RAMS WRESTLING PROGRAM

Coach Nickal comes to Rio Rancho from Torrington, Wyoming where he was the head wrestling coach and Science Department Chair.  In his fifteen years as a head coach, Jason has compiled a 202-24 dual record, coaching 33 state champions, and 90 state placers in the last Ten years.

Jason led Torrington High School to a 112-14 dual record winning six consecutive regional team championships, while earning four state runner-up and two state championship trophies.  Coach Nickal has been the recipient of eleven different "Coach of the Year" awards from five different organizations. In 2009 Coach Nickal recieved the NWCA Region 8 Coach of the Year Award.

Coach Nickal has twice been selected to coach the Wyoming National Freestyle/Greco-Roman Wrestling Teams while also initiating the development of the Wyoming Junior Olympic Wrestling Program.  While in Colorado, Coach Nickal was also selected to coach the Colorado National Freestyle/Greco-Roman Wrestling Team, the Colorado National Dual Team, and the Colorado All-State Wrestling Team.  Additionally, Jason has served as the Wyoming state representative in the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The past 3 years Coach Nickal has traveled with Team New Mexico to the Freestyle/Greco Nationals in Fargo ND.

In the past three years Coach Nickal has lead the Rio Rancho Rams to 55 consecutive dual wins and Back-to-Back-to-Back Team State Titles. Included in this feat were multiple state champions; Max Ortega 5X, Matt Ortega 4X, Louis Trujillo 3X, Vicente Varela 4X, and Paul Cabbage 2X, Chris Rubalcaba 2X, Jake Williams 1x, Matt Nunez 1X, Chris Morales 1x and Shea Nolan 1x.  The Rams also accumulated fourteen other place winners at the state meet.

In addition to volunteering as a youth football and baseball coach Jason, and his wife Sandy, relish their involvement as huddle leaders with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Coach Mike Santos has been with the Rams wrestling program from the beginning. He is a driving force in the success of the program. He has outlasted the two previous coaches and is working on his third (JJ)....

Coach Santos has been instrumental in the development of the the Southwest Shootout Duals held the the first weekend in December.

Mike is a great family man and is married to his much better half Yvonne. They have three children Mia, Mike, and Max.

Coach Santos is a connoisseur of fine foods (well all food for that matter). If you want to know a good place to eat in New Mexico just ask Coach Santos, I am sure he can hook you up!

In 2007 Coach Fishburn retired to New Mexico after a total of 30 years of teaching and coaching.  He was the head wrestling coach for 19 years and an assistant football coach at Soquel High School on the Central California coast.  He also coached freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling and was twice a member of the California Junior National coaching staff.  Coach Fishburn is a former director of the well respected Coast Classic Wrestling Tournament in Santa Cruz, CA.

After coaching football for 19 years Coach Fishburn became a football official for 13 years.  He is now an instructor and evaluator of football officials for the Albuquerque Football Officials Association and is a football rules interpreter for the NMAA.  In addition to coaching he has taught 8 different subjects at the high school, adult education, and community college levels.

Coach Fishburn met his wife Jennice when her son Jeff wrestled for Soquel High and she was, in her words, the "Snack Bar Queen."  They live in Placitas.  After 8 years away from the mat Coach Fishburn was recruited by Coach Nickal to work with the junior varsity and C teams.  He says, "My mind loves it, but my old body thinks I'm crazy."

Mel Rael comes to the Rio Rancho wrestling program from Las Vegas, New Mexico. Mel and his wife of 22 years Bernadette Rael both work in education and have a daughter, Felicia 19 and son, David 16.

Before coming to Rio Rancho Mel was a H.S. assistant coach and teacher at Robertson High for two years where he was part of the RHS dominance in class AAA wrestling. The four years previous to coaching at Robertson, Rael was the varsity head wrestling coach and M.S. teacher at West Las Vegas just across the river from Cardinal country. During his term at WLV Rael was able to revive a struggling wrestling program both at the High School and Junior High by coordinating the recruitment of student athletes and the purchase of new equipment, mats and a much larger wrestling room.

Before heading to West Las Vegas, Coach Rael took on the tedious job of putting together the wrestling program at Pecos High and Junior High in Pecos, New Mexico where he was the varsity head wrestling coach and H.S. teacher for four years. The Pecos wrestling program is now recognized by the NMAA and now competes in the district 2-AAA class. Mel continues to be involved in the Pecos program by directing the Pecos Junior Wrestling tournament that is going on there 9^th annual this spring which Rael started.

Coach Rael hopes to bring his knowledge and resources to the Rio Rancho wrestling program to help continue their dominance not only on the wrestling mat but in the classroom as well.

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High School: Lettered four years in wrestling Standley Lake High School in Colorado... lost just two matches his entire high school career (135-2 overall record) ... four-time state champion ... high school and Greco All-American ... four-time all-state selection ... two-time Colorado wrestler of the year and one-time Colorado athlete of the year ... two-time Rocky Mountain News wrestler of the year ... four-year academic letterwinner ... Personal: Member of cadet squadron 26, the Mighty Barons ... parents are Ed and Sandra Nissen ... brothers are Matt (20) and Daniel (16) ... hobbies include fishing, hiking and camping ... born May 1, 1985.

College: 2005-06: Compiled a record of 7-4, including a 2-2 mark in dual action ... four of his seven victories came by fall, including a fastest time of 1:45 ... finished third at both the All-Academy Championships and NCAA West Regional ... was named an NCAA Alternate ... 2004-05: Missed most of the year due to injury ... had a record of 0-4 (0-2 in dual action) ... scored one takedown and four escapes ... 2003-04: One of two Air Force wrestlers to qualify for the NCAA Championships ... took second place at the West Regional Championships to earn the NCAA bid ... finished the season with a 13-12 (.520) overall record ... went 4-2 in dual meet action ... took first place at the Cowboy Open in his first collegiate outing ... ranked third on the team in pins with seven ... also recorded a tech fall ... tallied 26 takedowns, one reversal and 31 escapes ...