PHILADELPHIA – Cal State Bakersfield's AJ Ferrari closed out the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships with another pair of victories, earning bronze and All-American honors. Ferrari's third-place finish is the highest by a Roadrunner since 1999 when Stephen Neal won his second of back-to-back National Championships.

Ferrari opened the session with a 5-3 victory over Wyoming's Joseph Novak, earning himself a spot in the third place match.

Pitted against the No. 1 wrestler in the country, Jacob Cardenas (Michigan), Ferrari proved himself to be an elite wrestler once again with a 2-0 decision. He gained a 1-0 lead on a second-period escape, then rode Cardenas out for the entire third period to seal the win.

With the victory, Ferrari closed out his first season with the `Runners with a 21-1 record. His 95.5% single-season win rate ties for 10th in CSUB's all-time history.

A year ago, CSUB snapped a 50-year streak of sending at least one `Runner to the NCAA Championships, but Head Coach Luke Smith, Ferrari, and the `Runners will return home to Bakersfield after a successful return to postseason competition. Combined with points scored by heavyweight Jake Andrews, Ferrari led CSUB to 14.0 team points, the highest total for Bakersfield since 2010. The `Runners also placed 34th overall, their highest finish since 2018.