ATHERTON, CA – The Menlo NCWA Men's Wrestling program delivered a strong showing at the NCWA West Coast conference Championships, placing third as a team with several Oaks reaching the podium and finishing among the top eight in their respective weight classes.
 
RESULTS

Podium Finishers
The top eight placers in the tournament are qualified for the NCWA National Championships, with Daniel Arellano starting the run for the Oaks at 125lbs. Arellano opened his day with a decision before dominating his next bout with a 10-0 major to get into the finals. In a tightly contested bout, Arellano narrowly fell and finished the tournament as the conference runner-up. At 133lbs, Giancarlo Plaza advanced to the finals with two dominant victories. Plaza picked up a pin in his first bout to get into the semifinals and followed with a 15-0 technical fall to place himself in the finals. Plaza ultimately fell in the finals and picked up 2^nd, booking his ticket to the national tournament.
 
At 149, David Arroyo fought back through the consolation bracket to secure a third-place finish. Arroyo opened the tournament with a 17-2 technical fall and followed with a 10-0 major decision over UNLV's Carmelo Castillo. After dropping the semifinal bout, Arroyo bounced back to claim third with another dominant performance and finished with another 17-2 technical fall. At 184lbs, Matthew Porras Diamond delivered another impressive performance for the Oaks and reached the finals. Diamond would go on to earn two pins over Colorado State and Utah Tech to get into the championship match. Diamond would fall in a close bout, finishing as the conference runner-up.
 
At 197lbs, Orion Jenkins Schell battled through the consolation bracket to earn a bronze finish. After an early setback in his bracket, Schell responded back with three straight bonus point victories, including two pins before securing the podium with a 9-7 decision. Closing out the podium finishers, Jakob Connors reached the finals at 285lbs. Connors opened with an 8-4 decision over UNLV's Ronald Williams before pinning Utah Tech in the semis. Connors would end up finishing second in the conference.
 
At 165lbs, Ian Rodriguez battled through the consolation bracket to earn a 7^th place finish, punching his ticket to nationals. Daniel Hernandez Marcos is the final Oak to head to the national tournament after earning a 6^th place finish at 174. Hernandez opened his tournament with an 8-2 decision and later added a 17-7 major and a 16-0 tech fall during his run through the consolation bracket. The Oaks' performance at the West Coast Conference showcased the program's depth and development within the NCWA ranks, with promise of podium finishes at the national stage.
 
Up Next
The Oaks will now prepare for their final competition of the season and have their sights set for the NCWA National Championships in Shreveport, LA starting on March 25^th.
 
Make sure to follow the Oaks' final showdown using menloathletics.com for livestream, livestats, bracket, and ticket links!