Fernando Flanagan (Men's Wrestling)
A member of the first-ever Menlo College Men's Wrestling team and the first-ever wrestler to sign to Menlo College, Fernando Flanagan came to Menlo from nearby San Jose. He had an illustrious career wrestling in the 141-pound weight class. In his two seasons in a Menlo singlet, Flanagan wrestled 74 times, amassing nearly 50 victories. Â
Fernando capped his brilliant career with a second-place finish at regionals and an All-American showing at the 2004 NAIA Nationals, where he placed third in the 141 bracket. That season, Fernando set the single season record for takedowns (128), reversals (20), and victories by major decision (8), and he graduated as the all-time leader in takedowns (235) and victories by major decision (15). Following his time at Menlo, Fernando went on to coach wrestling at Pioneer High School in San Jose. Since the founding of the Wrestling program in 2001, Menlo has taken leaps and bounds in the world of NAIA Wrestling, and it all started thanks to the brilliant achievements of founding members like Fernando!   Â
Fernando used the word "grateful" to describe his feelings when he was notified of his nomination to the Menlo College Hall of Fame. He exclaimed, "There were so many amazing people surrounding me, and without them, this achievement wouldn't have been possible. My teammates and training partners who pushed me day in and day out, our coaches who set the standards and expectations for all of us, and especially my mother and father, who set aside their own lives to follow the team around the country. I couldn't have reached my goals without them."
"Fernando being inducted into the Menlo Hall of Fame means a great deal to me, as he was the first-ever recruit to sign with me at Menlo College," noted Menlo VP for Athletics Keith Spataro. He went on to say, "The way the program has grown in its young history has been incredible, and none of that would have been possible without the contributions made early on by student-athletes like Fernando."
