SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Chad Mendes has been working his way up the 141-pound ladder this season.

And now the Cal Poly wrestler has reached the top.

Mendes is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 141 pounds by wrestlingreport.com.

The former Hanford High standout is ranked one spot ahead of former high school rival Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State. Michigan freshman Kellen Russell is third, followed by Minnesota's Manuel Rivera and Hofstra's Charles Griffin.

Mendes owns a victory over Rivera this season, which came in the form of a dramatic pin on Dec. 8 at Mott Gym. At the time, Rivera was ranked No. 2 in the nation, but Mendes dispatched of the talented senior in one minute, 34 seconds.

Mendes is 18-0 this season. He most recently recorded a major decision victory, 10-1, over Boise State's Cam Jones on Sunday.

California wrestling fans are looking forward to Feb. 16 when Cal Poly travels to Oklahoma to take on Oklahoma State in a dual. Mendes will likely be paired against Morgan (21-1), who was undefeated against Mendes as a prep star at Bakersfield High.

Morgan has won 13 straight matches since a 7-5 loss to Griffin in November.

Cal Poly returns to action, hosting UC Davis on Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Ex-Tiger Swan nets career high

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Lemoore High graduate Elijah Swan poured in a career-high 26 points to lead Rocky Mountain College to an 89-62 victory over Montana Tech on Saturday.

Swan sank six 3-pointers -- also a career high -- as the Bears improved to 15-4. He was a blazing 8-for-11 from the field, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range.

The 5-foot-8 senior guard ranks second on the team with 15.2 points, 3.1 assists and 15 steals per game. He's shooting .474 from the field, including .443 from 3-point land.

Swan is in his third season with the NAIA school, and owns a career scoring average of 12 points per game. Previously, he played one season at West Hills College.

Colvin leads way for Stanislaus

TURLOCK -- Former Riverdale High standout Heath Colvin remains the leading scorer for Cal State Stanislaus.

The 6-foot-4 senior guard averages 15.9 points per game for the NCAA Division II school.

Colvin leads the team with a .539 field goal percentage. He had 17 points in a 77-71 loss to Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday.

The Warriors are 3-8.

(Jan. 16, 2008)