Ryan ChartrandNew sneakers may not be the first thing to come to mind in wrestling, but for Filip Novachkov, it’s the story of how he eventually became involved with the sport.
“It wasn’t necessarily something I chose,” he says. “It’s actually a funny story. My (younger) brother Boris started wrestling before me. The reason he joined the wrestling team was because a kid in his class showed up with a pair of brand-new sneakers.”
When Boris asked where the kid had gotten the new shoes, his classmate answered that they were given out at wrestling practice. Boris joined immediately, and Filip followed suit a couple months later.
“He’d pretty much beat my butt every time, and it was frustrating for me, so this was a way I could get back at him,” Filip says.
It might seem like a typical American story, but Filip and his brother are from Bulgaria.
They moved with their parents – Stepah and Zhivka – to Sunnyvale about five years ago because their father had friends there who were from Bulgaria.
Now, they both wrestle at Cal Poly, which will compete at the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday.
Last year, Filip, as a redshirt freshman, went 16-10 at 133 pounds, including four wins against top-20 opponents.
Because Boris is redshirting this season, coaches thought it would be a good idea for Filip to take his spot at 141.
This year, after making that transition, Filip pinned Joaquin Carlos of San Francisco State in two minutes and 19 seconds and won the Missouri Open by posting a 12-0 win over Indianapolis’ Irwin Matt, pinning Eric Graham in 1:09, topping Hofstra’s Justin Accordino 6-2 and upsetting 17th-ranked Ryan Prater of Illinois 9-8.
“He showed perseverance,” Mustangs assistant coach Sammie Henson says. “He showed he can win a tournament and be a champion in a tough, tough weight class. That’s a big sign, especially this early in the season.”
Boris was 19-12 as a true freshman last season, when at the Pac-10 Conference Championships he upset top seed T.J. Dillashaw of Cal State Fullerton to qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Competing unattached at the Cal State Fullerton Open on Nov. 23 – the same day his brother won the Missouri Open – Boris won all four of his matches, defeating Tony Denegall 11-2, Cal State Fullerton’s Armando Gonzalez 2-0, Cal State Bakersfield’s Elijah Nacita 6-4 and Cal State Fullerton’s Teddy Astorga 5-0.
The Novachkov family was supposed to move to Canada originally, using a green-card family package Filip’s mother had, but the Novachkovs ended up not moving at first. The second time Filip’s mother got a family package, it was for the U.S.
“I think my parents pretty much sacrificed themselves so me and my brother could have a better opportunity, a better education in America,” says Filip, who at Fremont High had a 4.0 GPA and became an Academic Student of the Year.
He chose Cal Poly because of its coaches and environment. The beach, he says, was a big attraction, and he and teammates go surfing every other day.
“I just love it down here,” Filip says. “I like everything about the Cal Poly wrestling team. I like the coaches, the guys on the team – we have a great program right now.”
Cal Poly coaches reciprocate that appreciation.
“He’s an awesome athlete and an awesome wrestler,” Mustangs head coach John Azevedo says. “He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen as far as his wrestling athleticism and mat awareness.”
Henson couldn’t agree more.
“He’s a great athlete; he has unbelievable talent,” he adds. “Coaches love him because he not only excites the fans, but he generally wins and he usually does something extraordinary to make it happen.”
Filip used to play soccer, too, but a previous coach made him choose one or the other, and he wasn’t ready to give up wrestling.
“What I like the most is that it’s the oldest sport ever, and when you go out, you’re pretty much by yourself,” Filip says. “You don’t rely on anyone else; you go out and compete for yourself.”
Filip, known as the quieter of the two, says he used to look up to a Bulgarian champion, but now he admires his coaches most.
“He’s got a great, competitive heart,” Azevedo says.
Boris says it’s as if his brother “flips a switch” when he gets on the mat.
“He’s nice off the mat, but he can be pretty mean on the mat,” Boris says. “Especially against me, he gets really aggressive. He definitely has a different personality.”
Last year, Filip beat Hofstra’s Lou Ruggirello, then the country’s top-ranked 133-pounder, 6-3 in Las Vegas.
“I told Filip from day one I think he can do anything,” Henson says. “I think the sky’s the limit for him.”
Boris, who in high school was a two-time national freestyle champion and a two-time Greco-Roman national champion, followed Filip to San Luis Obispo just a year later.
The two regularly practice against each other, something everyone seems to agree is beneficial to both.
“I’d say Boris is one of the best workout partners for me,” Filip says. “We got to wrestle (in practice) once in a while, but now that he’s redshirting, he’s going to have more time. It’s really going to help me throughout the whole year.”
Boris agrees, adding that their relationship as siblings only makes them better.
“If I see him do good at wrestling tournaments, it motivates me, and I’m pretty sure he feels the same way,” Boris says.
Boris says that when he learns a new move, he’ll immediately show Filip and they’ll work on the technique together. He says Filip does the same for him.
“If one does better than the other, I think they generally want to outdo each other,” Henson says. “It influences them, in a way. They’re in an individual sport, so if one wins a tournament, the other wants to win.”