Manning was introduced by Principal Brian Wall at a press conference on campus Monday. A former Central Section Player of the Year at Edison, Manning has spent the last couple of years training local elite players to prepare for the next level. Now, he has a team of his own to train, calling himself a natural coach.
Manning junior was a three time all-Pac 10 defensive back at UCLA, before playing six NFL seasons. He played in the super bowl with Carolina and Chicago, and his on-field resume, and the work it takes to get to the highest levels of football, has already made its mark on his new players.
Upon transferring to Fresno State from Washington State, Bulldog head coach Adrian Wiggins told local media Ki-Ki Moore would be a game changer. The sophomore was named WAC Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year Monday, after leading the league in steals, finishing third in scoring, sixth in assists, and eighth in rebounding.
Junior Rosie Moult and sophomore Taylor Thompson earned second-team honors, while freshman Madison Parrish was named to the all-freshman team.
On the tennis court, Bulldog sophomore Francis Alcantara has been named WAC tennis Athlete of the Week after beating a ranked opponent against San Diego State. Fresno State is ranked 16th in the country in men's tennis, and could go even higher this week.
And the Fresno State men's golf team kicked off the 42nd annual Lexus Classic Monday at Fort Washington Country Club in Fresno. The 16-team tournament features teams from all over the country, representing the Pac-12, Mountain West, and Big 12 conferences, as well as Fresno City College. But after day one, the Bulldogs will have some work to do if they want to get back into contention. Fresno State is in ninth place, a whopping 21 shots back of Pac-12 school Oregon State. Sacramento State is in second at six-under-par. All teams will play one round Tuesday.
