Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003 | 9:15 a.m.
High School: Las Vegas ('98)
Where he is now: Fresno State
Class: Senior
Sport: Wrestling
Currently: Gifford is becoming one of the nation's best wrestlers for the Bulldogs at 174 pounds. Riding a five-match personal winning streak, Gifford scored one of his biggest wins of the season against Oklahoma, a 5-1 decision over the sixth-ranked grappler in the country. Gifford has shot up in rankings by TheMat.com, and he sits at No. 16 in the nation in his weight class. Though Fresno State has struggled to a 2-4 dual match record, Gifford continues his hot streak.
Looking back: In compiling a 115-13 record during his four years at Las Vegas, Gifford established himself as one of the better prep wrestlers in recent history. A four-year letterwinner in wrestling and a two-year letterwinner in football, Gifford won a 4A state wrestling title in 1998. Gifford was also team MVP in three of his four seasons, in addition to earning All-American recognition as a Greco-Roman wrestler in 1995 and 1998.
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