ML>
Untitled Document
-
- Arizona State UniversityTempe, AZ
-
Sun Devil Wrestling Ends Skid, Drops Bakersfield on the Road
ASU scored five victories with bonus points Sunday as the Sun Devils defeated CSU Bakersfield, 24-17.
- Jan. 29, 2012
- BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The Arizona State University wrestling team ended an eight-dual losing skid Sunday, dropping CSU Bakersfield, 24-17, in the final conference road dual of the season for the Sun Devils at the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif.
- ASU (6-10, 2-2) split the matches in the dual at five apiece with the Roadrunners, but logged each of its victories with bonus points to hold on for the final margin. It was a refreshing sight for a team that has come so close in numerous duals this season only to see bonus points from the other squad keep the Sun Devils without a W in the record column.
- Senior Eric Starks got things rolling for ASU at 174 pounds with a 15-6 major decision over Brady Garner to put ASU up 4-0 right off the bat.
- Redshirt freshman Kevin Radford scored his fourth consecutive victory at 184 pounds as he also scored a 15-4 major decision over Reuben Franklin to give ASU to 8-0 edge early.
- After a CSUB decision at 197 pounds, Levi Cooper got back into the win column with a pin at the first-period buzzer over Frankie Hurtado in the heavyweight bout for his 21st victory of the season, leading all Sun Devils.
- Leading 14-3 at that point, CSUB got a major decision at 125 pounds with Tyler Iwamura defeating Lucio Murrilo in the true freshman's first ever collegiate contest, 9-0.
- Frank Lomas earned a decision over Shane McGough at 133 pounds to bring the Roadrunners back within 14-10.
- Redshirt freshmen Nathan Hoffer quickly put an end to that run with a pin in 2:14 over Dalton Kelley at 141 pounds and Kyle McIntosh added a major decision over Erik Martinez at 149 pounds, 10-1, to effectively put the match away for the Sun Devils.
- The Sun Devils will return home next weekend for the final dual of the 2012 season as the squad will face Stanford on Sunday, Feb. 5 for Senior Day, beginning at 2 p.m. PST
Arizona State 24, CSU Bakersfield 17
- 174: Eric Starks (AS) def. Brady Garner, 15-6
- 184: Kevin Radford (AS) def. Reuben Franklin, 15-4
- 197: AC Brown (CSUB) def. Chace Eskam, 8-3
- 285: Levi Cooper (AS) pins Frankie Hurtado @2:59
- 125: Tyler Iwamura (CSUB) def. Lucas Murillo, 9-0
- 133: Frank Lomas (CSUB) def. Shane McGough, 8-4
- 141: Nathan Hoffer (AS) pins Dalton Kelley, @2:14
- 149: Kyle McIntosh (AS) def. Erik Martinez, 10-1
- 157: Anthony Box (CSUB) def. Joel Smith, 12-7
- 165: Adam Fierro (CSUB) def. Rush Hall, 10-2
- ASU Wrestling Falls to Cal Poly on the Road, 26-11
McGough logs 15th victory of the season with tech fall, his 11th bonus point win of the year.
- SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The Arizona State University wrestling team dropped its eighth consecutive dual on Friday night, falling to Cal Poly, 26-11, at Mott Gym in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
- Redshirt freshman Shane McGough got back to his winning ways against the Mustangs, scoring a tech fall over Michael Clemmensen at the 5:20 mark by a score of 18-3. With the win, 11 of McGough's 15 victories this season have now come by bonus points.
- Fellow freshman Kevin Radford earned his third consecutive victory for the Sun Devils (5-10, 1-2 Pac-12) with a 6-5 decision over Sean Dougherty to not the score at three after two bouts. Cal Poly (5-5, 3-2 Pac-12) would take over from there though, winning six of the eight remaining matchups.
- Redshirt freshman Joel Smith got the Sun Devils lone other win at 149 pounds with a 5-3 decision of Kyle Chene.
- The Sun Devils were competing without the team's leader in wins as Levi Cooper sat out his first competition of the season on Friday.
- ASU will be back in action for its final road dual of the season on Sunday as the team squares off against Pac-12 foe CSU Bakersfield in Bakersfield, Calif., with the match set to begin at 2 p.m. PT.
- Cal Poly 26, ASU 11
- 174 Ryan DesRoches (Cal Poly) won by decision over Eric Starks (Arizona State) 5-3. (3-0)
- 184 Kevin Radford (Arizona State) won by decision over Sean Dougherty (Cal Poly) 6-5. (3-3)
- 197 Ryan Smith (Cal Poly) won by major decision overChace Eskam (Arizona State) 15-5 (7-3)
- 285 Kelan Bragg (Cal Poly) won by decision over Michael Hawkins (Arizona State) 6-1. (10-3)
- 125 Britain Longmire (Cal Poly) won by major decision over Dalton Miller (Arizona State) 14-5. (14-3)
- 133 Shane McGough (Arizona State) won by tech fall over Michael Clemmensen (Cal Poly) 5:20 18-3. (14-8)
- 141 Borislav Novachkov (Cal Poly) won by major decision over Nathan Hoffer (Arizona State) 11-0. (18-8)
- 149 Joel Smith (Arizona State) won by decision over Kyle Chene (Cal Poly) 5-3. (18-11)
- 157 Gianpier Yanez (Cal Poly) won by major decision over Kyle McIntosh (Arizona State) 13-1. (22-11)
- 165 Dominic Kastl (Cal Poly) won by major decision over Rush Hall (Arizona State) 12-3. (26-11)
- ASU Drops Dual to Top-Ranked Oklahoma State, 33-6
Hoffer scores upset victory over 12th-ranked wrestler in the country at 141 pounds.
- Jan. 20, 2012
- STILLWATER, Okla. - The Arizona State University wrestling team faced its first true road test of the season on Friday, falling to the top-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, 33-6, at the Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla.
- The Sun Devils, who had only taken part in tournaments or neutral site duals this season, dropped to 5-8 on the season with the loss and are now 0-1 in true road contests.
- The Cowboys (7-0, 2-0 Big 12) roster, which packed with nine starters who are currently ranked in the top-18 in the nation at their respective weight class, was just too much for the youth of Arizona State. ASU (5-8, 1-1 Pac-12) started seven true or redshirt freshmen in front of the crowd of 2,088 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
- Nathan Hoffer, one of those redshirt freshman, looks to have overcome a tough early winter and showed why he'll be someone to keep an eye on in the coming years with an upset of 12th-ranked Josh Kindig at 141 pounds to bring ASU back to within 9-3 after losing the first two matches by bonus-points.
- Hoffer overcame an early takedown by Kindig before adding two takedowns and a two-point nearfall in the first to take the 7-3 lead after one and never looked back en route to a 10-4 decision.
- At 149 pounds, redshirt freshman Joel Smith gave No. 2 Jamal Parks all he could handled for the better part of two of the three periods as he led 3-2 at one point and only a two-point nearfall at the buzzer dropped him behind 6-3 heading into the third frame. Unfortunately, Parks was able to take over from there in dropping Smith in a 15-5 major decision, though the Sun Devil frosh showed a lot of character in the bout after having missed the better part of the past month with injury.
- ASU's Hans Rasmusson was able to keep No. 12 Albert White to just a decision at 157 pounds, falling 7-3, but OSU's No. 18 Dallas Bailey would go on to drop true freshman Rush Hall in a 19-4 technical fall in the ASU youngster's first ever collegiate match at 165 pounds.
- No. 5 Chris Perry defeated ASU senior Eric Starks in an 11-1 major decision before redshirt freshman Kevin Radford got ASU back on the board with a 13-9 decision over Zach White at 184 pounds to bring the score to 25-6.
- Redshirt freshman Chace Eskam dropped a technical fall to OSU's No. 10 Blake Rosholt in just the third collegiate dual of his career at 197 pounds before No. 3 Alan Gelogaev topped ASU's ninth-ranked Levi Cooper at heavyweight, 6-1, to wrap up the match for the Cowboys.
- ASU will have tomorrow off before heading to the second part of their Oklahoma road trip on Sunday, where the seem will take on the #11 Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Okla., at 2 p.m. CST.
- Sun Devil Wrestling Eliminated from Va. Dual With Loss to NDSU, 23-19
Cooper picks up his 20th win of the season but it is not enough for ASU in Hampton, Va.
HAMPTON, Va. - The Arizona State University wrestling team was eliminated from competition at the 32nd Annual Virginia Duals on Saturday morning, falling to North Dakota State, 23-19, in the first round of the consolation bracket in Hampton, Va.
- The Sun Devils (5-7, 1-1 Pac-12) split the 10 matches with the Bison, but struggled again with bonus-point losses, which proved to be the difference in the match.
- Like yesterday's dual with Old Dominion, ASU fell behind early after #14 David Sparkle pinned the Sun Devils' David Prado in 1:59 to give NDSU the 6-0 edge to kick things off.
- But also fitting the form of yesterday, redshirt freshmen Shane McGough, Nathan Hofferand Joel Smith all won their bouts at 133, 141 and 149, respectively to take the lead back, 9-6.
- The Bison responded with a #10 Stephen Monk tech fall over Hans Rasmusson at 157 pounds before Tyler Johnson pinned ASU's Victory DeJesus to open things up.
- Eric Starks, returning to the mat this weekend for the first time in nearly two months, answered with a major decision over Joe Garner for his first victory since Nov. 26 - the last competition before a leg injury sidelined the senior.
- With the score tight at 17-13, ASU was unable to come up with victories from redshirt freshmen Kevin Radford and Tommy Burriel at 184 and 197 pounds as both dropped close decisions and effectively eliminated the Sun Devils from contention.
- Nonetheless, Levi Cooper earned his 20th win of the season in the heavyweight matchup, pinning Evan Knutson in 1:46 to get to the final dual score of 23-19.
- The Virginia Duals are a double elimination tournament and thus ASU was eliminated from the competition with the loss after dropping a tough dual to Old Dominion yesterday.
- ASU will continue the dual schedule in the coming week with a tough road trip that will see the team square off against top-ranked Oklahoma State on Friday in Stillwater, Okla., at 7 p.m. CST before facing #12 Oklahoma on Norman, Okla., on Sunday at 2 p.m. CST.
- 125 Trent Sprenkle (North Dakota State U) over David Prado (Arizona State) Pin 1:59 0 6 133 Shane McGough (Arizona State) over Justin Solberg (North Dakota State U) Dec 13-9 3 6 141 Nathan Hoffer (Arizona State) over Tyler Diamond (North Dakota State U) Dec 7-1 6 6 149 Joel Smith (Arizona State) over Mark Erickson (North Dakota State U) Dec 6-5 9 6 157 Steven Monk (North Dakota State U) over Hans Rasmusson (Arizona State) TF 18-0 9 11 165 Tyler Johnson (North Dakota State U) over Victor De Jesus (Arizona State) Pin 1:44 9 17 174 Eric Starks (Arizona State) over Joe Garner (North Dakota State U) Maj 10-2 13 17 184 Mac Stoll (North Dakota State U) over Kevin Radford (Arizona State) Dec 10-6 13 20 197 John Gusewelle (North Dakota State U) over Tommy Burriel (Arizona State) Dec 5-4 13 23 HWT Levi Cooper (Arizona State) over Evan Knutson (North Dakota State U) Pin 1:46 19 23
- Sun Devil Wrestling Drops Tough One to Old Dominion, 20-19
ASU will face the loser of Nebraska-North Dakota State tomorrow in the consolation bracket at the 32nd Virginia Duals
- Jan. 13, 2012
- HAMPTON, Va. - The Arizona State University wrestling team dropped a tough loss in the opener of the 32nd Annual Virginia Duals on Friday, falling to Old Dominion, 20-19, at the Hampton Coliseum.
- Things got started on a tough note for the Sun Devils at 125 pounds as senior David Prado would lose a major decision in the opening match, 13-2, to put the Sun Devils behind by four to start the dual.
- Redshirt freshman Shane McGough had the answer at 133 pounds, recording his fourth win in his last five matches with a pin of Scott Festejo in 2:36. The pin was his third in his last four wins and put ASU back up 6-4.
- Nathan Hoffer built on the lead with his 13th victory of the season against Justin LaValle courtesy of a 12-8 decision and fellow redshirt freshman Joel Smith kept the run going in his first action on the mat in several weeks, taking down Brennan Brumley in a 6-5 decision to put ASU up 12-4 through four matches.
- The wheels started to come off a but at that point in the upper middle- and lower heavyweights as the Monarchs ripped off wins in the next four matches, including a major decision by John Nicholson over Victor DeJesus at 157 pounds and a Tristan Warner pin over Hans Rasmusson at 165 pounds and ASU fell behind 20-12.
- Tommy Burriel turned the ship around at 197 pounds, getting a 14-4 major decision for his third consecutive win and bringing ASU within four heading into the heavyweight bout.
#10 Levi Cooper was able to shut out Matt Tourdot, but with a final score of 6-0 and only earning a decision, the Sun Devils came a point shy in the final tally, 20-19.
- The loss dropped ASU to 5-6 on the season in dual meets and they will move to the consolation side of the Virginia Duals bracket. The team will face the loser of the Nebraska vs. North Dakota State dual, which is set to take place this afternoon, tomorrow morning.
- ASU Wrestling Falls in Tough Conference Dual, 32-18
McGough, Graham log pins as Sun Devils give a gritty performance at home against the Beavers.
- Jan. 8, 2012
- TEMPE -- The Arizona State University wrestling team dropped its first conference dual of the season Sunday against the 15th-ranked Oregon State Beavers (5-1, 4-0 Pac-12), 32-18, at Wells Fargo Arena.
- Redshirt freshman Shane McGough and true freshman Jacob Graham showed the grit of the wrestling program after both won their matches with a pin.
- McGough's pin came in at the 2:10 second mark with his pin against 17th-ranked Garrett Drucker; tying the match at 6-6 after Sun Devil David Prado was pinned in the prior match.
- For McGough, it was his 11th win on the season and eight of those wins have now come with bonus points.
- McGough's pin was followed by a tech fall in favor of the Beavers at 141, Beaver pins at the 149 and 157 weight classes and a major decision for the Beavers at 165 as the Sun Devils fell behind 26-6 with four matches remaining.
- Graham ensured that the team wouldn't go easily into the night as he went into his match against Ty Vinson. Trailing by six and with riding time against him, Graham fought off Vinson's advantage position and flipped the reversal, catching the Beaver out of position as he took him down with at the 5:48 mark to decrease the Beavers lead.
- Trailing 26-12, Kevin Radford stepped up at 184 pounds and ripped off a decision of his own against John Tuck, 7-3, before Tommy Burriel took to the mat against Beaver's Taylor Meeks at 197 in a match that had the crowd and coaches out of their seats as the Sun Devils (5-5, 1-1 Pac-12) tried to make the comeback as they trailed just 26-15 at that point.
- Burriel was victorious for his 12th victory of the year as he won in a 7-5 decision over Taylor Meeks, but trailing by eight with just one bout left, the Sun Devils were effectively eliminated from winning the dual.
- Fifth-ranked Clayton Jack took down ASU's #16 Levi Cooperat the 3:26 mark for the sixth pin of the day on the dual and giving the Beavers the 32-18 victory.
- The Arizona State University wrestling team hits the road the next three weeks, beginning with the Virginia Duals next weekend. The Sun Devils next home match comes February 5th against Stanford.
- 125 Pat Rollins (Oregon State) won by pin over David Prado (Arizona State) 1:41. 0 6
133Shane McGough (Arizona State) won by pin over Garrett Drucker (Oregon State) 2:10. 6 6
141Michael Mangrum (Oregon State) won by tech fall over Kalin Goodsite (Arizona State) 6:48 24-7. 6 11
- 149Scott Sakaguchi (Oregon State) won by pin over Kyle McIntosh (Arizona State) 1:20. 6 17
157Roger Pena (Oregon State) won by pin over Victor DeJesus (Arizona State) 2:26. 6 23
165Cody Weishoff (Oregon State) won by decision over Hans Rasmusson (Arizona State) 9-2. 6 26
- 174Jacob Graham (Arizona State) won by pin over Ty Vinson (Oregon State) 5:48. 12 26
184Kevin Radford (Arizona State) won by decision over John Tuck (Oregon State) 7-3. 15 26
197Tommy Burriel (Arizona State) won by decision over Taylor Meeks (Oregon State) 7-5. 18 26
- 285Clayton Jack
- Sun Devil Wrestling Set for Pac-12 Showdown
- The Sun Devil wrestling team will take on #15 Oregon State on Sunday at Wells Fargo Arena in a battle for conference bragging rights.
TEMPE - The Arizona State University wrestling team will host #15 Oregon State on Sunday, Jan. 8 at Wells Fargo Arena in a battle for conference bragging rights. Arguably the top two teams in the conference, Sunday's dual promises to be a solid battle that will future several student-athletes with the ability to make a run at the NCAA Championships. The Beavers bring a 4-1 record to Tempe, Ariz., and have won the past five competitions between the two teams though ASU holds to overall series edge, 18-16. Events are set to get underway at 2 p.m. MST and a ive webcast of the dual will be available at foxsportsarizona.com.
OPENING WHISTLE
- * ASU remains unranked on the season
- * Oregon State has won the past five duals between the two teams
- * Levi Cooper leads the team with 18 victories on the season and just one dual loss
- * Levi Cooper upset the top-ranked returning NCAA Champion in Zach Rey of Lehigh at the Northeast Duals
- * Head Coach Shawn Charles is in his third season as head coach
- * Redshirt freshman Shane McGough has logged seven of his 10 victories this year with bonus points (4 falls, 3 majors)
- * The Sun Devils return one All-American this season in heavyweight Levi Cooper
- * Cooper (HWT) is the only Sun Devil ranked by all of the major ranking services
- * Fifteen Sun Devils have experienced their first collegiate action this season, representing the mass majority of competitors thus far.
IN THE RANKINGS - TEAM
- The Sun Devils entered the season unranked for the first time since the 2008-09 season. This comes despite finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships last year, though the loss of national champions Anthony Robles and Bubba Jenkins and the very young team the Sun Devils will be fielding are likely to blame for their omittance. The team did not receive any votes in the most recent NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll.
FOLLOW LIVE!
- You can view a live video stream of the Oregon State dual at www.foxsportsarizona.com or follow along with a live play-by-play at trackwrestling.com. The broadcast will begin at approximately 2 p.m. MST.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- Seven opponents on ASU's 2011-12 schedule can be found within the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll that was released earlier this week, including #2 Oklahoma State, who the Sun Devils are set to face in Stillwater on Jan. 20. Other top 25 teams on this year's slate include #9 Oklahoma, #15 Oregon State. Arizona State fell to #12 Lehigh, #23 Binghamtom and#14 Nebraska earlier this season, though they did beat Penn who, while unranked now, was #20 at the time.
IN THE RANKINGS - INDIVIDUAL
- Returning All-American Levi Cooper is the only Sun Devil consistently ranked by all of the major ranking services, and did himself a huge favor in upsetting former No. 1 Zach Rey at the Northeast Duals. The victory rocketed Cooper from the mid-teens in most rankings to the top-10 across the board, peaking at No. 4 by The Open Mat. However, his sixth-place finish and injury at the Las Vegas invite hurt him in the polls as he has dropped to No. 14 in the Amateur Wrestling News Rankings and out of the top-10 in all other ranking systems. Cooper hasn't won back-to-back duals since the Reno Tournament of Champions and will have a tough match this weekend with Oregon State's defending Pac-12 champion Clayton Jack. However, he remains a sold top-15 wrestler and has shown he can go with the big dogs at any point.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION: Oregon State
- In what might be a battle of the top-two Pac-12 squads on Sunday, Arizona State has a 18-16 all-time record against Oregon State but the Beavers have been winners of the past five duals. ASU is 9-7 when facing Oregon State at home but have dropped the past two contests, including a 35-5 drubbing in 2010. The Beavers are currently ranked 15th in the post recent NWCA Coaches Poll and are paced by #3 Michael Mangrum at 141 pounds and #5 Clayton Jack in the heavyweight category. Five of Oregon State's starters are ranked in the top-20 nationally by Amateur Wrestling News.
A LOOK BACK: Iowa State
- Shane McGough and Tommy Burriel logged bonus-point victories but ASU was unable to upend the Cyclones of Iowa State who won their eighth-straight against the Sun Devils 25-14. The tides turned in the dual when Nathan Hoffer, up 5-3 halfway through his 141 matchup against Luke Goettl found himself out of position and was pinned to give ISU at least a nine-point swing and the 10-4 advantage early on in the competition. ASU showed it's heart though as Kyle McIntosh, Burriel and Levi Cooper all won their matches to keep the score respectable thought the team dropped to 5-4 on the dual season.
- ASU Wrestling Drops Home Dual to Iowa State, 25-14
McGough, Burriel log bonus-point victories as squad comes up just short.
- Jan. 3, 2012
- TEMPE - The Arizona State University wrestling team dropped its second consecutive home dual Tuesday night to Iowa State, 25-14, at Wells Fargo Arena.
- Redshirt freshmen Shane McGough and Tommy Burriel both logged bonus-point wins but it wasn't enough as the Cyclones (1-8, 0-3 Big 12) won their eighth-consecutive dual against the Sun Devils (5-4, 1-0 Pac-12). ASU has not been able to topple Iowa State since 2004 as the Cyclones improved to 25-6 in the all-time series and the team earned its first dual victory of the year.
- Twelfth-ranked Ryak Finch got things started at 125 pounds for the Cyclones with a major decision over ASU's redshirt freshman Dalton Miller, 11-3, to put ISU up 4-0. McGough had the answer at 133 pounds as he dominated Shayden Terukina from start to finish for a 15-4 major decision of his own to tie the match at four.
- Things went a bit sour at that point for Arizona State as redshirt freshman Nathan Hoffer found himself leading the match, 5-3, at 141 pounds before Luke Goettl was able to get position and pin Hoffer, dropping the Sun Devils behind by six through three matches.
- Redshirt freshman Kyle McIntosh was able to respond with his second career dual victory at 149 pounds, getting a takedown at the buzzer to defeat Lucas Swalla and bring ASU back within three.
- The Cyclones proceeded to overpower Arizona State from there, however, winning the next four bouts at 157, 165, 174 and 184. Notable about the spree, however, was that no Sun Devil wrestling as those weights was the original starter this season as injuries and inconsistency have reared their heads.
- Effectively eliminated after being down 25-7 with just two matches left, the Sun Devils showed their fight as Burriel used a late takedown in the 197 bout to earn the major decision over Richard Shafer, 11-3, before ASU's All-American heavyweight Levi Cooper won the match finale, 4-1, against Matthew Gibson for his 18th win of the season.
- ASU will have the next couple days to recover before a big home dual against #16 Oregon State on Sunday afternoon as the two teams battle for Pac-12 bragging rights. Events will begin at 2 p.m. MST and a live webcast of the event will be available at www.foxsportsarizona.com. For continued coverage of Sun Devil wrestling, be sure to check out TheSunDevils.com.
- 125 Cory Finch (Iowa State) won by major decision over Dalton Miller (Arizona State) 11-3. 0 4
133Shane McGough (Arizona State) won by major decision over Shayden Terukina (Iowa State) 15-4. 4 0
141Luke Goettl (Iowa State) won by pin over Nathan Hoffer (Arizona State) 4:57. 4 10
149 Kyle McIntosh (Arizona State) won by decision over Lucas Swalla (Iowa State) 5-3. 7 10
157 Michael Moreno (Iowa State) won by decision over Victor DeJesus (Arizona State) 6-5. 7 13
165Andrew Sorenson (Iowa State) won by tech fall over Hans Rasmusson (Arizona State) 6:32 23-5. 7 18
174 Michael England (Iowa State) won by major decision over Jacob Graham (Arizona State) 12-2. 7 22
184Boaz Beard (Iowa State) won by decision over Kevin Radford (Arizona State) 10-5. 7 25
197Tommy Burriel (Arizona State) won by major decision over Richard Shafer (Iowa State) 11-3. 11 25
285Levi Cooper (Arizona State) won by decision over Matthew Gibson (Iowa State) 4-1. 14 25
- ASU Wrestling to Host Triple-Header on Thursday
- The Sun Devil wrestling team will welcome Boise State and Nebraska to the annual Sun Devil Duals on Thursday afternoon in Wells Fargo Arena.
- TEMPE - The Arizona State University wrestling team will welcome conference rival Boise State and perennial powerhouse Nebraska to Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday afternoon as the team hosts the annual Sun Devil Duals. Events are set to get underway at 11 a.m. MST on Thursday, Dec. 29, as Boise State will face Nebraska in the first of three duals scheduled for the afternoon. Following that match, Arizona State will take to the mat against the Broncos a 1 p.m. MST and turn around and square off with the Cornhuskers at 3 p.m. MST. You can view a live video stream of the event at www.foxsportsarizona.com or follow along with a live play-by-play at trackwrestling.com.
OPENING WHISTLE
- * ASU remains unranked on the season
- * ASU will face off against Boise State in a dual format for the first time since 2003
- * ASU has not beat Nebraska since 2002
- * Levi Cooper upset the top-ranked returning NCAA Champion in Zach Rey of Lehigh at the Northeast Duals
- * Head Coach Shawn Charles is in his third season as head coach
- * Redshirt freshman Nathan Hoffer has posted three of his 10 victories this year by pin and is on a six-dual winning streak
- * The Sun Devils return one All-American this season in heavyweight Levi Cooper
- * Cooper (HWT) is the only Sun Devil ranked by all of the major ranking services
- * Fourteen Sun Devils have experienced their first collegiate action this season, representing the mass majority of competitors thus far.
GETTING BOWLED OVER
- Thursday's event was originally slated to get underway as a primtime function, but due to the Insight Bowl being hosted at Sun Devil Stadium the following day and the need to use the facilities at Wells Fargo Arena for the Bowl preperation, adjustments were made to have the event start at an earlier time.
IN THE RANKINGS - TEAM
- The Sun Devils entered the season unranked for the first time since the 2008-09 season. This comes despite finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships last year, though the loss of national champions Anthony Robles and Bubba Jenkins and the very young team the Sun Devils will be fielding are likely to blame for their omittance. The team did not receive any votes in the most recent NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll.
FOLLOW LIVE!
- ou can view a live video stream of the event at www.foxsportsarizona.com or follow along with a live play-by-play at trackwrestling.com. Please note that only the ASU duals will be streamed live and not the Nebraska-Boise State dual that will kick off the event.
- STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
- Seven opponents on ASU's 2011-12 schedule can be found within the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll that was released earlier this week, including No. 2 Oklahoma State, who the Sun Devils are set to face in Stillwater on Jan. 20. Other top 25 teams on this year's slate include No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 16 Oregon State, and No. 14 Nebraska. Arizona State fell to #12 Lehigh and #25 Binghamtom earlier this season, though they did beat Penn who, while unranked now, was #20 at the time.
IN THE RANKINGS - INDIVIDUAL
- Returning All-American Levi Cooper is the only Sun Devils consistently ranked by all of the major ranking services, and did himself a huge favor in upsetting former No. 1 Zach Rey at the Northeast Duals. The victory rocketed Cooper from the mid-teens in post rankings to the top-10 across the board, peaking at No. 4 bu The Open Mat. However, his sixth-place finish and injury hurt him in this weeks polls as he dropped to No. 14 in the Amateur Wrestling News Rankings and out of the top-10 in all other ranking systems. However, he remains a sold top-15 wrestler and has shown he can go with the big dogs at any point.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION: Boise State
- Despite competing in the same conference as the Broncos, the two teams have not squared off in a dual since 2003. Arizona State is perfect in the series and brings an 8-0-0 record against Boise State to the table on Thursday in the early afternoon match. This isn't the Boise State of year's past though as the Broncos have risen to becoming on of the conference elite, winning their sixth Pac-10 title last season en route to a top-25 finish at the NCAA Championships. This year's team is a bit younger though but will give an equally young ASU team a run. Twelvth-ranked George Ivanov (157) and #11 Jake Swartz (184) will be the two to watch when these teams face off, especially as they are both slated to face redshirt freshmen in Derek Felton and Kevin Radford, respectively. This will be the first Pac-12 match of the season for the Sun Devils.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION: Nebraska
- Two of the nation's most storied wrestling programs will face off for the 16th time in the afternoon cap as Arizona welcome #14 Nebraska to Wells Fargo Arena following the Boise State matchup. The Cornhuskers have historically been one of the top teams in the nation and have won four straight against the Sun Devils, dating back to 2002. Nerbraska leads the series between the two teams, 14-4-1. Nebraska enters the competition with five student-athletes currently ranked in Amateur Wrestling News' top-10. That list includes No. 10 heavyweight Tucker Lane, who defeated ASU's returning All-American, Levi Cooper, at the Las Vegas Invitational earlier this season.
A LOOK BACK: Reno Tournament Of Champions
- The Sun Devils took 13th overall at the Reno Tournament of Champions in their last outing, led by Levi Cooper's fourth-place finish. Victor De Jesus should flashes of the two-time NJCAA champion that he began at ASU as in finishing fourth overall. Kalin Goodsite, not competing as part of the Sun Devil starting lineup, also scored a sixth place finish as did Jake Meredith, who returned to the mat for the first time this season as an unattached competitor.
- ASU Wrestling Takes on Iowa State at Home on Tuesday
Sun Devils look for first victory against the Cyclones since 2004.
- Jan. 2, 2012
- TEMPE - The Arizona State University wrestling team will welcome the New Year on Tuesday as the squad hosts Iowa State in a home dual at Wells Fargo Arena, beginning at 7 p.m. MST.
- Arizona State (5-3, 1-0 Pac-12) is looking to bounce back from a bittersweet showing at the Sun Devil Duals last weekend where the team earned its first conference win of the season against Boise State before dropping the afternoon cap to #14 Nebraska in a dual that didn't see a single Sun Devil wrestler win an individual match.
- The Cyclones (0-8) are looking to earn their first dual victory of the season and, like the Sun Devils, feature a prominently young roster. Iowa State is expected to start six freshmen and two sophomores on Tuesday and feature just one senior on the starting lineup in #4 Andrew Sorenson at 165 pounds.
- Iowa State has dominated the history between the two programs, going 24-6-0 in a series that dates back to 1969. Iowa State has won the past seven contests against the Sun Devils, who haven't beat the Cyclones since 2004.
- The Sun Devils have already surpassed their dual win total from the 2010-11 season and are looking to stay in the positive and build some momentum as the team looks ahead to Sunday's huge conference contest against #16 Oregon State.
- Arizona State will likely go with eight freshmen or redshirt freshmen in the dual against Iowa State, a young group that is led by Nathan Hoffer's 12-5 record (7-1 in duals). Redshirt junior #14 Levi Cooper paces the team with 17 wins and is looking to continue building towards repeating his All-America performance of last season.
- Tuesday's dual will be available for live viewing at www.foxsportsarizona.com by following the Sun Devil links to the video page. The broadcast will commence at 7 p.m. with play-by-play provided by Scott Powell.
- Sun Devil Wrestling Splits Matches Against Boise State, Nebraska at Sun Devil Duals
Sun Devil Wrestling Splits Matches Against
Boise State, Nebraska at Sun Devil Duals
- TEMPE - It was a day of highs and lows for the Arizona State University wrestling team as the squad returned to the dual season with a win over conference rival Boise State followed by the worst loss in school history against Nebraska as the team wrapped up competition at the Sun Devil Duals on Thursday afternoon in Wells Fargo Arena. Full recaps of both duals are below:
- Arizona State vs. Boise State
- Arizona State won its first six matches against Boise State University to put the dual away early, jumping to a 21-0 lead and never looking back in the first of a double-header at the Sun Devil Duals.
- Tommy Burriel got things started for ASU as he handled Derek Toney at the 197-weight class, 11-4, to put the Sun Devils up early. #14 Levi Cooper followed with his 17th victory of the season over J.T. Felix, 5-2, and ASU went up by six early.
- Dalton Miller looked to be down and out at 125 against Isaac Romero before pulling off an exciting comeback. Leading 3-2 heading into the third period, Miller fell victim to a Romero reversal to fall behind 4-3 with just under a minute left. With seconds ticking down and the match looking like a loss, Miller pulled out his own reversal with just five seconds left to take the 5-4 lead and win the match.
- Redshirt freshman Shane McGough kept the momentum going at 133 pounds, dominating Shawn Jones in the first period before putting him away with a pin at the 2:45 mark. Nathan Hoffer improved to 7-0 in duals with his own victory at 141 pounds, earning the decision over #18 Josh Strait.
- Redshirt freshman Kyle McIntosh kept up the winning ways, using an impressive come-from-behind victory at 149 pounds to knock off Steve Hernandez, 8-7, and put ASU 21-0.
- The Sun Devils would drop the matches at 157, 165 and 174 pounds - all by decision - before Kevin Radford earned the victory at 184 pounds courtesy of a medical forfeit to give ASU a 27-9 victory and improve the team to 5-2 on the dual season.
- ASU is now 9-0-0 all time against the Broncos and earned their first win of the conference season in the process.
- Nebraska 42, Arizona State 0
- An overtime loss by #14 Levi Cooper in the second match set the tone for the entire competition as Arizona dropped its third dual of the season to Nebraska, 42-0.
- Cooper and #10 Tucker Lane couldn't settle things in regulation and went on to overtime tied at one. Neither scored in the first sudden death session, taking the bout to the two thirty-second rounds. Lane scored an escape in the first 30 second period and Cooper was unable to get away from Lane's grasp during the second thirty seconds as he dropped just his sixth match of the year, 2-1.
- The Sun Devils couldn't recover from there, dropping every bout in the match en route to being shut out for the first time since 2008 and just the fifth time in school history.
- Nebraska's 42 points tied for the most ever scored against the Sun Devils, matching the 42-0 score that was posted by Oklahoma State in 1996 and Oregon State in 1969.
- Arizona dropped to 5-3 on the dual season while Nebraska improved to 9-0 - its best start in program history.
- Arizona State will look to recover against another tough opponent next week as the team hosts Iowa State in Wells Fargo Arena on Jan. 3 beginning at 7 p.m.
- For continued coverage of Arizona State wrestling, check out TheSunDevils.com.
- Robles Honored By the United States Academy
ASU wrestling standout continues to pile up distinctions, earning the 2011 Juan Antonio Samaranch Disabled Athlete Award from the USSA on Thursday
TEMPE- The career distinctions continue to pile up for Arizona State University wrestling's Anthony Robles. The now-graduated 2011 NCAA National Champion and current Sun Devil assistant coach was honored by the United States Sports Academy (USSA) today with the 2011 Juan Antonio Samaranch Disabled Athlete Award, as announced by the USSA on Thursday.
The Academy's Samaranch Disabled Athlete Award is presented annually to the physically or mentally challenged athlete who displays courage, desire, and athletic ability in the face of adversity to achieve the goals set forth in the athlete's particular arena of competition.
Robles is set to deliver his acceptance speech at Daphne High School in Daphne, Ala., to accept the award on Nov. 10 as part of the USSA's award ceremony.
Born without a right leg, Robles went undefeated (36-0) during his senior season at Arizona State this past year and was the 2011 NCAA Champion at 125 pounds. He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championships, tallying the third All-America accolade of his career. Despite his supposed 'disadvantage', Robles has repeatedly said that he doesn't view himself as disabled.
Robles notched his third consecutive Pac-10 title as well in 2011 and capped his career with 122 total victories, good for the eighth-best tally in Sun Devil wrestling history. Robles scored 47 technical falls during his tenure at ASU and won 75 percent of his matches with bonus points (92 of 122) for another school record. As a senior, Robles set single-season records for bonus-point wins (31) and technical falls (24) in what was one of the more dominating single seasons in ASU wrestling history.
Robles had 53 career wins in duals - good for 10th best in school history - and was named as the Outstanding Wrestler at five events as a senior.
Robles was honored at the 2011 ESPY Awards with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and as the Best Male Athlete with a Disability.
The Mesa, Ariz., native graduated with his bachelor's degree in business communication and now works as a motivational speaker and has spent much of the summer travelling to assorted events across the country to tell his story.
The United States Sports Academy is an independent, nonprofit, accredited, special mission sports university created to serve the nation and the world with programs in instruction, research and service. The role of the Academy is to prepare men and women for careers in the profession of sports. For more information about the Academy, call 251-626-3303 or visit <http://www.ussa.edu>www.ussa.edu.
-
- TEMPE - It was a day of highs and lows for the Arizona State University wrestling team as the squad returned to the dual season with a win over conference rival Boise State followed by the worst loss in school history against Nebraska as the team wrapped up competition at the Sun Devil Duals on Thursday afternoon in Wells Fargo Arena. Full recaps of both duals are below:
- Arizona State vs. Boise State
- Arizona State won its first six matches against Boise State University to put the dual away early, jumping to a 21-0 lead and never looking back in the first of a double-header at the Sun Devil Duals.
- Tommy Burriel got things started for ASU as he handled Derek Toney at the 197-weight class, 11-4, to put the Sun Devils up early. #14 Levi Cooper followed with his 17th victory of the season over J.T. Felix, 5-2, and ASU went up by six early.
- Dalton Miller looked to be down and out at 125 against Isaac Romero before pulling off an exciting comeback. Leading 3-2 heading into the third period, Miller fell victim to a Romero reversal to fall behind 4-3 with just under a minute left. With seconds ticking down and the match looking like a loss, Miller pulled out his own reversal with just five seconds left to take the 5-4 lead and win the match.
- Redshirt freshman Shane McGough kept the momentum going at 133 pounds, dominating Shawn Jones in the first period before putting him away with a pin at the 2:45 mark. Nathan Hoffer improved to 7-0 in duals with his own victory at 141 pounds, earning the decision over #18 Josh Strait.
- Redshirt freshman Kyle McIntosh kept up the winning ways, using an impressive come-from-behind victory at 149 pounds to knock off Steve Hernandez, 8-7, and put ASU 21-0.
- The Sun Devils would drop the matches at 157, 165 and 174 pounds - all by decision - before Kevin Radford earned the victory at 184 pounds courtesy of a medical forfeit to give ASU a 27-9 victory and improve the team to 5-2 on the dual season.
- ASU is now 9-0-0 all time against the Broncos and earned their first win of the conference season in the process.
- Nebraska 42, Arizona State 0
- An overtime loss by #14 Levi Cooper in the second match set the tone for the entire competition as Arizona dropped its third dual of the season to Nebraska, 42-0.
- Cooper and #10 Tucker Lane couldn't settle things in regulation and went on to overtime tied at one. Neither scored in the first sudden death session, taking the bout to the two thirty-second rounds. Lane scored an escape in the first 30 second period and Cooper was unable to get away from Lane's grasp during the second thirty seconds as he dropped just his sixth match of the year, 2-1.
- The Sun Devils couldn't recover from there, dropping every bout in the match en route to being shut out for the first time since 2008 and just the fifth time in school history.
- Nebraska's 42 points tied for the most ever scored against the Sun Devils, matching the 42-0 score that was posted by Oklahoma State in 1996 and Oregon State in 1969.
- Arizona dropped to 5-3 on the dual season while Nebraska improved to 9-0 - its best start in program history.
- Arizona State will look to recover against another tough opponent next week as the team hosts Iowa State in Wells Fargo Arena on Jan. 3 beginning at 7 p.m.
- For continued coverage of Arizona State wrestling, check out TheSunDevils.com.
- WRESTLING NAMES ROBLES AS VOLUNTEER COACH
- Anthony Robles, the 2011 national champion at 125 pounds and Sun Devil alumnus, will join the ASU wrestling squad as a volunteer coach.
TEMPE -- Travis Pascoe, a former All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier for the University of Nebraska, has joined the Arizona State University wrestling program's coach staff as an assistant coach, third-year head coach Shawn Charles announced today. A four-year starter at 184 pounds for NU, Pascoe will work with the upper weights on the Sun Devil roster, a group that includes returning Pac-10 Champion Jake Meredith (184) and heavyweight All-American Levi Cooper.
"Travis Pascoe is a hard working individual with great wrestling knowledge and enthusiasm," Charles said. "I hired him at Fresno State in 2005 because I knew he would be able to help the program succeed and I hired him here to do the same thing. He has found success at each level he has competed and I know he will be able to help our young men not only succeed on the mat, but off it as well. I am excited to have Travis back on staff with me and look forward to his contributions to the growth of the Sun Devil program."
At the start of the 2011-12 season, Pascoe will work with the heavier weights while fifth-year assistant coach and former Sun Devil All-American Brian Stith will continue his work with the middle weights. Charles, a four-time All-American for the Sun Devils, is set to begin his third year in charge of the program and will once again work with the lighter weights on the roster.
"I am very excited to be working with Shawn Charles once again," Pascoe said. "It is a great opportunity for me to learn from a tremendous person and coach. I grew up in the West and this program has a lot of talented wrestlers from the West, so I look forward to working with them and helping them achieve their goals, both as individuals and for the team. I really cannot wait to get started with the great group of young men Shawn has brought into the program and see were Arizona State wrestling can go from here."
The 2011-12 season will mark the seventh year Pascoe has coached in some capacity among the collegiate ranks and his second assistant position after joining Charles' staff at Fresno State for the 2005-06 season. After the FSU program was discontinued following that season, Pascoe headed north to Corvallis, Ore., where he has served as a volunteer coach at Oregon State for the past five seasons.
During his time in Corvallis, Pascoe worked with the Beavers' upper weight wrestlers and helped two individuals earn NCAA All-America honors, including Ty Watterson at heavyweight (2007) and Colby Covington at 174 (2011). On the conference level, Pascoe worked with six Beavers that combined to win seven Pac-10 titles (174-184-197-285), including two at the 2011 tournament in Corvallis, while the team won two titles in that same span.
Prior to his time at OSU, Pascoe joined Charles at Fresno State for one season. That year, Pascoe worked with Greg Gifford, who captured the 184-pound title at the NCAA West Region Championships and was one of two Bulldogs to reach the NCAA tournament in 2006. Once the program was dropped, Gifford, who went 1-2 at the national meet that year, transferred to ASU for his senior season, where he won the 184 title at the Pac-10 Championships and went 2-2 at the national meet.
Before Pascoe jumped into the coaching ranks, he was a highly ranked wrestler at 184 pounds for Nebraska. Competing as the starter for four years in a row (2001-02 season through the 2004-05 season), Pascoe recorded a career record of 100-36, which ranked as the 13th-most victories in NU history. A four-time national qualifier, Pascoe advanced to the semifinals of the 2005 tournament and eventually finished sixth overall to earn his first All-America honors. Winning at least two matches in each of his four NCAA appearances, Pascoe helped the Huskers to Top 20 finishes all four years, including a fifth-place showing in 2004 and an eighth-place finish in 2002.
Charles and Pascoe first met at the start of the 2001-02 season as Charles was brought on to be an assistant coach while Pascoe was set for his first season as a starter. During those four years, Pascoe placed third in the Big 12 Championships each of this first two year and then finished fourth as a junior. In his senior season, he reached the finals and finished second in the conference to earn a berth into the NCAA tournament.
Prior to joining the Huskers, Pascoe was two-sport standout at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash. A four-year member of both the wrestling and football squads, Pascoe was a three-time Washington state champion at 189 pounds and was widely considered one of the top recruits in the nation his senior year. He also was a High School All-American at 189 as a senior.
Before his first season in Tempe gets underway, Pascoe will marry Sara McFarland on September 3.
-
-
-
- Anthony Robles, the 2011 national champion at 125 pounds and Sun Devil alumnus, will join the ASU wrestling squad as a volunteer coach.
- TEMPE- Recently graduated Arizona State University wrestling standout Anthony Robles will return to the team for the 2011-12 campaign as a volunteer coach, as announced by head coach Shawn Charles on Wednesday.
- "Anthony is going to bring a wealth of knowledge to our lightweights, especially in the top positiions," ASU head coach Shawn Charles said. "He has knowledge in the sport and a lot of body awareness in the sport that will really help. Arizona State Wrestling is very fortunate to get Anthony to be our volunteer coach."
- Robles will work with the lightweights on the team and will bring a wealth of knowledge to a very young group of student-athletes that will certainly benefit from his experiences at the collegiate level.
- Born without a right leg, Robles went undefeated (36-0) during his senior season at Arizona State this past year and was the 2011 NCAA Champion at 125 pounds. He was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championships, tallying the third All-America accolade of his career.
- Robles notched his third consecutive Pac-10 title as well in 2011 and capped his career with 122 total victories, good for the eighth-best tally in Sun Devil wrestling history. Robles scored 47 technical falls during his tenure at ASU and won 75 percent of his matches with bonus points (92 of 122) for another school record. As a senior, Robles set single-season records for bonus-point wins (31) and technical falls (24) in what was one of the more dominating single seasons in ASU wrestling history.
- Robles had 53 career wins in duals - good for 10th best in school history - and was named as the Outstanding Wrestler at five events as a senior.
- Robles was honored at the 2011 ESPY Awards with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance and as the Best Male Athlete with a Disability.
- This will be Robles' first coaching role of his post-collegiate career. The Mesa, Ariz., native now works as a motivational speaker and has spent much of the summer travelling to assorted events across the country to tell his story.
- Charles, now in his third year as head coach, also added Travis Pascoe to the coaching staff earlier this summer. Pascoe was an All-America wrestler at Nebraska during his undergraduate years and worked with Charles during his time at Fresno State. The wrestling team will open up the 2011-12 schedule on November 5 at the Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti, Mich.
- Sun Devil Wrestling Adds Travis Pascoe to Coaching Staff
- Former Nebraska All-American (184) joins Shawn Charles and Brian Stith on staff
TEMPE - Travis Pascoe, a former All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier for the University of Nebraska, has joined the Arizona State University wrestling program's coach staff as an assistant coach, third-year Head Coach Shawn Charles announced today. A four-year starter at 184 pounds for NU, Pascoe will work with the upper weights on the Sun Devil roster, a group that includes returning Pac-10 Champion Jake Meredith (184) and heavyweight All-American Levi Cooper.
"Travis Pascoe is a hard working individual with great wrestling knowledge and enthusiasm," Charles said. "I hired him at Fresno State in 2005 because I knew he would be able to help the program succeed and I hired him here to do the same thing. He has found success at each level he has competed and I know he will be able to help our young men not only succeed on the mat, but off it as well. I am excited to have Travis back on staff with me and look forward to his contributions to the growth of the Sun Devil program."
At the start of the 2011-12 season, Pascoe will work with the heavier weights while fifth-year assistant coach and former Sun Devil All-American Brian Stith will continue his work with the middle weights. Charles, a four-time All-American for the Sun Devils, is set to begin his third year in charge of the program and will once again work with the lighter weights on the roster.
"I am very excited to be working with Shawn Charles once again," Pascoe said. "It is a great opportunity for me to learn from a tremendous person and coach. I grew up in the West and this program has a lot of talented wrestlers from the West, so I look forward to working with them and helping them achieve their goals, both as individuals and for the team. I really cannot wait to get started with the great group of young men Shawn has brought into the program and see were Arizona State wrestling can go from here."
The 2011-12 season will mark the seventh year Pascoe has coached in some capacity among the collegiate ranks and his second assistant position after joining Charles' staff at Fresno State for the 2005-06 season. After the FSU program was discontinued following that season, Pascoe headed north to Corvallis, Ore., where he has served as a volunteer coach at Oregon State for the past five seasons.
During his time in Corvallis, Pascoe worked with the Beavers' upper weight wrestlers and helped two individuals earn NCAA All-America honors, including Ty Watterson at heavyweight (2007) and Colby Covington at 174 (2011). On the conference level, Pascoe worked with six Beavers that combined to win seven Pac-10 titles (174-184-197-285), including two at the 2011 tournament in Corvallis, while the team won two titles in that same span.
Prior to his time at OSU, Pascoe joined Charles at Fresno State for one season. That year, Pascoe worked with Greg Gifford, who captured the 184-pound title at the NCAA West Region Championships and was one of two Bulldogs to reach the NCAA tournament in 2006. Once the program was dropped, Gifford, who went 1-2 at the national meet that year, transferred to ASU for his senior season, where he won the 184 title at the Pac-10 Championships and went 2-2 at the national meet.
Before Pascoe jumped into the coaching ranks, he was a highly ranked wrestler at 184 pounds for Nebraska. Competing as the starter for four years in a row (2001-02 season through the 2004-05 season), Pascoe recorded a career record of 100-36, which ranked as the 13th-most victories in NU history. A four-time national qualifier, Pascoe advanced to the semifinals of the 2005 tournament and eventually finished sixth overall to earn his first All-America honors. Winning at least two matches in each of his four NCAA appearances, Pascoe helped the Huskers to Top 20 finishes all four years, including a fifth-place showing in 2004 and an eighth-place finish in 2002.
Charles and Pascoe first met at the start of the 2001-02 season as Charles was brought on to be an assistant coach while Pascoe was set for his first season as a starter. During those four years, Pascoe placed third in the Big 12 Championships each of this first two year and then finished fourth as a junior. In his senior season, he reached the finals and finished second in the conference to earn a berth into the NCAA tournament.
Prior to joining the Huskers, Pascoe was two-sport standout at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash. A four-year member of both the wrestling and football squads, Pascoe was a three-time Washington state champion at 189 pounds and was widely considered one of the top recruits in the nation his senior year. He also was a High School All-American at 189 as a senior.
Before his first season in Tempe gets underway, Pascoe will marry Sara McFarland on September 3.
- Three Arizona State Wrestlers Become All-Americans as Robles, Jenkins Reach Final
- Cooper joins the two finalists as an All-American, the first of his career
PHILADELPHIA - When the dust settled on the second day of action inside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., at the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships, two members of the Arizona State University wrestling team had won semifinal matches and a place in the finals and were joined by one other teammate as All-Americans by assuring themselves a finish in the Top 8 overall. Both No. 1 Anthony Robles (125) and No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (157) reached the finals of their weight classes while heavyweight and unseeded Levi Cooper continued to battle and won his consolation match in the Round of 12 to assure his placement in the Top 8.
In the team standings, Penn State reclaimed the lead through the second day and has built a comfortable lead with 92.5 points, followed by Cornell (75.0), Iowa (74.0), Oklahoma State (65.5) and American (56.0) in the Top 5. ASU is seventh with 52.5 points and has three individuals that can score points on the final day. Overall, ASU's two finalists makes them one of four schools with multiple finalists, including PSU (three), OSU (two) and Lehigh (two).
Robles' first trip to the national finals was earned with his 4-2 decision over unseeded Ben Kjar (Utah Valley), keeping Robles undefeated on the season and in position to become an undefeated NCAA champion. The match opened with both wrestlers feeling each other out and ended where it started as neither scored a point. In the second, Kjar had the choice and selected down. While Robles was on top the entire period, he was unable to score near-fall points, keeping the match tied at 0-0, but with Robles holding two minutes of riding time.
In the third, Robles took his turn on the bottom and escaped early in the period to take a 1-0 lead. Shortly after, he shot in, secured Kjar's legs and scored the takedown to extend his lead to 3-0. Kjar would escape to make it 3-1 and then made it 3-2 at the end of the match as Robles was hit with a second stall warning, but Robles earned another point on riding time and took the match 4-2, giving ASU a finalist for the first time since current assistant coach Brian Stith reach the 157-pound final in 2006.
Jenkins, much like the rest of the tournament, followed suit as he joined Robles in the finals by winning his semifinal match at 157 with an 8-5 decision over No. 8 Jason Welch (Northwestern). Welch took an early lead with a takedown before Jenkins escaped to make it 2-1 heading into the second, where Jenkins had the choice and took down. After Jenkins' escape was the only scoring of the period to tie the match, Welch escaped bottom to take a 3-2 lead. From there, however, Jenkins scored on a trio of takedowns to take the match and earn his second trip to the finals.
In 2009, Jenkins, then wrestling at 149 for Penn State, advanced to the final where he dropped a match to No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) to place second overall. This time, he will meet another familiar wrestler as he takes on his former teammate, second-ranked David Taylor (Penn State).
With their results in the semifinals, Robles and Jenkins gave the Sun Devil program multiple finalists in the same NCAA Championships since 1993 when three ASU athletes advanced. That year, both Markus Mollica (158) and Ray Miller (167) captured titles while current head coach Shawn Charles was the runner-up at 126. Prior to this season, the last time the Sun Devils had a finalist came in 2006 when current assistant coach Brian Stith finished second at 157.
With the excitement of two finalists and a pair of All-America honors earned, heavyweight Cooper added to that excitement as he avenged a loss from earlier in the season by defeating Brendan Barlow (Kent State), 4-2, in the tie breaker to earn All-America honors and remain alive in the tournament. Unseeded and two years removed from an 11-15 record, Cooper kept the match scoreless in the first by stuffing two shot attempts and then escaped from the bottom for a 1-0 lead in the second. After Barlow escaped bottom in the third and neither scored in overtime, Cooper chose down in the first tie breaker and escaped to make it 2-1. Barlow also escaped to tie it at 2-2, but Cooper blasted in on a shot and scored two for the takedown with eight seconds remaining in the session before holding on for the win.
Cooper, who lost a 12-4 major decision to Barlow at the Virginia Duals in January, then took the mat later in the evening looking to avenge another loss from earlier in the season as he took on Ricky Alcala (Indiana) in the consolation quarterfinals. Alcala opened the scoring with a takedown in the first and Cooper escaped to make it 2-1 before Cooper chose down and escaped to tie the score at 2-2 in the second. In the final stanza, Alcala reversed Cooper (4-2) before Cooper escaped (4-3), but that was ll the scoring. Cooper will now face No. 8 Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) on Saturday morning for seventh place.
With Robles, Jenkins and Cooper all earning All-America honors, it marks the first time the Sun Devils have had three or more honorees for the first time since 2006 when four Sun Devils earned the distinction. That year, Stith (2nd, 157), C.B. Dollaway (5th, 184), Ryan Bader (7th, 197) and Cain Velasquez (4th, 285) all placed in the Top 8.
NOTES:
- * the last time ASU had a finalist in the NCAA Championships was in 2006 when current assistant coach Brian Stith took second at 157-pounds
- * Robles now has 120 career wins, tying Ryan Bader for the eighth-most all-time in program history
2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
- Wells Fargo Center * Philadelphia, Pa.
- Day Two Results - Session 4 ONLY - March 18, 2011
- # before name indicates tournament seeding