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UC Davis Wrestling

Overview The UC Davis Wrestling program was an affiliate member of the then still PAC-10 Conference until 2010. [4] It is known for producing the university’s first NCAA Division 1 Champion of any sport with its 141-pounder Derek Moore. [8] The program held some victories over other major programs in the west including Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona State. [9] Some notable program alumni include Urijah Faber, a well-known mixed martial arts bantamweight fighter. [7] The program was cut from the universities sports prior to the 2010-2011 season. [1]

History The UC Davis Wrestling program had a history of excellence, both academically and in competition. In its final years, the program achieved great success at the national level while at the same time setting a school athletics milestone. The program’s last coach was Lennie Zalesky, a three time NCAA All-American and former assistant coach for the legendary Dan Gable at Iowa. [10] He coached at UC Davis from 2001 to the program’s end in 2010. In his 9 years at the helm, he led the aggies to four Conference Champions, numerous Pac-10 placers, and had 27 athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships. The program created school history in 2007. That year, he went on ahead and helped Derek Moore, the team’s 141-pounder, to a 1st place showing at the NCAA Championships. Moore was also named Outstanding Wrestler. This marked the first time a UC Davis athlete won a NCAA Division 1 National Championship. Moore’s performance also helped the aggies finish 22nd at the NCAA National Championships. This was its best showing ever. Zalesky was named the PAC-10 Coach of the Year that same year. In 2009 and 2010, his teams earned a perfect Academic Progress Rate score. [3]

Star Wrestlers: Derek Moore A Redding, California native, Derek Moore attended Shasta High School. There, he was a three-time Northern Section Champion and went on to place fifth at the CIF State Championship his senior year. At Davis, he had much success as well. He narrowly missed All-American Status both his Freshman and Sophomore years while having to exit the NCAA Championship early his Junior year due to injury but, not before having been named the PAC-10 Champion. [4] His Senior year, however, he went down in history while fulfilling a lifelong dream. He once again won first at the PAC-10 Championships. He was seeded second at the NCAA National Championships. That year, he won first at the National Championships beating the No. 1 seed and previously undefeated Ryan Lang of Northwestern by a technical fall of 17-2 at the finals. His win marked the first time a UC Davis athlete won first at the NCAA Division 1 Championship and was named a national champion in any sport. He finished the tournament   5-0, one win by fall and another by technical fall, while finishing his final season undefeated at 24-0, also becoming the school’s first ever wrestler to finish a season undefeated. That same night, he was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. [8] His victory gave UC Davis a school-record point total of 29, land UC Davis in a three-way tie for 22nd place, Davis’ highest placing at a Division 1 tournament. He also was named the PAC-10 Conference Wrestler of the Year and the UC Davis Male Athlete of the Year in 2007. [5] 	After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Biological Chemistry, he served five years of active duty as an officer in the United States Army. While in the army he continued competing, representing the army in national and international competitions as a solder-athlete. He qualified and competed in the 2012 United States Olympic team trials. He is now an assistant coach under Andy Lausier at Sacred Heart University. [2]

2009-2010 Roster [6] Name	                         Ht. Wt. Yr. Hometown (Last School) Barrett Abel	             5-9	149    RS    JR    Diamond Springs, Calif. (Union Mine HS '06) Mark Jay Acosta          5-4	125    RS    FR	   San Leandro, Calif. (San Leandro HS '08) Ricky Alcala	             5-11   285    RS    JR	   Arvin, Calif. (Arvin HS '06) Chris Armendariz         5-4	125    RS    SO   West Covina, Calif. (West Covina HS '07) Justin Arredondo          5-6	133    RS    FR	    Clovis, Calif. (Buchanan HS '08) Niels Brisbane	              6-2    197	       FR    Lynden, Wash. (Lynden Christian HS '09) Alex Darkhovsky          5-7	174    RS    SR    Santa Monica, Calif. (Santa Monica HS '05) Sean Dougherty            6-1    174	       FR	    Walnut Creek, Calif. (Las Lomas HS '09) Joshua Esparza         	   6-2	174    RS    FR	    Clovis, Calif. (Clovis HS '08) Morgan Flaharty           5-7	141    RS    FR	    San Rafael, Calif. (Terra Linda HS '08) Stephan Hampton          6-3	184    RS    FR	    Red Bluff, Calif. (Red Bluff HS '08) Jordan Hart	              5-6	149	       FR	    Davis, Calif. (Folsom HS '09) Brian Herrera	              5-10	184    RS    FR	    Roseville, Calif. (Woodcreek HS '08) Shawn Hoehne              5-11	197	       FR	    Livermore, Calif. (Livermore HS '09) Kody Klaus	              5-3	125    RS    FR    Vacaville, Calif. (Vacaville HS '08) Matt Klingler	              5-9	157	       SO    Granite Bay, Calif. (Sierra College) Brandon Low	              5-6	133	       JR     Honolulu, Hawaii (Saint Louis HS '06) Adam Lymath	              6-0	174	       FR    Granite Bay, Calif. (Folsom HS '09) Trevor Machado-Ching 5-7   157    RS    FR	    Oakdale, Calif. (Oakdale HS '08) Rory McBryde	  6-1	184	       SO    Eagle River, Alaska (Frontier Charter School '07) Casey Merrill	              5-8	133	       FR    Palm Springs, Calif. (Palm Desert HS '09) Michael Nakagawa	  5-5	125	       FR	    Honolulu, Hawaii (Kaiser HS '09) Bryan Osuna	              5-6	141	       SR    Huntington Beach, Calif. (Calvary Chap. HS '05) Abe Otrambo	              5-11	197	       JR	    Anaheim, Calif. (Loara HS '06) Charlie Schumacher	  6-0	285	       FR	    Napa, Calif. (Napa HS '09) Conrad Snell	              5-6	149	       FR    Poway, Calif. (Poway HS '09) John Thurston	              6-1	285    RS    SO    Ferndale, Calif. (Ferndale HS '07) David Watts	              5-9	157    RS    FR	    Visalia, Calif. (El Diamante HS '08) Randall Watts	              5-10	149    RS    FR	    Visalia, Calif. (El Diamante HS '08) Kyle West	              5-6	141	       FR    El Dorado Hills, Calif. (Oak Ridge HS '09) Joey Wilson	              5-8	165    RS    SO    Half Moon Bay, Calif. (Half Moon Bay HS '07)

Winning tradition The UC Davis Wrestling Program held major victories over western powerhouse programs such as Oregon, Stanford and Arizona State. The program had four Conference Champions, numerous Pac-10 placers, and 27 athletes qualify for the NCAA Championships along with the school’s first National Champion. [9]

The program’s end The wrestling program, along with another three sports, was cut from the school’s sponsored sports due to an economic recession in 2010. Unlike the other sports that were cut, the wrestling program had been promised it wouldn’t be cut. “We had no idea,” said Sean Dougherty, sociology major and former UC Davis wrestler. “It was devastating watching all these guys you’ve gotten so close to crying in a locker room.” National wrestling associations tried their best to save the program but the cut seemed to be inevitable after seeing the amount of money that had to be fundraised to save the program and comply with Title IX. The then current wrestlers had to make a choice of whether to stay or leave. The falling of the UC Davis program greatly changed the outlook of wrestling in California. Davis was the last and only stronghold for wrestling in the UC system since it was the only one that still offered it as a varsity sport. [1]

Plans for Return To date, there is still an active movement to make wrestling a club. This was hard since the essential wrestling mats were sold after the program was cut. However, the opportunity of wrestling once again keeps some students from giving up the fight. There are currently advocates for the club using social media and other means of communication to try and get support from students, wrestlers or not. [1]

Notable alumni Derek Moore- Sacred Heart Assistant Coach [2] Urijah Faber (This name will be a link to the Urijah Faber Wikipedia page)- MMA 			Fighter, UFC Bantamweight [7]

References 1. “Trajectories change in aftermath of athletic cuts”, The California Aggie, Apr. 18, 13, https://theaggie.org/2013/04/18/trajectories-change-in-aftermath-of-athletic-cuts/ 2. “National Champion Derek Moore Hired as Assistant Wrestling Coach”, Sacred Heart Pioneers, Aug. 26, 13, http://www.sacredheartpioneers.com/sports/m-wrestl/2012-13/releases/20130826hejf93 3. “Lennie Zalesky”, California Baptist University, http://cbulancers.com/mobile/staff.aspx?staff=61 4. “Pac-12 Wrestling”, Pac-12 Website, http://static.pac-12.com/sports/wrestling/pdf/wrestling-12.pdf 5. “Derek Moore”, UC Davis Aggies, http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/moore_derek01.html 6. “2009-10 Roster”, UC Davis Aggies, http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/ucda-m-wrestl-mtt.html 7. “Ten aggies in pro sports”, UC Davis Aggies, Nov. 23, 15, https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/10-aggies-pro-sports/ 8. “Moore wins national title with 17-2 technical over No.1 Lang”, UC Davis Aggies, Mar. 17, 07, http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/m-wrestl/recaps/031707aai.html 9. “Aggies win fourth straight PAC-10 dual with victory over ducks”, UC Davis Aggies, Feb. 2, 07, http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/m-wrestl/recaps/020207aaa.html 10. “Lennie Zalesky”, UC Davis Aggies, http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/zalesky_lennie00.html