ATHERTON, CA – After winning the first national championship in program history, the Menlo College Men's Wrestling program is back with even more firepower. Head Coach Joey Martinez has built a roster loaded with returning All-Americans and a wave of elite new talent, making the Oaks a serious threat as the season opens.

Returning Firepower
At the forefront of the lineup is Hawaii native Kanaipono Tapia, the 2024 NAIA All-American who placed third at the national tournament is back after taking a redshirt year. Tapia is expected to return at 157lbs and is locked in with his eyes set on a national title coming in March. Also returning to the lineup is three-time NAIA National Qualifier Isaiah Morales, who is also coming off a redshirt. Morales has been a vital piece of the Oaks lineup and is looking to make his debut at a new weight for him at 174lbs.

The Oaks also return two sophomores who had breakout freshmen campaigns. Noah Elliott, the 2025 NCWA National Champion is coming off a dominant 26-3 record and looks to add more hardware to his résumé. Diego Morales, younger brother of Isaiah, posted a 22-5 record last season and finished as the national runner up at the NCWA Championships. He will return at 197lbs determined to make another deep postseason run.
 
Hungry New Faces
The incoming class is one of the most decorated the program has ever seen, bringing in 12 individual state championships across four different states. Leading the pack is Quentin Harding, a four-time Washington State Champion from Orting High School, who's expected to compete at 165lbs. Joining him is another four-time state champ, Tyger Taam from Hawaii, who will make his debut at 141lbs.

Gus Amerson, a two-time Oregon State Champion from Newberg Senior High, adds more depth to the lineup at 157lbs. At 149lbs, the Oaks will also welcome Charles Laws-Albano, who is coming fresh off an Arizona state title. Rounding out the class is another Washington native in Noah Koyama, a Washington State Champ who looks to start the lineup off by bringing speed and fire to the 125 pounds weight class.
 
Schedule Highlights
The Oaks are gearing up for yet another loaded schedule this season, starting by hosting the Menlo Open on Saturday, November 1. From there, they hit the road for the ERAU Mile High Open in Prescott, AZ on November 15, followed by the Roadrunner Open on November 23.

In January, the Oaks will head to Colorado for their first major trip of the season, competing in the Western Colorado Open on January 11 in Gunnison. After that, they will then open conference dual action against Cal Poly Humboldt on Saturday, January 17, before setting their sights on the MPSF Conference Championships, scheduled for February 1 in Costa Mesa, CA. Senior Night will be up against Simpson on February 6 at home, along with closing out the regular season with a conference matchup against the Gators of San Francisco State on February 12.

Menlo will once again have to compete under the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) for postseason action. The NCWA West Coast Championships will be held at home inside of Haynes-Prim Pavilion on March 14, with the NCWA National Championships happening in Shreveport, Louisiana from March 25-28 to close out the 2025-26 season. With a blend of seasoned veterans and a wave of hungry newcomers, the men's wrestling program is once again poised to make more headlines this year.