By Juan Garcia
Reporter
Under new head coach Manny Rivera, the CSU Bakersfield wrestling team hopes to continue to build off last year’s success.
CSUB wrestling finished last year with a Pac-12 best 4-1 record last season in dual competitions and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Nationals in New York.
“Since I’ve been here, these guys have been willing to get to work, and they’ve received me and the expectations I have for them really well,” said Rivera. “They’ve not only done what I asked but they’ve done it well.”
Another change to the coaching staff this year is the addition of CSUB alumnus Reuben Franklin, who graduated last year.
Redshirt-sophomore Sean O’Rourke will wrestle at 157 after being a backup last year.
“I’m pretty excited for this season,” said O’Rourke. “I think we’re going to have some strong competitors, not just in the Pac-12 but in the nation.”
Another new starter for the CSUB wrestling program is junior Dylan Bollinger who will compete at 184.
“The team got a lot closer, in my opinion, after the old coach left,” said Bollinger. “The new coaching staff was a big change at first, but now, it’s just the same wrestling room with the same people and ultimately the same mission.”
For Bollinger, that mission is being the national champion.
“I want to be a National champ. That’s all there is to it,” said Bollinger.
Some of the other key returners for CSUB are redshirt-junior Coleman Hammond, who finished with a 10-4 record and qaulified for the NCAA Nationals last year and redshirt-junior Matt Williams, who went 20-18 last season.
Rivera said he knows what the community expects and he just wants to raise the bar.
“There’s such a rich tradition here at Bakersfield and the standards and expectations have always been high,” said Rivera. “For me coming into a situation where that was already in place, now it’s up to me to keep building on it and for us as a team to keep raising that bar.”
CSUB is scheduled to host California Baptist Saturday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. in the Icardo Center.
