Menlo College Wrestling Caps Historic Championship Weekend with National Title and Record Performances Posted on April 3, 2026April 3, 2026 by George Retelas Menlo College wrestling delivered a championship performance for the record books this weekend in Louisiana, as the Oaks once again proved themselves among the elite programs in collegiate wrestling. Kanaipono Tapia attempts to score on his opponent. The Menlo men’s wrestling team captured the national championship in dominant fashion, finishing nearly 40 points ahead of the runner-up. The Oaks controlled the tournament from start to finish, securing individual titles in more than half of the contested weight classes and showcasing the depth that has become a hallmark of the program. All-American Michael Torres celebrates after winning the 141 pound national title. The victory marks Menlo’s fifth national title since 2019, underscoring a sustained era of excellence across both the men’s and women’s programs. Adding to the historic weekend, Menlo’s newly launched NCWA women’s team made an immediate impact in its first-ever national championship appearance. The Oaks earned a second-place team finish and celebrated an individual national champion, signaling a strong future for the program. Menlo athletes dominated the podium throughout the tournament, with seven national champions crowned. On the men’s side, Javier Martinez, Diego Morales, Isaiah Morales, Tyger Taam, Kanaipono Tapia, and Michael Torres each claimed titles. Neila Fritts led the way for the women, capturing a national championship in her division. Tapia’s standout performance earned him Male Outstanding Wrestler honors, highlighting an exceptional tournament run. All-American Maya Barrios gets her hand raised after taking 7th Place. Nela “Atlas” Fritts hugs NCWA Associate Head Women’s Coach Julissa Taitano. In total, 21 Oaks earned All-American recognition: Jeramiah Steele, Michael Torres, Tyger Taam, Ezekiel Lara, Kanaipono Tapia, Isaiah Morales, Mathias Collins, Diego Morales, Javier Martinez, Daniel Arellano, David Arroyo, Maya Barrios, Matthew Porras Diamond, Neila Fritts, Leia Hernandez, Siomara Hernandez, Lastevia Muir, Lina Perez, Giancarlo Plaza, Gwendolyn Tomkins, and Kayla Zeidler. Behind the success is a coaching staff that continues to set the standard nationally. NCAA Men’s Wrestling Head Coach Joey Martinez was named Coach of the Year, while Director of NCWA Wrestling Cristian Vasquez and Associate Head Coach of NCWA Women’s Wrestling Julissa Taitano played key roles in guiding both programs to national prominence. NCWA Women’s Wrestling Awarded National Runner-Up Trophy. The championship culture at Menlo is also supported by the leadership of Vice President and Director of Athletics Keith Spataro, whose vision and commitment to student-athlete success continue to drive the Oaks’ rise on the national stage. With another championship secured and a new program already making history, Menlo College wrestling continues to build a legacy defined by excellence, depth, and sustained success. NCAA Men (6 Individual National Champions, 9 All-Americans in 10 Weight Classes, National Team Champions) 133: Jeramiah Steele | 5th Place, All-American 141: Michael Torres | NCWA National Champion 141lbs, All-American 149: Tyger Taam | NCWA National Champion 149lbs, All-American 157: Ezekiel Lara | NCWA National Runner-Up, All-American 165: Kanaipono Tapia | NCWA National Champion, All-American 174: Isaiah Morales | NCWA National Champion, All-American 184: Mathias Collins | 3rd Place, All-American 197: Diego Morales | NCWA National Champion, All-American 295: Javier Martinez | NCWA National Champion, All-American NCWA Men (4 All-Americans) 125: Daniel Arellano | 5th Place, All-American 133: Giancarlo Plaza | 6th Place, All American 149: David Arroyo | 4th Place, All-American 184: Matthew Porras Diamond | 5th Place, All American NCWA Women (1 Individual National Champion, 8 All-Americans in 11 Weight Classes, 2nd Place as a Team) 110: Lina Perez | 6th Place, All American 117: Maya Barrios | 7th Place, All American 131: Lastevia Muir | 5th Place, All-American 138: Gwendolyn Tomkins | | 5th Place, All-American 145: Kayla Zeidler| 6th Place, All-American 160: Leia Hernandez | NCWA National Runner Up, All-American 207: Siomara Hernandez | 6th Place, All-American 240: Neila Fritts | NCWA National Champion, All-American, First Ever Champion in Program History About Menlo CollegeMenlo College is a private, non-profit institution offering four-year undergraduate and graduate degrees. Located in Atherton, California, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Menlo integrates academic excellence with leadership development and competitive athletics. Known for its strong business and psychology programs, Menlo prepares students to lead with confidence, integrity, and purpose. Menlo College Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports and competes at the NCAA Division II level, with women’s flag football set to become the College’s 15th varsity program in 2026–2027.For media inquiries, please contact: Athletics CommunicationsMenlo Collegeathletics@menlo.edu
Menlo College Earns NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Award for 2022-23 Posted on August 21, 2023January 27, 2025 by Tess Rewick By: Drew Barton & Ally Salzwedel As they do every year at this time, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) just announced the 2022-23 schools that earned their Champions of Character designation. For the 15th consecutive year, Menlo College was awarded the Champions of Character Five-Star Award. NAIA’s Champions of Character program is designed to instill an understanding of character values in sport and provide practical tools for student-athletes, coaches, and athletic administrators to use in modeling exemplary character traits. The program has established five core values that stretch well beyond the playing field to include: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership. These character values help young people – and those associated with their development – make good choices in all aspects of their life and reflect the true spirit of competition. In response to this announcement, Menlo College President Steven Weiner said that “Menlo College is proud of our sustained commitment to the core values that are promoted through NAIA’s Champions of Character program. To be able to earn this recognition for 15 straight years speaks to the quality of the leadership provided by the Menlo Athletics team, and the qualities they look for when recruiting student-athletes to our program.” Menlo Athletics is coming off one of its most successful seasons in school history. Six teams would qualify for national tournaments, 19 athletes were named All-Americans and two athletes were named national champions. The department also produced the most wins ever with 149 and also saw a record 75 athletes named to conference All-Academic teams. Receiving the NAIA’s Champions of Character Five-Star distinction is just another outstanding benchmark on a great 2022-2023 athletics season. When asked what this accomplishment means for the department Vice President & Director of Athletics Keith Spataro said: “I am thankful for all our coaches, staff and student-athletes do to be recognized for the distinction. It truly has become who we are and speaks volumes about the type of character our coaches and students-athletes represent.” After such a successful year, the staff, players and fans of Menlo Athletics should be looking forward to another great season of athletics! Read more from Menlo Athletics by clicking here. About Menlo CollegeMenlo College was established in 1927. It is a small, private, non-profit, undergraduate and graduate, accredited, residential college located in Atherton, California, designated as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American and Native American, Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI), a dual designation achieved by only 1% of all colleges and universities. Menlo College’s location in Silicon Valley, one of the world’s most entrepreneurial and innovative geographical areas, has enabled the College to create a valuable market niche for its students locally — as well as globally. Menlo College cultivates in its students the skills, integrity, and passion to make meaningful contributions in an innovation economy.
Menlo College Menʻs Wrestling Earns Cascade Collegiate Conference Title Posted on February 21, 2023January 27, 2025 by Kauahoa Hermosura Menlo College Men’s Wrestling claimed the Cascade Collegiate Conference title for the third time in five years on Saturday, February 18, 2023! In 2020, Menlo College Men’s Wrestling won the Cascade Collegiate Conference title by a 10-point margin. This year, the Oaks won with 153.0 points, beating the next best team, Southern Oregon (108.5 points), by 45 points. Menlo placed 11 wrestlers, with two champions, three second-place wrestlers, three third-place wrestlers, and many more qualifying for Nationals. Other Accolades: Coach of the Year: Joey Martinez in his 14th year as head coachMost Outstanding Wrestler: Gulomjon Abdullaev, 133 125 – Riley Siason – 3rd place Senior Riley Siason had to battle back on Day 2 to place third at 125. He went 5-1 on the tournament and defeated Matthew Terrenced (Vanguard) by decision (11-4) to book his ticket to Nationals. 125 – Cristian Vasquez – 6th place Vasquez went 1-3 on the weekend with a first-round bye. In the quarterfinals, Cristian pinned James Maheras (Arizona Christian) in the second period with only 15 seconds left. Vasquez is being patient on his potential run at Nationals as Menlo waits for wild card spots to drop this week. 133 – Gulomjon Abdullaev – Champion The Olympian Gulomjon Abdullaev went 4-0 on the weekend en route to winning the 133-pound title. In the semifinals match, Abdullaev won by tech fall (16-0) against Braden Carson (Eastern Oregon) to make it to the championship match. Gulomjon also earned the title of Most Outstanding Wrestler, which is voted by head coaches of the tournament, and will be heading to Nationals. 133 – Jovan Garcia – 2nd place Junior Jovan Garcia also earned his spot at Nationals after going 3-1 on the weekend. It will be his first appearance at Nationals as an Oak. 149 – Christopher Gaxiola – 4th place Chris went 3-2 to secure his fourth-place spot at 149. In the consolation semifinals, he faced off against Vanguard’s Bryant Avila and won by tech fall (19-4). Gaxiola now awaits his potential wild card bid for Nationals. 157 – Abraham Del Toro – Champion Senior Abraham Del Toro earned the 157-pound title this weekend by going 4-0. In the championship match, he faced off against University of Providence’s Aden Graves. It was 1-1 most of the match and went into sudden victory, but Del Toro was able to get the take down to win the championship. Del Toro will be returning to Nationals for the Oaks. 165 – Rysan Leong – 3rd place Rysan went 3-1 on the weekend to place third and earn his spot on the Nationals roster. In the consolation semifinals, he defeated Montana Northern’s Devin Crawford by decision (5-4). 174 – Maximus Zamora – 4th place Zamora joined the Nationals crew by placing fourth at 174, going 3-2 on the weekend. Max also had to battle back after going 0-1 with a bye on Day 1. 184 – Isaiah Morales – 3rd place Isaiah took third place as a freshman to make his first appearance at Nationals as an Oak. He went 4-1 on the weekend, winning in sudden victory in the consolation finals against Arizona Christian’s Kaden Martin after getting a takedown to win 5-3. 197 – Afton Silvis – 2nd place Senior Afton Silvis earned second place at 197 after going 3-1 on the weekend. 285 – Antonio Dacosta – 2nd place Antonio was the final Oak to punch his ticket to Nationals after going 2-1 on the weekend and placing second. Up Next…. Without factoring in wild card spots, nine wrestlers qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in Park City, Kansas on March 3-4, 2023. Read more from Menlo Athletics by clicking here.
From Menlo Athletics: Menlo College Honored as an NAIA Champions of Character Five-Star Institution Posted on August 9, 2022January 27, 2025 by menlocollege As recently announced by the NAIA, Menlo College is one of the 157 NAIA schools honored as a Five-Star Champions of Character institution, and was one of just 67 schools given the Gold Level distinction. This marks the 11th time Menlo has earned the Five Star Distinction since 2010 and the fourth time that Menlo has earned the Gold Level Distinction. Institutions are measured on a demonstrated commitment to Champions of Character and earn points in character training, conduct in competition, academic focus, character recognition and character promotion. Institutions earned points based on exceptional student-athlete grade point averages and by having minimal to no ejections during competition throughout the course of the academic year. Menlo, alongside all nine other members of the Golden State Athletic Conference, were honored with the Five Star Champions of Character distinction, and the GSAC itself was named a Five Star Champions of Character Conference. Joining Menlo with Gold Level Distinction are Arizona Christian, Hope International, OUAZ, San Diego Christian, Vanguard, Westmont, and William Jessup. Read More About the 2021-2022 Academic Year: Focused on Student Success: Menlo College Earns Three New 2022 Top College RankingsCelebrating Volunteers at Menlo CollegeMenlo College Students Explore International Business in Inaugural Academic Global Immersion ProgramMenlo College’s Dean of Arts and Sciences Expands on Commitment to Engaging Student Voters ahead of 2022 ElectionsMenlo College Offers Two New In-Demand Degree Programs with Business Analytics Major and Political Science Minor
