big 12 Co-Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 5 after going 3-0 at the AFC Duals/Battle on the Midway.
Bill Farrell Memorial International Open
Valley Regional Training Center athletes AJ Nevills & Joey Lavallee will compete at the Bill Farrell Memorial International Open on Friday & Saturday in New York City with the top spot at each weight earning a bid to the 2020 Olympic Trials in State College, Pa. on April 4-5.
Up next
The month of November continues on Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Roadrunner Open hosted by CSU Bakersfield.
Pledge for Pins
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
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter: @Fresno StateWRES
Instagram:Â fresnostatewrestling
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Fresno State vs. Rutgers
Nov. 15, 2019 • 7:00 P.M. PT • Save Mart Center • Fresno, Calif.
Video:Â FloWrestling
Live Scoring:Â Trackwrestling
Twitter:Â @FresnoStateWRES
Series History: Rutgers leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Nov. 3, 2018 – L, 30-6 vs. No. 13 Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J.
Bulldog Headlines
- Fresno State Wrestling welcomes Rutgers to the Save Mart Center for its home opener.
- The Bulldogs are coming off going 0-3 on Nov. 1 in San Diego at the AFC Duals/Battle on the Midway falling to No. 4 Wisconsin, Navy and No. 23 Army.
- Fresno State is 0-2 in its recent home openers falling to Illinois in 2017 & NDSU in 2018.Â
- Redshirt sophomore 157-pounder Jacob Wright was named the Big 12 Co-Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 5.
9,750 - The 'Dogs will look to break a program-record attendance on Friday surpassing the previous mark against Iowa State on Jan. 6, 2004 against Iowa State
6 - Number of 'Dogs who made their Bulldog debuts on Nov. 1 at the AFC Duals/Battle on the Midway
2 - This will be the second all-time meeting between Fresno State and Rutgers
Scouting Rutgers
After finishing ninth at the 2019 NCAA Championships with a pair of NCAA individual champions, Rutgers is off to a 3-0 dual start to the 2019-20 season with wins over LIU Post (43-3), Pitt-Johnstown (22-9) and Centenary (38-6) on Nov. 3 at the Rutgers Quad Meet.
The Scarlet Knights have as many as potentially eight ranked wrestlers in the lineup with freshman Sammy Alvarez being the highest among those at No. 11 by Trackwrestling at 133 lbs. 2019 NCAA Tournament qualifier Joseph Grello returns at 174 lbs. and checks in 15th by Trackwrestling and 18th by InterMat.Â
Fifth-year senior Jordan Pagano, a 2017 NCAA Tournament qualifier at 174 lbs., is ranked No. 15 at 197 lbs. while redshirt senior heavyweight Christian Colucci is No. 19 by InterMat.
Projected Starting Lineups
Fresno State vs. (RV) Rutgers Probable Lineup
125:Â Robert Garcia IV, RSo. (0-1 overall, 0-1 dual) vs. Malcom Robinson, RFr. (2-1, 2-1) OR No. -/27 Nicolas Aguilar, RFr. (4-1, 0-0)
133:Â No. -/27 Gary Joint, RSo. (1-2, 1-2) vs. No. 20/11 Sammy Alvarez, Fr. (4-2, 1-1) OR Zach Firestone, RJr. (3-1, 1-0)
141: DJ Lloren, RJr. (0-2, 0-2) vs. No. -/22 JoJo Aragona, Fr. (5-1, 3-0)
149: Greg Gaxiola, RJr. (2-1, 2-1) OR No. -/20 Khristian Olivas, RSr. (0-0, 0-0) vs. No. -/30 Gerald Angelo, RFr. (3-1, 1-0)
157: No. -/25 Jacob Wright, RSo. (3-0, 3-0) vs. Michael Van Brill, RJr. (4-2, 3-0)
165: Adam Kemp, RFr. (0-3, 0-3) vs. Brett Donner, RJr. (5-1, 1-1) OR Jackson Turley, Fr. (4-0, 1-0)
174: No. 15/16 Jackson Hemauer, RSo. (2-1, 2-1) vs. No. 18/15 Joseph Grello, RJr. (2-0, 2-0)
184: Dominic Kincaid, RSr. (0-0, 0-0) vs. No. -/32 Billy Janzer, RFr. (4-2, 3-0)
197: Ryan Reyes, Fr. (1-2, 1-2) vs. Matthew Correnti, RJr. (4-0, 0-0) OR No. 15/- Jordan Pagano, RSr. (4-1, 2-0)
HWT: Randy Gonzalez, So. (0-3, 0-3) vs. No. 19/27 Christian Colucci, RSr. (3-0, 2-0)
- Rankings by InterMat/Trackwrestling
Honorary Coach
Prior to Friday's dual, Fresno State Wrestling head coach Troy Steiner and Fresno State President Joseph Castro will join honorary coach DeWayne Zinkin on the mat.
A key proponent to bringing back Fresno State Wrestling in 2017, DeWayne has three sons who wrestled for Fresno State, Harold, DeWayne Jr. and Nick. Harold was a 1993 NCAA All-American at 134 lbs., DeWayne Jr. was a 1995 All-American at 134 lbs. and Nick accumulated 83 wins in his four-year career from 1993-97.
Looking to break the attendance record
The 'Dogs will look to pack the Save Mart Center on Friday and break the previous program-record attendance record of 9,750 against Iowa State on Jan. 6, 2004 against Iowa State.
9,750 - Jan. 6, 2004 vs. Iowa State
6,863 - Jan. 9, 2005 vs. Iowa
6,840 - Nov. 17, 2017 vs. Illinois
Fresno State vs. Big Ten opponents
The 'Dogs will wrestle their sixth dual against a Big Ten opponent since returning to the mat in 2017-18 after facing Illinois and Minnesota two seasons ago and Rutgers and the Golden Gophers last season.
Fresno State wrestled Wisconsin to start the season in San Diego winning three matches while falling 31-8 to the Badgers.
This will be the Bulldogs' second-ever dual against Rutgers and second of three against a Big Ten opponent in 2019-20 joining Wisconsin (Nov. 1) and Illinois (Feb. 21).
'Dogs in the national rankings
As many as four Bulldogs who will wrestle on Friday are ranked in a pair of national polls with redshirt sophomore 133-pounder Gary Joint ranked No. 27 by Trackwrestling, redshirt senior 149-pounder Khristian Olivas at No. 20 by Trackwrestling, redshirt sophomore Jacob Wright at No. 25 by Trackwrestling and redshirt sophomore Jackson Hemauer checks in No. 15 by InterMat and No. 16 by Trackwrestling.
'Dogs at AFC Duals/Battle on the Midway
The Bulldogs open up the 2019-20 season on Nov.1 at the AFC Duals and the Battle on the Midway in San Diego falling 31-8 to No. 4 Wisconsin, 25-9 loss to Navy and fell 29-9 decision to No. 23 Army.
Wright went a perfect 3-0 on the day with three decisions while Hemauer and redshirt junior 149-pounder Greg Gaxiola earned two wins apiece.
Wright earns Big 12 Co-Wrestler of the Week
For the second time in program history, Fresno State Wrestling had a Big 12 Wrestler of the Week after Wright was named the Big 12 Co-Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 5 after going 3-0 at the AFC Duals/Battle on the Midway.
Bill Farrell Memorial International Open
Valley Regional Training Center athletes AJ Nevills & Joey Lavallee will compete at the Bill Farrell Memorial International Open on Friday & Saturday in New York City with the top spot at each weight earning a bid to the 2020 Olympic Trials in State College, Pa. on April 4-5.
Up next
The month of November continues on Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Roadrunner Open hosted by CSU Bakersfield.
Pledge for Pins
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
"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley" – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition and in life. To become a BDF member, please call 559-278-7160.
Follow us on:Â
Twitter: @Fresno StateWRES
Instagram:Â fresnostatewrestling
Facebook:Â FresnoStateAthletics
Players Mentioned
125
/ Wrestling
157/165
/ Wrestling
285
/ Wrestling
174/184
/ Wrestling
133
/ Wrestling
165
/ Wrestling
174
/ Wrestling
133/141
/ Wrestling
285
/ Wrestling
149
/ Wrestling
184/197
/ Wrestling
157
/ WrestlingFB Media Availibility [11/18]: Jadon Pearson, Ryan Wilson, Julian Polendo, Jordan Brown
Tuesday, November 18
FB Weekly Press Conference [11/17]
Monday, November 17
FB highlight vs Wyoming [11/15/25]
Sunday, November 16
Postgame Press Conference [11/16]
Sunday, November 16