Former Bullpup Mendes falls in NCAA final

ST. LOUIS -- Chad Mendes nearly pulled it off — a perfect season and an NCAA wrestling championship.

But the Hanford High graduate fell just one step short.

Mendes, the first Cal Poly wrestler to reach the NCAA finals since 1983, was outscored 5-2 by Ohio State’s J Jaggers in the 141-pound championship match Saturday night.

The sixth-seeded Jaggers pulled off his third consecutive upset to claim the championship, helping Ohio State finish second behind first-place Iowa.

The difference in the match was a takedown and near fall scored by the Buckeye in the third period.

The top-seeded Mendes forced a 1-1 tie with an escape in the third, but Jaggers locked through the crotch and moved around for a takedown. The Buckeye added two more points with a near fall to make it 5-1 with 30 seconds remaining.

Mendes tried to counter with a somersault move, and in the process, Jagger’s knee was jarred.

After an injury timeout, Mendes pulled off an escape Jaggers, and then rushed back in at a limping opponent. But the Cal Poly wrestler ran out of time, suffering his first defeat after starting the season with 31 consecutive victories.

The only previous point in the match was scored by Jaggers with a second-period escape.

Mendes gained All-America honors for the second time.

In 2006, he placed sixth in the 125-pound division at the NCAA tournament. He finished his Cal Poly career with a 64-14 overall record.