In this Q&A, Onondaga Community College assistant coach Angel Gonzalez discusses his wrestling journey from California to New York, his transition from athlete to coach, and the growth of the Onondaga Community College wrestling program. Gonzalez offers insight into the culture being established at Onondaga, the importance of junior college wrestling, and the differences between the NJCAA and 3C2A junior college system.

Gonzalez began wrestling before his freshman year of high school and quickly developed a passion for the sport. He competed for Downey High School in California, TMWC Youth and So Cal Bears Wrestling Club, eventually becoming a four-year letter winner, three-time CIF division qualifier and team captain. His high school career earned him an opportunity to compete at Ottawa University in Kansas.

A significant influence on Gonzalez’s development was his high school coach,  Miguel Soto, who was the head coach at extremely successful Downey High School in single-class California where Soto coached California state qualifiers, state medalist including the first state champion, NHSCA All-American and Fargo All-American in school history Jonathan Prata. Soto built a gritty program in southern California spending 14 seasons leading the Downey High School Vikings to four dual CIF championships and four dual CIF runner-up finishes. Soto was also named Long Beach Press-Telegram Coach of the Year five times before moving on to East Los Angeles College in the 3C2A, where he continued his coaching career.

Gonzalez says Soto’s greatest lesson was that a coach’s influence extends far beyond wrestling. Soto emphasized that championships and individual accomplishments eventually fade, while the character athletes develop and the people they become remain. That philosophy has carried into Gonzalez’s own coaching approach at Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, New York, where he emphasizes respect, discipline, accountability, commitment and giving maximum effort.

After moving to New York with family, Gonzalez became involved with Onondaga Community College. He initially joined the program as a coach when the school announced the addition of men’s and women’s wrestling. He became the inaugural assistant coach, helping establish the program during its early stages where he helped coach the early results of Onondaga having demonstrated the potential of the program. In just its second season, Onondaga finished as the Region III runner-up, qualified six wrestlers for the NJCAA Championships and produced the program’s first-ever NJCAA champion and All-American. Those accomplishments have validated the program’s belief in its potential while also establishing a new standard for the wrestlers who follow.

Gonzalez describes the Onondaga wrestling room as “tough, gritty, and very tight knit.” Located in New York’s Section 3, an area with a strong wrestling tradition, Onondaga has brought together athletes who previously competed against one another through high school and club wrestling. Gonzalez believes that shared history has helped create a competitive but supportive environment where wrestlers push one another while remaining connected as teammates.

The Q&A also examines the larger role of junior college wrestling. Gonzalez describes junior colleges as a subtle backbone of American wrestling, providing opportunities for athletes who may not have initially had a path to four-year college wrestling. He points out that JUCO programs develop wrestlers who eventually move on to four-year programs, while also helping athletes progress academically and personally.

Having experienced both California’s 3C2A system and New York’s NJCAA landscape, Gonzalez highlights several differences between the two. In California, he was surrounded by several community college wrestling programs, making competition and recruiting more geographically accessible. He recalls having more than 20 high school teammates eventually compete in junior college and the 3C2A system without needing to travel far from home.

At Onondaga Community College, the geographic landscape is very different. Gonzalez notes that the program can face several hours of travel simply to compete against another two-year college, while New York’s abundance of Division I and Division III programs means Onondaga frequently competes against four-year schools. That creates challenges in both scheduling and recruiting, but Gonzalez believes the two associations ultimately share the same foundation: providing opportunities for all high school wrestlers and athletes to state champions who are looking to continue developing.

When evaluating recruits, Gonzalez says he looks beyond wrestling accomplishments. He prioritizes self-determination, grit and sportsmanship, seeking athletes who can handle adversity, maintaining confidence in their effort while continuing to push themselves academically and athletically.

A major part of that breakthrough was Charlie Foster, who became the first wrestler in Onondaga Community College history to win an NJCAA championship and earn All-American honors. Foster’s success was particularly meaningful because he transferred from a Division I program, the University at Buffalo to Onondaga to take a chance on himself.

According to Gonzalez, Foster’s success was built on sacrifice and consistency. He dealt with long travel, practice adjustments and weather cancellations while continuing to find ways to make it to practice. He also made significant academic improvements, spending time in the athlete computer lab before practice to complete his schoolwork.

On the wrestling side, Gonzalez says Foster constantly sought out difficult workout partners, challenging rounds and additional opportunities to improve. His championship season ultimately established a new standard for the Onondaga program.

Foster has now earned a scholarship to the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, giving future Onondaga wrestlers a tangible example of what is possible through the program.

Gonzalez also discusses the role of the New York State Collegiate Wrestling Championships, an event that brings together collegiate programs from across New York. For Onondaga, the tournament provides an opportunity for its junior college wrestlers to compete against Division I, Division III and other four-year universities.

Gonzalez believes the event gives junior college wrestlers a chance to demonstrate that they can compete with higher-regarded programs while also creating potential recruiting and transfer opportunities. With four Onondaga wrestlers already moving on to the next level, he sees the tournament as an important part of establishing the recruiting pathway for future junior college athletes.

The NJCAA landscape in New York presents different challenges. Onondaga can face several hours of travel simply to compete against another two-year program, while the state is also filled with Division I and Division III schools. That geographic reality affects both competition and recruiting.

Despite those differences, Gonzalez believes the two systems share a common foundation. Both provide opportunities for wrestlers with a wide range of backgrounds, from athletes who barely made their high school varsity teams to state champions looking to develop and eventually move on to four-year programs.

For high school wrestlers considering the junior college route, Gonzalez encourages them to first establish their long-term goals. Whether the goal is wrestling Division I, becoming an All-American or earning a scholarship, he believes athletes should identify the path required to reach that objective and determine whether a particular two-year program can help them get there.

Gonzalez is especially excited about the future of NJCAA and junior college wrestling. He believes the next five years could bring significant growth, pointing to the addition of women’s wrestling and the expansion of programs across the association. He also expects more programs to develop in the Northeast, which could create a deeper and more competitive regional for wrestling.

That growth also connects to Gonzalez’s thoughts on the Simple Man Wrestling–JUCO Tough National Top 20 Rankings and the First Team and Second Team All-American selections. He believes establishing national recognition for junior college programs can create greater exposure and a more consistent standard for evaluating wrestlers across the 3C2A and NJCAA.

Gonzalez believes these initiatives can help change the perception of junior college wrestling by making it easier to identify the depth of talent competing at the two-year level. He sees the potential for greater exposure to encourage more wrestlers to continue competing and ultimately create a boom in participation.

Looking toward the future of Onondaga Community College, Gonzalez has ambitious goals. The program wants to win its first Region III championship, bring home team hardware from the NJCAA Division III National Duals, individual NJCAA Championships, and eventually capture an NJCAA team title.

For Gonzalez, the foundation is already being built. Onondaga’s rapid success, Charlie Foster’s historic championship, the program’s growing reputation and its ability to move athletes on to four-year schools have created a blueprint for what the program can become.

Q&A WITH ANGEL GONZALEZ

First, tell us a little about your wrestling background and what led you to Onondaga Community College in New York.

ANGEL GONZALEZ: : I started wrestling in the summer before 9th grade out of pure chance and before I knew it, I ended up falling in love with wrestling and what it offered to me. I competed all 4 years representing Downey High School, TMWC Youth, and So Cal Bears WC in southern California. Downey had developed a strong wrestling culture prior to joining the program, so I was able to be exposed to some of the state’s top talent day in, day out. I finished high school as a four-year letter winner, 3x CIF Qualifier, Team-Captain, and having earned a scholarship to compete in the NAIA at Ottawa University in Kansas.

I was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and moved back during the pandemic after having medically ended my wrestling career due to an injury I sustained in an auto accident. I transferred to Onondaga Community College and graduated in 2022 as a member of the track program having earned NJCAA All-Region Honors in the 4x100m. I volunteered as a manager, then as a coach for the program when Men’s & Women’s wrestling was announced where I became the inaugural assistant coach.

What makes Onondaga Community College a place for wrestlers looking to continue their careers around the country and in New York? 

ANGEL GONZALEZ: Onondaga Community College in its current position, is one of New York’s and the country’s leading community colleges in academics and athletics. We have an incredible campus, administration and housing system that supports all our students on or off-campus with top-tier educators plus facilities built for everyone to succeed throughout our 70 programs. We have full-time athletic trainers, athlete-only weight room, amenities, a 10,000-person multi-purpose facility that houses our indoor track and more. Wrestlers can proudly represent the “O” knowing they are getting the full support from everyone that walks into our buildings wanting them to succeed.

How would you describe the culture of your wrestling room?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: The Culture in our wrestling room is tough, gritty, and very tight knit coming from a two-year program. We are in the heart of New York’s Section 3, which is historically one of New York’s most competitive areas. Many of our wrestlers come from programs that wrestle all year round, representing the local clubs in our area so many heated rivals have become teammates and friends over the last two years. We bring in guys that are willing to scrap and know that effort is the minimum to choose to get better. We’ve had some great wrestlers take the chance to join us knowing sacrifices are being made by everyone to compete at their best. Our room shows that proudly. We get loud, we cheer, we support our brothers and sisters every time they step on the mat, so our culture has begun to spread and be known to those around us.

Your high school coach Miguel Soto established a winning tradition at Downey High School before leading East Los Angeles College in the 3C2A in California. What lessons did you take away from wrestling under him that continue to influence your coaching philosophy today?

ANGEL GONZALEZ:  Coach Soto left a great impression on me during his time as my head coach and was known for constantly offering us his guidance when he could. The biggest lesson I still take away from him to this day is how my impact as a coach affects these young men and women twenty years down the line. No matter what we accomplished as a squad or individuals, he always preached that it’s who we became after wrestling that defined his legacy as a coach and mentor. We all want to be great at wrestling, everyone dreams of winning it all, but when the time passes and wrestling is far in the rear view, who are you as a person after the fact?

Instilling the values of respect, discipline, committing to your word, and standing with people who believe you go farther than any of these accolades or awards you win on the mat. Every season, I make the effort to push these morals and remind these young adults that great things with maximum effort and how you do things are how others will define you.

What role do junior colleges play in the overall wrestling landscape?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: Junior Colleges play the subtle backbone on the overall wrestling landscape we have here in the United States. We bridge the entry for wrestlers who want to compete at the next level, but don’t know where to start or do not have the opportunities and exposure to get there. From division 1 to non-scholarship programs, junior college wrestlers fill rosters at every level and support in the development of higher-level wrestling providing future national champions to national team members. Junior colleges ease the barrier of entry for many wrestlers who might’ve never had the opportunity to keep going while establishing the definition of what it means to be a true college wrestler with skill development and academic progression.

Having grown up around 3C2A junior college programs like East Los Angeles College and Cerritos College in California and now coaching at Onondaga Community College in the NJCAA in New York, what stands out as the biggest differences between the two associations, and what do they have in common?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: Some of the biggest differences that I’ve noticed between 3C2A, and NJCAA programs are the difference in travel and recruiting that play in how our programs develop. Being in the backyard of four different 3C2A programs to start my career, I knew dozens of athletes who inevitably competed at junior colleges just out of the ease of being so close and continuing the sport. In my four years of high school, I had over 20 different teammates compete in the 3C2A without having to be recruited which resulted in highly competitive large rosters year in and out. Aside from recruiting, geographically having the schools so close to each other made traveling seem less demanding than what it is typically for NJCAA programs. 

In comparison, we have a minimum of three hours of travel to compete against another 2-year school, making our ability to understand the divisional landscape difficult. We’re surrounded by over twenty D3 and D1 programs in our state, so we often compete against 4-year schools with little exception till national qualifying time. That same fact also plays in terms of recruiting as we often must go to athletes due to our proximity to them while also competing with the 4-year universities for their attention.

I think the biggest similarities we have are the competition level between athletes, there’s always a good mix of athletes who barely made varsity in high school to state champions, state placers looking to develop and get themselves on a 4-year roster. The type of wrestlers 3C2A and NJCAA program will always be similar in the grand scale of things.

What qualities do you look for when recruiting student-athletes?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: When recruiting student-athletes, I am looking for evidence of self-determination, grit, and good sportsmanship. I want a student-athlete who’s willing to wrestle through tough situations and keep their head high no matter the result because they are confident in their effort. These kinds of students often excel both in and out of the classroom while thriving off your support but can push themselves at all moments.

What are some of the goals for Onondaga Community College moving forward?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: Our inevitable goal as a program is to win an NJCAA title and bring another national championship to the City of Syracuse. We have full belief that we have all the tools in our area and school to achieve this with full commitment. This incoming season, we’re prioritizing winning a program’s first region 3 title, as well as bringing back team hardware from the NJCAA D3 national duals and national tournament.

What advice would you give to high school wrestlers who are considering the junior college route?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: My biggest piece of advice for high school wrestling considering the junior college route is to define their goals and a possible path to achieve it. Do you want to wrestle D1? Do you want to be an All-American or do you just want a scholarship? Create the guidelines you need to get there and look at whether that 2-year program can help you get there.

What excites you most about the future of NJCAA wrestling?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: I am most excited to see the growth of NJCAA wrestling over the next five years. From the addition of women’s wrestling to the addition of dozens of programs, including ourselves, there’s a lot more wrestling coming to the NJCAA. I have the expectation to see a few more programs develop here in the northeast creating a much more competitive region for us all.

Finally, how do you think the Simple Man Wrestling–JUCO Tough National Top 20 Rankings, along with the First Team and Second Team All-American selections, will benefit both the 3C2A and the NJCAA moving forward? What impact could these initiatives have on the future of junior college wrestling?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: I believe the Simple Man Wrestling–JUCO Tough National Top 20 Rankings will benefit all 2-year wrestling programs by creating a consistent form of exposure and standardization to this level of competition. There will be a change in the unified consensus of how others view junior college wrestling as it’ll be easier to gauge the depth of who deserves to move on to the highest level. The future of junior college wrestling has the potential to see a boom in participation with more wrestlers seeking opportunities to just keep competing.

The New York State Collegiate Wrestling Championships have become a unique event that brings together programs from multiple collegiate associations across the state. How has that tournament helped elevate junior college wrestling in New York, and what opportunities does it provide for Onondaga Community College and its student-athletes?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: The NYS Collegiate is the only tournament to bring all of New York’s programs together, giving us junior colleges the opportunity to show how tough we really are compared to our four-year competitors. It gives our athletes the chance to test themselves against higher-regarded competition and possible transfer opportunities. Having now four athletes move onto the next level from our program, the recruiting trail for junior college athletes can start at this tournament based on great showing. It gives us the opportunities to establish what in our wrestlers and program’s game needs to be adjusted while also elevating our total level of competition.

In just your second season, Onondaga Community College finished as the Region III runner-up, qualified six wrestlers for the NJCAA Championships, and celebrated the program’s first-ever NJCAA champion and All-American in just your second season. What does that accomplishment say about the direction of the program, and what were the keys to a successful season?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: Being able to support the first Individual National championship in just our second year as a program really solidified that our belief in our system and potential is more than legitimate. Our program is still just treading water when it comes to development, and we only continue to improve in what we can offer our athletes to achieve their best. A successful season requires sacrifice and commitment from across the board, there cannot be any exceptions for mediocrity because that sets the standard.

Charlie Foster made program history by becoming Onondaga Community College’s first-ever NJCAA champion and All-American earning a scholarship to the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Can you elaborate on his great season, the growth he showed throughout the year, and what his success means for the future of the program and recruiting?

ANGEL GONZALEZ: Charlie Foster is the definition of being all-in and is a tremendous young man and athlete who grew immensely to achieve his goal. Charlie came to us from the Division 1 program, University of Buffalo, to take a chance on himself. It required a lot of sacrifice from himself and his support system to do so. He preserved constant travel, practice adjustments, weather cancellations, to get to practice every day and did it with a smile on his face. While not always the most rigorous student in the past, he dedicated himself to his work and would average hours in our athlete computer lab prior to practice to get his work done. It only scratches the surface of the work he put in on the mat in order to improve, chasing every hard partner, every tough round, and every rep. His success defined what we have to expect as a program to reach the pinnacle of this sport and set the example of the type of wrestlers we want to step into our room. There’s now a precedent for future Onondaga Lazers to aim for and show we have what it takes to get there.

Gonzalez’s story represents many of the qualities that make junior college wrestling distinctive. His path from Southern California wrestler, under the guidance of Miguel Soto, to Onondaga Community College coach in New York provides a firsthand perspective on how the JUCO system can connect different wrestling communities while creating opportunities for athletes to continue competing, developing and preparing for the next level and stage of their careers.

Photo: Onondaga Community College Wrestling photos courtesy of Onondaga Community College Athletics / Onondaga Lazers Athletics.