Cal State Fullerton posted the best finish in its 18-year membership
in the Pac-10 for wrestling Monday night by placing third at the 2004
Championships at Arizona State with 125-pounder Jesse Miramontes being
selected the Most Outstanding Wrestler for winning his bracket with three
successive pins.
Fullerton's best previous finish was fourth in 1990 and 1991 and the Titans
haven't been better than sixth place since then. Miramontes, a junior
from Golden West JC and El Centro, California, is only the fourth Titan
Pac-10 individual champion and he is the first to be named Most Outstanding
at the Div. I level (dates to 1976). He also was selected Pac-10 Newcomer
of the Year and got the award for the most pins in the least amount of
elapsed time.
In Monday night's finals, No. 6-seeded Miramontes
pinned No. 1 seeded Tommy Schurkamp of UC Davis in 19 seconds. His three
pins in the tournament came in a total of just 3:27.
Three of six Cal State Fullerton wrestlers competing in the consolation
bracket Monday won both of their matches to finish in third place and
earn automatic berths into the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis along with
Miramontes.
Juan Mora (141), Leonel Sanchez (174) and Landon Seefeldt (197) all went
2-0 to help the Titans come up only five points shy of champion Boise
State. The Broncos won the title with 94.5 points. Cal Poly was second
with 91 followed by Fullerton with 89.5. Fourth was Cal State Bakersfield
at 87 followee by ASU and Stanford at 85, Oregon State at 69.5, UC Davis
at 60, Oregon at 52.5 and Portland State at 11.5.
No. 3-seeded Mora pinned Roberto Vargas of Cal State Bakersfield
in 6:56 and then decisioned Steve Esparza of Cal Poly, 3-1.
No. 4-seeded Sanchez pinned Chet McBee or Oregon in
2:21 and then pinned No. 2-seeded Ron Renzi of ASU in 1:55.
No. 5-seeded Seefeldt scored a 13-2 major decision over Michael Clarkston
of UC Davis and then beat No. 4-seeded Ralph Garcia of Cal Poly, 3-2,
in overtime.
The other three Titans competing Monday lost their
first bouts and did not receive any of the 11 wild card NCAA berths. Unseeded
Brett Gordon lost to No. 6-seeded Anthony Baza of CSU Bakersfield, 4-3,
at 149 pounds but came back to take fifth place by decisioning Luis Vendrell
of Stanford, 8-7. No. 6-seeded Dustin Vance lost 4-3 at 157 to No. 5-seeded
Jeremiah Jarvis of UC Davis and unseeded Ian Murphy lost at 184 to No.
1-seeded Dan Pitsch of Oregon State, 10-4.
No Titan lost to a lower seeded opponent in the entire
tournament.
