Indianapolis — The opening day of the 2025 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships brought a mix of triumph and heartbreak for Adams State. Four Grizzlies took the mat against the nation's best, and by the end of Session Two, Aaden Valdez secured All-American honors and punched his ticket to the semifinals, while Isaiah Gamez, Jakob Romero, and Angel Flores saw their seasons come to a close.

Competing at 157 pounds, Valdez delivered a dominant performance, winning his first two matches to guarantee a top-eight finish and secure his second career All-American recognition. In the quarterfinals, he squared off against Caleb Meunier of Minnesota State and wasted no time building an early lead, nearly securing his second technical fall of the day. Meunier battled back in the third period, with both wrestlers scoring six points, but Valdez's early advantage proved too much to overcome. With the victory, he moves on to a semifinal showdown against No. 1-ranked Joel Jesuroga of St. Cloud State in Saturday's Session One.

Gamez opened his tournament run in the 125-pound bracket with a hard-fought 4-0 decision loss in the first round. He responded in dominant fashion in the wrestle-backs, pinning Luke Acuna of Ashland to stay alive. However, his season came to a heartbreaking end just one round shy of All-American status, as he fell by major decision to Trevon Gray of Pitt-Johnstown.

Romero faced an uphill battle after dropping a razor-thin 5-4 decision to Jeremiah Echevarria in the preliminary round of the 133-pound bracket. He bounced back with a gritty 4-2 victory over James Armstrong Jr. to keep his tournament hopes alive but ultimately fell to James Wright of Central Missouri, ending his first season with the Grizzlies.

Flores, competing at 141 pounds, opened his tournament with a tough 2-1 decision loss to Ronan Schuelke of McKendree. Unfortunately, he was unable to continue in the consolation bracket, forfeiting his next match to close out his 2024-25 season.

Valdez will return to action tomorrow for Day Two of the NCAA National Championships, beginning at 10 a.m. He will wrestle for a spot in the national finals, continuing his pursuit of a championship for Adams State.