Many of SF State’s great wrestlers that have walked through the school’s wrestling program gathered at an alumni wrestling ceremony including some canvas combat between the current 2019 Gators wrestling team. The wrestling team hosted the 44th annual Purple and Gold Scrimmage on Oct. 12 at the main gymnasium at the Don Nasser Family Plaza. Following the conclusion of the reception dinner ceremony honoring the team’s All-Americans and the 1997 squad that won the Division II championship title. The night was filled with great stories and light hors d’oeuvres with a welcome from the coaching staff. 

On this year’s team, some of San Francisco State’s stars to watch are transfer students redshirt freshman Alex Felix from Ohio State and redshirt Junior Kevin Mulligan coming out of a big-time wrestling program at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Gators’ stand out senior Thomas Turcol and redshirt sophomore Andrew Herrera are also returning. 

Sophomore Mason Boutain made some great finesse moves in his matches, breaking down his opponents with his flexibility and tremendous upper body strength. Boutain plays an exceptional style of wrestling known as “Iowa Style.” Coined by the Dan Gable-led Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling glory days, the strategy is to outwork other opponents, attack and use superior conditioning to break and wear down opponents. Although ultimately overpowered in his final match, Boutain looks to be a steady rock for the Gators team this year.

It was a night where fans, parents, student-athletes, alumni and donors all came out to reminisce with former teammates, hear from head coach Jason Welch and his coaching staff and watch an exhilarating Gators wrestling team scrimmage.