Local sports briefs: Clovis High wrestlers place third at Clash

Clovis High’s wrestling team met its match at The Clash in Rochester, Minn., a tournament that featured 14 nationally ranked teams.

The defending state champion Cougars, who went 3-0 in dual matches on Day 1, lost Saturday to two teams ranked in the top 5 by Open Mat and finished third at the 32-team tournament.

The sixth-ranked Cougars dropped duals to No. 2 St. Edward-Ohio, 36-13 and to No. 4 Apple Valley-Minn., 40-21, then upset No. 5 Brandon-Fla., 31-28 with Daniel Gaytan providing the decisive points with a pin at 120 pounds.

Clovis’ Zach Nevills went 6-0 at 170 pounds; Jonas Gaytan (113) 5-1; Dakota Gordon (195) 5-1 with five pins; defending 285 state champion Nick Nevills 4-2; 2010 state 119-pound champ Daniel Gaytan 4-2; and Adrian Salas (160) 3-3.

St. Edward held on to beat Apple Valley 29-22 for the tournament title.

Monsters fall at home

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs handed the Fresno Monsters a 5-0 setback at Selland Arena in North American Hockey League action on Saturday.

Fresno (14-9-8) was shut out for only the second time this season. J.T. Osborn had two goals for Fairbanks.

Sunbirds Nicholas earns GSAC player of week

It didn’t take Fresno Pacific’s Donte Nicholas long to register his first award.

The senior transfer guard from NCAA Division II Metro State, three games into his Sunbirds career, was named the Golden State Athletic Conference player of the week.

Nicholas, after sitting out the first semester, led NAIA No. 24 Fresno Pacific to three victories at the Las Vegas Classic. He averaged 20 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.3 steals while shooting 54% from the field.

The Sunbirds (10-3) resume GSAC play Tuesday at The Master’s.

Fresno soccer teams score Founders titles

A pair of under-12 teams from Fresno’s Valley Youth Soccer League — the Saroyan Diamond Girls, coached by Manuel Anguiano and Eddie Munoz, and the Liddell Spartans boys, coached by Paul Adams — won championships at the recent CYSA Founders Cup in Ripon.

Saroyan went 5-0 and outscored opponents 21-5, beating the JLYSL EBU Sharks 4-1 in the final. Team members are Melina Anguiano, Sarah Seymour, Megan Galvan, Dasia Kipp, Shariah Love, Sophie Jimenez, Jade Mendez, Skylar Ussery, Jalyn Franco, Ruthie Carrasco, Faith Chavez, Patricia Baker, Madison Avery, Haley McVey, Erica Arroz, Megan Garcia and Katie Court.

Liddell went 5-0-1 with four shutouts, blanking Clovis Century Travis 2-0 for the championship.