The Umpqua RiverHawk Men’s Wrestling Program is excited to announce the signing of four-time State Championship placer and two-time State Champion Jose Candelas, from Nyssa High School in Nyssa, Oregon. Candelas is the 2016 and 2017 OSAA 3A State Champion at 182 lbs., while going a combined 75-14 over those two seasons.
Candelas was also a major part in Nyssa High School’s three straight OSAA State Team Championships, including this years’ tam that set the 3A state record for the most points in a championship tournament.
UCC Men’s Wrestling Head Coach Kyle Temple had this to say about the signing of Candelas,” I am very pleased to sign someone of Jose’s caliber to our inaugural team. Jose is very accomplished having placed 6th, 4th, 1st, and 1st in the OSAA class 3A state tournament while attending Nysa High School. He comes from a traditional wrestling powerhouse in Oregon and has competed in some of the toughest tournaments in the western US."
During his senior campaign Jose not only won his second individual state title for the Bulldogs but he also placed 1st in the Weiser Invitational, 2nd in Rollie Lane, and was 5th at the Sierra Nevada Classic. He finished the year with a 41-7 record. He is projected to wrestle at 184 pounds for the RiverHawks.
The Umpqua Wrestling team has been brought back to the Roseburg, Oregon campus, and will begin competition in the fall of 2017.
Umpqua’s Department of Athletics is composed of nine varsity sports teams including four men's teams (basketball, cross country, wrestling and obstacle course racing), and five women's teams (basketball, cross country, volleyball, wrestling and obstacle course racing). Umpqua is a member of the Northwest Athletic Conference in all sports except men’s and women’s wrestling and obstacle course racing. For men’s wrestling UCC belongs to the National Junior College Athletic Association and for women’s wrestling, the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association. For more information, please visit www.uccriverhawks.com. Follow RiverHawk Athletics at www.facebook.com/Umpqua-RiverHawk-Athletics and also on Twitter @uccriverhawks.