Two-time state heavyweight wrestling champion Jose Lopez (John Glenn HS), who finished his career as one of only four Cerritos College wrestlers to win two state titles, has transferred to Dickinson State (ND) University. Sophomore Tilman Tran (Loara HS), who qualified for the state championships at 141 pounds but was defeated in his first two matches, will be transferring to Embry Riddle (AZ) University.

 

    Lopez, who posted a 33-1 record this season, defeated Fresno City College's Luis Contreras, 4-0 in the state championship match. Over the course of the season, Lopez won the Southern California Championship, as well as the West Hills, Santa Ana and Modesto Tournament championships. His only setback of the season was a loss to Levi Cooper of Arizona State University at the Embry Riddle Tournament.

    As dominant as he was all season, Falcon head coach Don Garriott turned to Mixed Martial Arts star and former wrestling state champion Tito Ortiz to work out with Lopez heading into the post-season tournaments. Garriott coached Ortiz when he won back-to-back state championships in 1995-96 at Golden West College.

    In his two seasons with the Falcons, Lopez posted a 66-5 record, won nine tournament championships and came in second place in three others.

 

    As for Tran, he finished second in the Southern California Championships and also won the Modesto Tournament and placed fourth at the West Hills Tournament. He finished the year with an 18-11 record as a sophomore after finishing sixth in the Southern California Championship as a freshman in 2008.