Stanislaus State women's soccer head coach Gabriel Bolton is departing the university after 21 seasons to accept the head coaching position at Fresno State. The University said Saturday that the national search for its next women's soccer head coach will begin immediately.
"We wish Gabe, Kathy and his three children the best on the next steps of their journey. We have had unparalleled success over his time here, and we look forward to continuing the legacy of success of this program going forward," said Director of Athletics Aaron Allaire.
Bolton led the Warriors across two stints at the helm (2001-02, 2006-25), building Stan State into a consistent conference and national contender. He finishes his Stanislaus State career with a 223-123-48 overall record (.627 winning percentage), the most wins by a head coach in program history.
During Bolton's tenure, the Warriors made 11 postseason appearances, including four NCAA Tournament berths and 11 CCAA Championship Tournament appearances, highlighted by CCAA titles in 2011 and 2013 and the program's signature achievement — the 2014 NCAA Division II West Region Championship. That 2014 team became the first women's soccer squad in program history to reach a No. 1 national ranking and will be inducted into the Stanislaus State Athletic Hall of Fame in January.
Bolton's final season capped another strong campaign for the Warriors. Stan State concluded the 2025 season with an 11-5-4 record, finished third in the CCAA standings and received votes in the final United Soccer Coaches Division II National Poll. The Warriors posted eight shutouts, a 7-3-1 home record and outscored opponents 31-19 across 20 matches.
Bolton's teams were also recognized nationally for academic excellence, earning 19 United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Awards during his tenure. The Warriors posted a team GPA of 3.0 or higher in every season under Bolton's leadership except for 2001, the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, and one additional season.
Across his career, Bolton coached 77 All-CCAA honorees, including 21 First Team selections, produced three All-Americans, 27 All-West Region honorees and more than 150 CCAA All-Academic award winners.
Sanchez making impact at Hope College
A little over midway through the college basketball regular season, Avery Sanchez has been finding his footing in Holland, Mich.
In his freshman season with Division III powerhouse Hope College, Pitman High School’s all-time leading scorer has similarly been able to find the bottom of the net, appearing in all 11 of the Flying Dutchmen’s games to start the 2025-26 season, which includes a trio of double-digit performances. The latest came over the weekend.
In Saturday's 72-65 loss to No. 4 Washington University (St. Louis), Sanchez dropped 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting to increase his season total to 66. Sanchez also stuffed the scoring line in his collegiate debut on Nov. 7 against Anderson of Indiana (15) and on Nov. 15 against Wheaton of Illinois (13). The Dutchmen are currently 5–6.
Sanchez has scored in all but one game this year, averaging 6.1 points per game as he has racked up 222 minutes on the court, no small feat for a freshman.
Warriors men's basketball start 2026 strong
Stan State men's basketball team opened the 2026 calendar year with a pair of home victories, defeating Cal State Monterey Bay 79-77 on Friday before completing the sweep with a 72-68 win over Cal State San Marcos on Sunday. The Warriors improved to 7-5 overall and 3-3 in CCAA play, extending their home winning streak to two games.
Stan State began the weekend with a dramatic 79-77 win over Cal State Monterey Bay on Friday night, overcoming an eight-point second-half deficit behind 20 points from Donjae Lindsey and a season-high 12 from Mark Jones III. Malachi Johnson recorded his second double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Jason Zimmer sealed the victory at the free-throw line as the buzzer sounded.
The Warriors followed with a 72-68 comeback win over Cal State San Marcos on Sunday, trailing by seven at halftime before erupting for 44 second-half points. Lloyd French and Jones III led the way with 15 points apiece, Zimmer added 14, and Johnson chipped in 11 as Stan State shot 56.5 percent after the break and knocked down seven three-pointers in the second half.
The Warriors head back on the road this week following a perfect 2-0 homestand, traveling to Cal State Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m., before visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills on Saturday, Jan. 10 at 3 p.m.
Mora a monster on the mats in Norman
One of the most accomplished wrestlers out of Pitman High School is continuing to find success at the college level, this week continuing to build his national profile.
Juan Mora, a senior at the University of Oklahoma who earned a sixth-place finish in the 285-pound men's division at the 2025 Big 12 Championships, secured an 18-7 majority decision over Bryson Buhk of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Dec. 21. The win pushed Mora’s season record to 10-3 and helped secure a quad-dual sweep for the No. 15 Sooners at the annual Norman Duals on Sunday at the McCasland Field House.
Along with SIUE, the Sooners defeated Tarleton State and Duke, outscoring all three 104-28. Oklahoma (7-1) matched its best start through eight duals since the 2013-14 season.
Individually, Mora, nicknamed “Tank,” now takes claim as the 22nd-best 185-pound male wrestler in the nation, per InterMat. Mora was previously ranked No. 24.
The Sooners now set their sights to Stillwater for the 190th edition of Bedlam wrestling against No. 5 Oklahoma State on Jan. 11. The first bout from Gallagher-Iba Arena is set for noon PST, and will stream on ESPN+.
— Journal writer Chris Correa contributed to this report.
