ATHERTON, CA – Menlo Men's Wrestling opened the 2025-26 season with a statement at their annual Menlo Open, hosted inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion. The Oaks crowned three individual champions and had several standout placements across weight classes.  

Taam, Tapia, and Morales Dominate
Tyger Taam, a 141lb freshman from Hawaii, kicked off his collegiate career in spectacular fashion. The freshman recorded three consecutive pins en route to the finals, then secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Lain Yapoujian to take the 141lb title.

Another Hawaii native, senior Kanaipono Tapia returned from redshirt and looked sharp up a weight class at 165lbs. The senior opened up the tournament with a fall in his first bout of the season and followed with two major decision victories to reach the finals. In the championship bout, Tapia delivered a last-second takedown to defeat #9 ranked NCAA DII wrestler Kyle Botelho of San Francisco State.

Fellow senior Isaiah Morales also returned from redshirt in a big way. Morales was able to pin every opponent he faced, including a dominant first period fall over Josiah Hurd of San Francisco State in the final. Even better, Morales only allowed one takedown the entire tournament.
 
Strong Finshes Across the Brackets
The Oaks also showcased their depth across multiple weight classes with podium finishes. Jeramiah Steele battled his way to a solid 4^th place finish to set the tone for the rest of the season. At 197lbs, Diego Morales scrapped his way through the backside of the bracket to take 3^rd while teammate JC Escutia grabbed a 4^th place finish. Heavyweight Cole Steketee is the final Oaks placer of the day showed serious adversity after a semifinal loss. The junior bounced back to grind out a 3^rd place finish, proving to be a threat as the season continues.
 
Up Next…
After a long day inside of Haynes-Prim, the Oaks will have a week to prepare for their first dual of the season for a neutral site matchup against Western Colorado University in San Francisco, CA inside of the Don Nasser Family Plaza at 11:00AM. Make sure to use menloathletics.com for livestream, livestats, and ticket links!