April 20, 2006

Fresno, Calif. - Taking part in some of the premier off-season wrestling tournaments in the nation, Fresno State wrestlers placed highly in both the FILA Junior National Championships as well as the U.S. Senior National Championships. Both tournaments are qualifiers for the national trials, which cover entry onto both the junior and senior national teams.

Eight wrestlers currently affiliated with the Fresno State program participated in the two championships, which were both held this past weekend in Las Vegas. Among the wrestlers participating in the FILA Junior National Championships, two wrestlers stood out. True freshman and NCAA qualifier Cory Borges placed eighth in the 55kg (121 pound) weight class, earning All-American honors and heavyweight Wade Sauer placed fifth in the 120 kg (264 pound) weight class, also earning All-American honors as well as a trip to the FILA Junior National World Team Trials. That competition will take place during June in Colorado Springs, Colorado at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

"This is a great chance for our wrestlers to gain a lot of experience," said head coach Shawn Charles. "At these tournaments, individual wrestlers will see a lot of styles, and get the chance to meet the top competition. From a team standpoint, our guys who still want to compete even in the off-season can use this as an opportunity to build strength and stay in top condition, even while facing some of the best wrestlers in the nation."

In the U.S. Senior National Championships, assistant coach Travis Pascoe had the top finish for the Bulldogs. Wrestling at 84 kg (185 pounds), the former All-American defeated some of the top competition in the nation to finish in fourth place, earning a spot in the 2006 United States World Team Trials. One of the key tournaments for Olympic Team representation, that competition will be held in Sioux City, Iowa, beginning on May 26.

"It was a great result for Travis, and obviously something that he has been working towards," said Charles. "This certainly reinforces to anyone involved with the program that they're working with one of the top wrestlers in the country. Any recruit that comes here knows that they will learn good techniques and skills from a wrestling partner of that caliber."