Fresno State Athletics
Saturday, March 23
Pittsburgh, PA
8 A.M. PT
Fresno State
vs
NCAA Championships (Session V)
Photo by: John Sachs
Hokit places fifth at 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships
3/23/2019 1:00:00 PM | Wrestling
Session V (Saturday Morning) HighlightsJosh Hokit InterviewPhoto Gallery (John Sachs)2019 NCAA Wrestling Championship Brackets (PDF)
Fresno State Wrestling junior Josh Hokit finished fifth at 197 pounds at the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
PITTSBURGH - In dramatic fashion, Fresno State Wrestling 197-pounder Josh Hokit defeated sixth-seeded Willie Miklus of Iowa State, 7-2 in overtime to clinch fifth place at the 2019 NCAA Championships on Saturday morning at PPG Paints Arena.
"It is a dream come true to be the first All-American since they brought back the program," said Hokit after his victory over the Cyclone. "It is what I have worked my whole life for."
Squaring off against Miklus for the third time this season, and after splitting the first two matchups, regulation saw a 1-1 as each wrestler was only able to record an escape in the first seven minutes of action.
With Miklus starting the first tiebreaker on bottom, he escaped for a 2-1 lead and looked to seal the win by keeping Hokit down for his 30 seconds. Hokit had other plans as he was able to wrangle himself free and quickly turned for a reversal followed a four-point near fall for a dramatic 7-2 win.
The morning got started with Hokit taking on fourth-seeded Patrick Brucki of Princeton in the consolation semifinals. Despite giving up the opening takedown, Hokit was able to tie it up at 2-2 with an escape and a locking hands call after one period and kept it within striking distance only giving up an escape in the second period.
That would be as close as it would get as it was all Brucki from there as the Tiger sophomore tacked on two more takedowns and added a point for riding time to hand Hokit a 8-3 loss and send him down to his fifth place matchup with Miklus.
Hokit finishes the season with a 27-8 overall record and is now 36-16 in his two years as a Bulldog. Fresno State tied with Purdue and Utah Valley for 29th place with 11.5 points and is one of 31 Division I programs to have an All-American this season.
197 lbs. - No. 16 seed Josh Hokit, Jr. (27-8 overall record)
First Round: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 17 seed Stephen Loiseau (Drexel), 5-1
Second Round: No. 1 seed Bo Nickal (Penn State) won by fall over Hokit (FS), 2:28
Consolation: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 31 seed Brett Perry (Buffalo), 6-3
Consolation: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 24 seed Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh), 4-3
Consolation: Hokit (FS) maj. dec. No. 11 seed Christian Brunner (Purdue), 13-4
Consolation: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 5 seed Jacob Warner (Iowa), 5-4
Consolation: No. 4 seed Patrick Brucki (Princeton) dec. Hokit (FS), 8-3
Fifth Place: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 6 seed Willie Miklus (Iowa State), 7-2 TB1
Fresno State Wrestling All-American Wrestlers
2019: Josh Hokit, 197 lbs., 5th Place
2003: Marcio Botelho, 197 lbs., 8th Place
2002: Stephen Abas, 125 lbs., 1st Place
2001: Stephen Abas, 125 lbs., 1st Place
2001: Billy Blunt, 285 lbs., 5th Place
1999: Stephen Abas, 125 lbs., 1st Place
1999: Stan Greene, 133 lbs., 5th Place
1998: Stephen Abas, 118 lbs., 4th Place
1998: Stan Greene, 126 lbs., 4th Place
1997: Yero Washington, 134 lbs., 3rd Place
1997: Brendon Buckley, 142 lbs., 7th Place
1996: Yero Washington, 134 lbs., 6th Place
1996: Alfonzo Tucker, 158 lbs., 4th Place
1995: DeWayne Zinkin, 134 lbs., 5th Place
1995: Gerry Abas, 142 lbs., 2nd Place
1994: Gerry Abas, 142 lbs., 2nd Place
1994: Terry Watts, 150 lbs., 5th Place
1993: Harold Zinkin, 134 lbs., 5th Place
1993: Gerry Abas, 142 lbs., 2nd Place
1993: Serge Mezheritsky, 150 lbs., 6th Place
1992: Gerry Abas, 142 lbs., 6th Place
1992: Lorenzo Neal, 285 lbs., 7th Place
1989: Dan Niebuhr, 167 lbs., 7th Place
1989: Wade Zimmerman, 158 lbs., 6th Place
1987: Fred Little, 177 lbs., 5th Place
1986: Fred Little, 167 lbs., 8th Place
1984: Sylvester Carver, 167 lbs., 3rd Place
1983: Sylvester Carver, 167 lbs., 5th Place
1968: Mike Gallego, 167 lbs., 1st Place
1967: Mike Gallego, 167 lbs., 2nd Place
1966: Steve Johansen, 115 lbs., 2nd Place
1966: Dick Birbeck, 285 lbs., 3rd Place
1966: Mike Gallego, 167 lbs., 6th Place
1965: Steve Johansen, 115 lbs., 1st Place
1964: Roy Stuckey, 134 lbs., 3rd Place
"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
"It is a dream come true to be the first All-American since they brought back the program," said Hokit after his victory over the Cyclone. "It is what I have worked my whole life for."
Squaring off against Miklus for the third time this season, and after splitting the first two matchups, regulation saw a 1-1 as each wrestler was only able to record an escape in the first seven minutes of action.
With Miklus starting the first tiebreaker on bottom, he escaped for a 2-1 lead and looked to seal the win by keeping Hokit down for his 30 seconds. Hokit had other plans as he was able to wrangle himself free and quickly turned for a reversal followed a four-point near fall for a dramatic 7-2 win.
🚨 WHAT. A. WIN. 🚨 #GoDogs #NCAAWrestling pic.twitter.com/546HOo3tDI
— FresnoStateWrestling (@FresnoStateWRES) March 23, 2019
The morning got started with Hokit taking on fourth-seeded Patrick Brucki of Princeton in the consolation semifinals. Despite giving up the opening takedown, Hokit was able to tie it up at 2-2 with an escape and a locking hands call after one period and kept it within striking distance only giving up an escape in the second period.
That would be as close as it would get as it was all Brucki from there as the Tiger sophomore tacked on two more takedowns and added a point for riding time to hand Hokit a 8-3 loss and send him down to his fifth place matchup with Miklus.
Hokit finishes the season with a 27-8 overall record and is now 36-16 in his two years as a Bulldog. Fresno State tied with Purdue and Utah Valley for 29th place with 11.5 points and is one of 31 Division I programs to have an All-American this season.
197 lbs. - No. 16 seed Josh Hokit, Jr. (27-8 overall record)
First Round: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 17 seed Stephen Loiseau (Drexel), 5-1
Second Round: No. 1 seed Bo Nickal (Penn State) won by fall over Hokit (FS), 2:28
Consolation: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 31 seed Brett Perry (Buffalo), 6-3
Consolation: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 24 seed Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh), 4-3
Consolation: Hokit (FS) maj. dec. No. 11 seed Christian Brunner (Purdue), 13-4
Consolation: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 5 seed Jacob Warner (Iowa), 5-4
Consolation: No. 4 seed Patrick Brucki (Princeton) dec. Hokit (FS), 8-3
Fifth Place: Hokit (FS) dec. No. 6 seed Willie Miklus (Iowa State), 7-2 TB1
Fresno State Wrestling All-American Wrestlers
2019: Josh Hokit, 197 lbs., 5th Place
2003: Marcio Botelho, 197 lbs., 8th Place
2002: Stephen Abas, 125 lbs., 1st Place
2001: Stephen Abas, 125 lbs., 1st Place
2001: Billy Blunt, 285 lbs., 5th Place
1999: Stephen Abas, 125 lbs., 1st Place
1999: Stan Greene, 133 lbs., 5th Place
1998: Stephen Abas, 118 lbs., 4th Place
1998: Stan Greene, 126 lbs., 4th Place
1997: Yero Washington, 134 lbs., 3rd Place
1997: Brendon Buckley, 142 lbs., 7th Place
1996: Yero Washington, 134 lbs., 6th Place
1996: Alfonzo Tucker, 158 lbs., 4th Place
1995: DeWayne Zinkin, 134 lbs., 5th Place
1995: Gerry Abas, 142 lbs., 2nd Place
1994: Gerry Abas, 142 lbs., 2nd Place
1994: Terry Watts, 150 lbs., 5th Place
1993: Harold Zinkin, 134 lbs., 5th Place
1993: Gerry Abas, 142 lbs., 2nd Place
1993: Serge Mezheritsky, 150 lbs., 6th Place
1992: Gerry Abas, 142 lbs., 6th Place
1992: Lorenzo Neal, 285 lbs., 7th Place
1989: Dan Niebuhr, 167 lbs., 7th Place
1989: Wade Zimmerman, 158 lbs., 6th Place
1987: Fred Little, 177 lbs., 5th Place
1986: Fred Little, 167 lbs., 8th Place
1984: Sylvester Carver, 167 lbs., 3rd Place
1983: Sylvester Carver, 167 lbs., 5th Place
1968: Mike Gallego, 167 lbs., 1st Place
1967: Mike Gallego, 167 lbs., 2nd Place
1966: Steve Johansen, 115 lbs., 2nd Place
1966: Dick Birbeck, 285 lbs., 3rd Place
1966: Mike Gallego, 167 lbs., 6th Place
1965: Steve Johansen, 115 lbs., 1st Place
1964: Roy Stuckey, 134 lbs., 3rd Place
"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
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