Menlo College still the one

For a women’s wrestling program ranked No. 1 in the nation — that already has two NAIA national championships to its credit in 2018 and ’19 — the chance to revel on its home turf was a first.

“It was a special day,” Oaks head coach Michael Ayala said.

In his first year officially running the women’s program at Menlo, Ayala was named the Cascade Conference Coach of the Year. Former the women’s wrestling head coach at Eastern Oregon University, he relocated to the Bay Area in 2020, handpicked by former Menlo coach Joey Bareng to take over the assistant’s position vacated by Joey Martinez, who stepped away from coaching the women’s team to focus exclusively on running Menlo’s men’s wrestling program.

Ayala was thrust into the head coaching job when Bareng stepped down as coach to start the girls’ varsity program at St. Francis-Mountain View in 2022-23. Ayala served the rest of the 2023 season as interim head coach before Menlo College athletic director Keith Spataro locked him in to run the program prior to this season.

“I found that our work relationship was really effective during that six-month period,” Spataro said. “I thought that he understood the vision that I had for wrestling ... and not only did he understand it, but he was going to manage accordingly and lead accordingly because he understood it as well. … And he’s been an exceptional hire for us at this point.”

It was an important decision for Spataro, who left Skyline College when he was hired at Menlo in 2001. Along with Lee Allen, he founded the Oaks’ men’s and women’s wrestling and served as head coach before being promoted to AD in 2008.

Insisting on a women’s wrestling program was a bold and visionary move. There were only a few women’s programs in the nation at that point, with the first started at University of Minnesota, Morris in 1993-94. It wouldn’t be until 2021 that NCAA Division I would officially sanction women’s wrestling.

“It was a big deal,” Ayala said. “Just in this context … Keith himself started women’s wrestling at Menlo College and helped lay a foundation for teams to add a women’s wrestling team to their university. So, I think just what he’s done himself at Menlo, it’s done a lot to grow women’s wrestling.”

Bringing Ayala aboard

Bareng proved visionary as well in bring aboard Ayala.

The two met during a coaches’ meeting and were tasked with selecting athlete rankings for the NAIA national field. Ayala was adamant a University of Providence wrestler Yurie Yoneoka should be ranked in the top 6. She ultimately wasn’t, but Bareng said he admired the way Ayala fought for her.

When the two ran into one another again at Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu during a recruiting trip at the Hawaii state varsity championships, it was Ayala who ultimately got recruited to coach for Bareng at Menlo College.

“I’m still young,” Ayala said. “I’m 31, but when I initially did it, I was 25 or 26, I felt like I was still a young coach, and I could just field so much knowledge when I would talk to him. … At that time, I just felt like my jump, being an assistant for this guy at this program, I felt like my time is going to come again.”

What Ayala didn’t realize was Bareng was on the verge of stepping away from the program two years later.

“That was a surprise,” Ayala said. “I didn’t know that was what was going to happen.”

Bareng takes over at St. Francis

It wasn’t a surprise to Bareng though. More part of a master plan.

A father of three, Bareng’s two oldest children, ages 13 and 10, are already wrestling. His youngest, age 4, is learning the ropes. Because of them, he was looking to transition to a high school program.

“I knew what I was doing secretly,” Bareng said. “I knew I was going to be stepping down. … When St Francis called, it was early in the season, early in the year, I had just started (the season at) Menlo … and they called me in right away and the rest was history.”

Bareng started the girls’ wrestling program at St. Francis in 2022-23. He maintained a post at Menlo College as director of women’s wrestling but resigned prior to the current school year to devote toward coaching the Lady Lancers. This year, four of his varsity wrestlers — including San Mateo native Katherine Love — qualified for the CIF State Wrestling Championships.

Ayala, as it turns out, was the perfect choice to pick up the mantle for Bareng.

“Seamless,” Martinez said of the transition from Bareng to Ayala. “I think the girls have bought in a hundred percent. [Ayala] is well liked on campus. He’s done a great job ... with how he’s taken over the program and hasn’t lost a beat.”

“And look at them now,” Bareng said. “They’re ranked No. 1 in the country. So, I feel great about leaving and things are still going strong.”

Dramatic finish at conference championship

Menlo turned in an exceptional showing at the Cascade Conference Championship Tournament. Four wrestlers won individual titles: Ajayzee Zaballos at 116-pounds; Alana Vivas at 123s; Desiree Jones at 143s; and Tavia Heidelberg-Tillotson at 191s.

Eight more qualified for the national championships: Kayla McKinley-Johnson, second place, 101s; Haley Narahara, second, 123s; Louisa Schwab, second, 130s; Alexandra Lopez, second, 143s; Shannon Workinger, second, 155s; Kalila Shrive, third, 170s; Stephanie Chavez, fourth, 136s; and Samantha Barragan, fifth, 136s.

“I feel like it was a good event for us,” Ayala said. “We were able to take away the team title. All 12 of our athletes were able to qualify for the team tournament.”

Despite the depth of individual national qualifiers, the Oaks entered the last championship match of the day at 191s in second place, trailing Southern Oregon by two points. With a victory being worth two points, Menlo not only needed Heidelberg-Tillotson to win, but needed her to earn bonus points to put the team over the top.

Seeded No. 1 at 191s, Heidelberg-Tillotson matched up with Eastern Oregon freshman Trinity Tafoya, seeded No. 17. Menlo’s fifth-year wrestler got ’er done, earning the pin to score four points — two for the win, two for the pin — to deliver the Oaks the team championship.

“It was a nice thing to celebrate,” Ayala said. “It was cool to celebrate that with my team because they’re just young adults. So, to win something as a team … it was nice to experience that going into the national tournament.”