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- Arizona State UniversityTempe, AZ
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#20 Arizona State Wrestling Wins 9-of-10 Matches to Down Host CS Fullerton, 37-4
Sun Devils conclude opening weekend road trip with two dominating wins in California
TEMPE - The No. 20 Arizona State University wrestling team concluded its first weekend of action on the road Sunday as the Sun Devils won 9-of-10 matches to easily defeat host CS Fullerton, 37-4, at a dual held inside Titan Gym in Fullerton, Calif. The Sun Devils, who defeated UC Davis, 38-6, on Friday, improved to 2-0 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-10 Conference while the Titans slipped to 0-2 overall and 0-2 in the league.
Of the nine matches won by the Sun Devils, five produced bonus points, giving ASU bonus point in 11 of its 17 wins on the weekend. Overall, eight individuals exited the weekend with perfect 2-0 records including four Sun Devils that won both of their matches by major decision or better. Those individuals included Anthony Robles at 125 (two technical falls), Ben Ashmore at 133 (forfeit and pin), Vicente Varela at 149 (pin and major) and Eric Starks at 174 (two major decisions).
The dual with the Titans opened at 165 pounds and Kyle DeBerry put the Sun Devils ahead for good as he built a 6-2 lead midway through the second period before pinning Blake Ginbsburg in 4:18 to give the visitors a quick 6-0 lead. At 174, Starks took a 6-1 lead through two periods and finished with an 11-1 major decision over Todd Noel to push the advantage to 10-0. Jake Meredith extended the lead to 13-0 after his 8-3 decision over Mark Savalle at 184 pounds.
The hosts picked up their only win of the afternoon at 197 pounds with Dylan Klink scoring an 11-1 major decision over Michael Hawkins, cutting the lead to 13-4. Heavyweight Erik Nye got the Sun Devils back on track, however, as he took a 2-0 lead through the first period and fought off a takedown at the end of the match for the 3-2 win.
Leading 16-4, the Sun Devils added 11 more over the next two matches as No. 3 Robles recorded a 22-5 technical fall over Andre Gonzalez before Ashmore stuck Eddie Garcia at 6:15 of the 133 match after leading 10-2 through the first two periods. With a 27-4 lead, the Sun Devils added three more hard-earned points at 141 as No. 5 Chris Drouin needed a late takedown to come back from an early 2-1 deficit for a 7-5 win over Adin Duenas. Varela added his second bonus point win of the weekend one match later as he took the 149 contest with a 17-4 major decision over Mario DeCaro before Te Edwards closed out the team victory with a 14-8 decision over Nick Jordan.
ASU remains on the road next weekend with a pair of clashes with nationally ranked Big 12 teams as the Sun Devils meet No. 5 Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. CT in Stillwater, Okla., on Friday night before facing No. 16 Oklahoma on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT in Norman, Okla.
#20 Arizona State def. CS Fullerton, 37-4
Fullerton, Calif.
165 - Kyle DeBerry (AS) pinned Blake Ginsburg, 4:18
174 - Eric Starks (AS) major Todd Noel, 11-1
184 - Jake Meredith (AS) dec. Mark Savalle, 8-3
197 - Dylan Klink (CF) major Michael Hawkins, 11-1
285 - Erik Nye (AS) dec. Kurt Klimek, 3-2
125 - #3 Anthony Robles (AS) tech fall Andre Gonzalez, 22-5 (6:18)
133 - Ben Ashmore (AS) pinned Eddie Garcia, 6:15
141 - #5 Chris Drouin (AS) dec. Adin Duenas, 7-5
149 - Vicente Varela (AS) major Mario DeCaro, 17-4
157 - Te Edwards (AS) dec. Nick Jordan, 14-8
#20 Arizona State Wrestling Blasts UC Davis in Season Opener, 38-6
Arizona State wins 8-of-10 matches with six producing bonus points in first dual of year
TEMPE - The Arizona State University wrestling team won eight matches in a row with six of those victories producing bonus points to easily down host UC Davis in Davis, Calif., on Friday night to open the 2009-10 season and give new head coach Shawn Charles a win in his debut with the program. Ranked No. 20 in the nation according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), the Sun Devils are now 1-0-0 on the season and 1-0-0 in the Pac-10 Conference while the Aggies fell to 0-1-0 and 0-1-0 in the conference.
The dual opened at heavyweight with Sun Devil senior Erik Nye dropping a tough 4-3 decision to Ricky Alcala, spotting the hosts an early 3-0 lead before ASU took over. Starting with the 125-pound match, the Sun Devils won eight in a row and took the lead for good with its first victory of the night as No. 3 Anthony Robles scored a 20-3 technical fall over Mark Jay Acosta to put ASU on top, 4-3.
After Ben Ashmore won his Sun Devil debut at 133 pounds by forfeit to put ASU on top, 10-3, No. 5 Chris Drouin added to the lead as he defeated Justin Arredondo in the 141-pound match with a 17-1 technical fall. The Sun Devils picked up wins in the next two matches win pins as Vicente Varela stuck Randall Watts in 2:30 and Te Edwards pinned Trevor Machado-Ching in 4:42.
Leading 28-3, the visitors tacked on 10 more points over the next three matches, first with Kyle DeBerry taking a 10-4 decision over David Watts at 165. From there, Eric Starks won the Sun Devils' sixth bonus-point match as he scored a 16-3 major decision over Joshua Esparza before Jake Meredith took a 4-1 decision over Stephan Hampton at 184. In the final match of the night, UCD's Rory McBryde spoiled the debut of Michael Hawkins as the Sun Devils' redshirt freshman lost a 3-2 decision to bring the final score to 38-6 in favor of ASU.
With the win, the Sun Devils improved their all-time record to 5-0-0 against the Aggies with a perfect 3-0-0 mark in duals held in Davis while making Charles the fourth Sun Devil coach to win his debut. ASU also improved to 35-13-0 all-time in its first dual of the year and 32-16-0 in its first road dual of the year while improving to 28-4-1 all-time in its first Pac-10 dual of the year and 23-5-0 in its first conference road dual of the season.
The Sun Devils will remain on the road this weekend for a second Pac-10 dual as they travel to Fullerton, Calif., for a 2 p.m. PT contest with CS Fullerton inside Titan Gym.
#20 Arizona State def. UC Davis, 38-6
Davis, Calif.
285 - Ricky Alcala (UCD) dec. Erik Nye, 4-3
125 - #3 Anthony Robles (ASU) tech fall Mark Jay Acosta, 20-3
133 - Ben Ashmore (ASU) won by forfeit
141 - #5 Chris Drouin (ASU) tech fall Justin Arredondo, 17-1
149 - Vicente Varela (ASU) pinned Randall Watts, 2:30
157 - Te Edwards (ASU) pinned Trevor Machado-Ching, 4:42
165 - Kyle DeBerry (ASU) dec. David Watts, 10-4
174 - Eric Starks (ASU) major Joshua Esparza, 16-3
184 - Jake Meredith (ASU) dec. Stephan Hampton, 4-1
197 - Rory McBryde (UCD) dec. Michael Hawkins, 3-2
#17 Arizona State Wrestling Opens Year With Two Pac-10 Road Duals
Sun Devils head to UC Davis, CS Fullerton in Shawn Charles' first
TEMPE - The Arizona State University wrestling team, ranked No. 17 nationally, will open its 2009-10 campaign on the road this weekend with a pair of duals against Pac-10 Conference foes as first-year head coach Shawn Charles and his Sun Devils face UC Davis (0-0) and CS Fullerton (0-0) on Friday and Sunday, respectively. The Sun Devils (0-0) and Aggies will meet at 7 p.m. PT inside the Pavilion in Davis, Calif., on Friday night before the Sun Devils and Titans meet at 2 p.m. PT Sunday inside Titan Gym in Fullerton, Calif.
GET CONNECTED, STAY CONNECTED
Are you a social net-worker that wants to get connected to the Sun Devils? Well, we have two ways you can do that! If you are on Twitter, request to follow our program by going to Twitter.com/ASUWrestling for our latest tweets. If you are on Facebook, type Sun Devil Wrestling into the search box and join our fan page, which will have updates and photos throughout the year. And be sure to check back throughout the season to find out about special happenings, including auctions for seats on the ASU bench and other great deals.
DO WE KNOW YOU?
While the social network sites are a great way to get updates on us, another way for future Sun Devils, their coaches, our alumni and all friends of the program can stay in touch with us is by filling out the form on the wrestling page of TheSunDevils.com. On that page, under the headlines, are links to filling out a recruiting questionnaire as well as a questionnaire for our alumni to reconnect and for others to also become part of the program. Make sure you fill out the form to stay up-to-date on the program.
UP CLOSE
In just three weeks, the Sun Devils will be playing host to Grand Canyon (Nov. 29, 2 p.m.) inside Wells Fargo Arena in their first of five home duals this year. Fans have the unique opportunity to get up close to the action as they can purchase mat side tickets for the entire season for a $75 donation to the program. Fans can also support the program and show their Sun Devil pride by purchasing 'Wrestling with the Devil' T-shirts. Both the ticket and T-shirt forms can be found on the right side of the wrestling page on TheSunDevils.com (look under SUPPORT ASU WRESTLING).
IN THE LINE-UP
When the Sun Devils hit the road this weekend, there will be many familiar faces in the starting line-up as eight of the 10 wrestlers are returning to the starting line-up after earning the position one year ago. Returning to the line-up will be Anthony Robles (125), Chris Drouin (141), Vicente Varela (149), Te Edwards (157), Kyle DeBerry (165), Eric Starks (174), Jake Meredith (184) and Erik Nye (285). The two newcomers to the starting 10 include Ben Ashmore at 133 and Michael Hawkins at 197.
ONE YEAR OLDER
Last year, the Sun Devils had a starting line-up much of the season that consisted of two sophomores, two juniors, three true freshmen and three redshirt freshmen. With eight of the 10 in just their first or second seasons, the Sun Devils had one of the youngest lineups in the nation. This year, however, those young wrestlers enter the season with more experience and a line-up that has just one freshman, Michael Hawkins (redshirt freshman) at 197.
NATIONALLY KNOWN
The first national rankings of the season were released by InterMatWrestle.com recently with the Sun Devils entering the season ranked No. 17. Six of Arizona State's opponents this season are currently ranked among the Top 25 nationally, including No. 2 Iowa State, No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 22 Harvard and No. 23 Cal Poly.
INDIVIDUALLY RANKED
After advancing to the national semifinals and earning All-America honors last season as sophomores, both Anthony Robles and Chris Drouin enter the season highly regarded on the national scene as both are ranked among the Top 5 in their respective weight classes. Robles, who placed fourth at the NCAA Championships last year, will start the season as the No. 3 competitor at 125 pounds while Drouin, the sixth-place finisher at the national meet in 2009, will open the year as the No. 5 wrestler at 141.
ALL-STAR SELECTION
The 44th NWCA All-Star Classic will feature some of the best wrestlers in the nation in exhibition matches and Sun Devil Anthony Robles has been selected to compete in the event where he will face No. 4 Zach Sanders (Minnesota). The 20th different Sun Devil to be selected to compete in the event, Robles faced Sanders twice last year and went 1-1, losing a 7-3 decision in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational before taking a 19-10 major decision in the consolation semifinals of the NCAA Championships. The 44th NWCA All-Star Classic will be held at CS Fullerton on Sunday, November 22, at 2 p.m. inside Titan Gym.
MAKING HIS DEBUT
Just the sixth head coach in the 47-year history of the program, former Sun Devil All-American Shawn Charles will be making his debut on the sideline this weekend and will look to become the fourth coach in a row to win his first dual with the Sun Devils. The past three coaches each posted victories in their debuts, including a 30-15 win at CS Bakersfield for Bobby Douglas (1974-75 season), a 23-15 win at Clarion for Lee Roy Smith (1992-93) and a 40-6 home win for Thom Ortiz against CS Fullerton (2001-02). Ted Bredehoft, following one forfeit win and one forfeit loss, led his team to victory with a 38-0 blanking of Cal Poly Pomona (1962-63) to also collect a win in his first dual in which wrestling took place. The only coach that did not register a victory in his first dual was John Wadas, who saw his Sun Devils fall at home to Utah, 23-11, to open the 1971-72 season.
LIFTING THE LID
Arizona State will look to continue a recent string of success in their first dual of the season as the Sun Devils have won each of its last four season-opening duals, including the last two years in duals with UC Davis, who the Sun Devils open the 2009-10 season against Friday in Davis, Calif. Overall, the Sun Devils are 34-13-0 all-time in their first dual of the season and are 31-16-0 all-time in their first road contest of the season.
AHEAD OF THE PAC(-10)
Since joining the Pac-10 Conference in time for the 1978-79 season, the Sun Devils have built a 27-4-1 all-time record in their first conference dual of the season and hold a mark of 22-5-0 all-time in their first Pac-10 road dual of the year (ASU didn't wrestle a Pac-10 foe on the road five times). Arizona State is 11-0-1 in its last 12 Pac-10 openers with its last loss coming during the 1996-97 season in a 21-18 set back to CS Bakersfield in Tempe. ASU lost its last Pac-10 road opener in a 20-19 decision at Stanford last year with its last win in its first Pac-10 road dual coming at the start of the 2007-08 season, a 20-17 win at UC Davis.
PAC-10 PROSPERITY
Despite posting a 3-4 record against Pac-10 foes last year, the Sun Devils still hold a strong record all-time against schools in the conference. Dating back to Arizona State joining the conference for the 1978-79 season, the Sun Devils have been one of 18 different schools that called the Pac-10 home with ASU and seven others still competing (including Boise State, Cal Poly, CS Bakersfield, CS Fullerton, Oregon State, Stanford, UC Davis). As members of the Pac-10 Conference, the Sun Devils hold an 82-21-1 record. When counting in the other schools that no longer compete, the Sun Devils hold a record of 123-21-1 against 17 teams during their time as members of the Pac-10.
BY THE NUMBERS: PAC-10 SUCCESS
In the 31 years the Sun Devils have competed in the Pac-10 Conference, they have won 16 championship crowns and 100 individual Pac-10 titles. When you include all 47 years the Pac-10 has sponsored a wrestling championship, the Sun Devils trail only Oregon State in both categories as the Beavers have won 17 team titles and 117 individual titles. Also since ASU joined the conference, the Sun Devils and Boise State are the only two schools to have won at least one individual title in each of the 10 current weight classes while ASU is the only school in Pac-10 history to win at least one title in each of the 19 weight classes that have been used since the 1979 championship tournament.
IN THE SERIES: UC DAVIS
Arizona State holds a perfect 4-0-0 against UC Davis in the all-time series and is 2-0-0 in duals held in Davis, Calif. The Sun Devils won the last meeting with a 26-12 decision at home last year and won the last dual held at UCD, a 20-17 decision to open the 2007-08 season.
LAST TIME: ASU VS. UCD
In the last meeting, the Sun Devils came from behind to take a 26-12 victory from the Aggies in a home dual held at Mesa High School as Arizona State won 6-of-10 contests with four producing bonus points. After falling behind, 6-0, following decision losses at 149 and 157, Kyle DeBerry won a 4-3 decision over former Pac-10 finalist Dustin Noack before Eric Starks won a 17-9 major decision to put ASU ahead, 7-6. Jake Cranford (decision) and Thor Moen (forfeit) won at 184 and 197, respectively, to give ASU a 16-6 lead before a loss at heavyweight made it 16-9. From there, No. 8 Anthony Robles pinned No. 11 Marcos Orozco in 4:05 to put the dual away with No. 7 Chris Drouin scoring a 12-3 major decision in the final match to close out the dual.
IN THE SERIES: CS FULLERTON
The Sun Devils are 15-3-0 all-time against the Titans, but have dropped the last three duals in a row, including a 20-18 decision at home last year. Prior to its 26-18 loss in Fullerton, Calif., during the 2007-08 season, the Sun Devils had won six in a row inside Titan Gym.
LAST TIME: ASU VS. CSUF
In a back-and-forth battle, the Titans escaped Tempe with a 20-18 victory last year, winning their third dual in a row in the series. ASU took an early 3-0 lead with a decision win for Jake Meredith before an overtime loss at 197 and a decision loss at heavyweight put ASU behind, 6-3. No. 12 Anthony Robles put the Sun Devils in the lead once again with a 15-0 technical fall win at 125, but CSUF reclaimed the lead with a technical fall of their own at 133 to move ahead, 11-8. The score was tied at 11-11 following the 141 match as No. 6 Chris Drouin edged Adin Duenas, 5-4, but a pin at 149 and a decision loss at 157 put the Sun Devils down, 20-11. Kyle DeBerry won a decision at 165 to bring ASU to within six, but Eric Starks, despite his best effort, could not pick up the pin, instead winning a 12-2 major decision for four team points.
ALREADY STARTED
While the Sun Devils are set to open their season on the road this weekend, several members of the program have already stepped onto the mat once this season as 13 individuals competed unattached from Arizona State at the Embry-Riddle Collegiate Open in Prescott, Ariz., on Saturday (November 7). Three of those competitors placed in the Top 4 of their weight classes with freshman Kalin Goodsite leading the way by placing second at 133 pounds. Jake Hannaford also placed in the 133 division as he finished fourth overall while Orlando Jimenez took fourth place at 149.
BACK FOR MORE
Twenty-five wrestlers return to the roster once again this season, including nine of the 10 men that competed at the Pac-10 Championships. The Sun Devils return three Pac-10 finalists in Anthony Robles (125 champion), Chris Drouin (141 runner-up) and Eric Starks (174 runner-up) with both Robles and Drouin coming off an All-American season as the duo placed fourth and sixth, respectively, at the NCAA Championships. Other starters returning include David Prado (133), Vicente Varela (149), Te Edwards (157), Kyle DeBerry (165), Jake Meredith (184) and Imanibom Etukeren (285). Several others that started at various points in the season are also back this season, including Erik Nye (285), Michael Swigart (157) and Jerrad Trulson (157). In all, the returnees include four seniors, nine juniors, nine sophomores and two redshirt freshmen.
HELLO! MY NAME IS...
The program also has welcomed eight new wrestlers to the fold with six coming to Tempe as true freshmen and two in their sophomore year at Arizona State. The newcomers include Carlos Castro (141, Tucson, Ariz./Amphi HS), Sergio Cortez (165, Moorpark, Calif./Royal HS), Tai Fukumoto (149, Seattle, Wash./Lakeside HS), Kalin Goodsite (133, Riverside, Calif./Martin Luther King HS), Orson Lor (165, Tucson, Ariz./Amphi HS), Anthony Pike (197, Tucson, Ariz./Sunnyside HS), Jared Stephens (133, Westland, Mich./Westland John Glenn HS) and Daniel Walker (133, Phoenix, Ariz./Shadow Mountain HS).
BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
Not only did eight new wrestlers join the program this season, but so did three staff members, including Bryan Snyder (head assistant coach), Raymond Jordan (volunteer coach) and Ben Askren (director of operations).
* Snyder was a four-time All-American (157) for Nebraska and was a two-time national runner-up. A four-time Big XII Champion and three-time NWCA All-Star Classic selection, Snyder went 136-11 with a 69-4 dual record in his days in Lincoln. He was a four-time NWCA All-Academic and Academic All-Big XII selection before earning two degrees from NU in 2002 (Sociology, Communication Studies).
* Jordan was a two-time All-American at Missouri, earning the honors at 174 (2009) and 184 (2008) to become just the fourth Tiger to earn All-America honors at two different weights. A four-time NCAA qualifier and 2007 Big XII Champion (174), Jordan went 123-29 in his career before earning a degree in Personal Finance Planning from MU in 2008.
* Askren, a U.S. Olympian at the 2008 Beijing Games, was a four-time NCAA All-American, four-time finalist and two-time NCAA Champion for Missouri. A two-time Dan Hodge Award winner, the three-time Big XII Champion went 153-7 in his career, won an NCAA record 18-consecutive matches by first-period pin and won 93 matches by pin in his career. Askren was a four-time NWCA All-Academic honoree and graduated from MU in 2007.
LAST TIME OUT: 2009 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Anthony Robles and Chris Drouin both collected All-America honors and combined to score 27.5 team points to place the Sun Devil program in a tie for 20th place at the NCAA Championships that were held in St. Louis, Mo. Robles, seeded 12th at 125 pounds, moved his way through the bracket to the national semifinals before slipping into the consolation bracket. On the final day, he scored a 19-10 major decision over 11th-seed Zach Sanders (Minnesota) before falling, 3-1, to No. 4 Brandon Precin (Northwestern) to settle for fourth place. Drouin, seeded seventh, also advanced to the national semifinal at 141 before falling to the consolations. On the final day, Drouin dropped a tough 3-1 overtime decision to second-seeded Zach Tanelli (Wisconsin) before falling in the fifth-place match. Overall, Robles went 4-2 in the tournament with two wins by major decision and wins over the No. 4, No. 5 and No. 11 wrestlers in the event while Drouin posted a 3-3 record and facing the No. 2 and No. 3 wrestlers in the tournament.
ALL-AMERICANS
With their performances in St. Louis, Robles and Drouin both earned All-America honors to become the 63rd and 64th national honorees in the program's history. Overall, the Sun Devil program has collected 104 total All-America honors with four individual earning four honors in their careers, including current head coach Shawn Charles, the first Sun Devil in program history to do so. Robles and Drouin will now look to become the 31st and 32nd Sun Devils to earn multiple All-America honors in a career, which also includes current assistant coach Brian Stith, who was a two-time honoree.
CENTURY MARK
Robles' victory in the finals of the Pac-10 Championships gave the Sun Devil program its 100th individual Pac-10 title and the 128th conference crown overall. The Sun Devils, once members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), won 28 titles before making the move to the Pac-10 Conference.
STREAKING
With Robles' crown this year, the Sun Devils have now won at least one individual title in each of the past 35 seasons, dating back to Bruce Young's WAC crown at 177 pounds in 1975. ASU also now has had at least one champion in each of the past 31 Pac-10 events.
NEXT TIME OUT
Arizona State will return to the road for another pair of contests, this time traveling to the Sooner State for a pair of showdowns with Big XII foes. First up will be a 7 p.m. CT dual at No. 6 Oklahoma State on Friday night in Stillwater before heading to Norman on Sunday for a 2 p.m. CT dual against No. 18 Oklahoma. Anthony Robles also will compete in the 44th NWCA All-Star Classic in Fullerton, Calif., on Sunday at 2 p.m. PT.
Arizona State Junior Robles Selected to Compete in NWCA All-Star Wrestling Classic Nov. 22
Sun Devil junior enters the season ranked No. 2 nationally after placing fourth last year
TEMPE - Anthony Robles, a junior on the Arizona State University wrestling team, has been selected to compete in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic that will be held Sunday, November 22, inside Titan Gym on the CS Fullerton campus in Fullerton, Calif. The defending Pac-10 Champion, Robles enters the exhibition event as the second-ranked wrestler in the nation at 125 pounds this year.
Robles, who advanced to the national semifinals last year and completed his second year in the Sun Devil line-up as an All-American with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, will face No. 4 Zach Sanders of Minnesota. The duo met on the mats twice last year and split those meetings with Sanders taking the first and Robles the second.
The first time they met came in the semifinals of the Las Vegas Invitational with an unranked Sanders upsetting No. 8 Robles, 7-3. Then, on the final day of the collegiate season at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Mo., Robles exacted his revenge as the No. 12 Sun Devil scored a 19-10 major decision over the No. 11 Golden Gopher in the consolation semifinals. Robles would lose his next match to place fourth overall in the national tournament while Sanders lost in the fifth-place match to finish sixth nationally.
The only Pac-10 wrestler in the field for the 44th edition of the Classic, Robles will become the 20th different Sun Devil to compete in the prestigious event. His current coaching staff all have competed in the NWCA All-Star Classic at least once in their respective careers, including head coach Shawn Charles (twice for Arizona State), head assistant coach Bryan Snyder (selected three times, competed once for Nebraska) and assistant coach Brian Stith (once for ASU). Stith was the most recent Sun Devil to compete as he dropped a close 2-1 decision to top-ranked Trent Paulson (Iowa State) at the 2007 Classic in Dallas, Texas.
Overall, the Sun Devils hold an all-time record of 9-12-1 in the Classic with three earning selections but not competing because of injury. The last time a Sun Devil won at the exhibition came in 2000 when Steve Blackford won a 13-2 major decision over Kirk White of Boise State at the 165-pound division.
2009 NWCA All-Star Classic Competitors
November 22, 2009 * CS Fullerton (Titan Gym)
125: #2 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) vs. #4 Zach Sanders (Minnesota)
133: #4 Steve Bell (Maryland) vs. #5 Daniel Dennis (Iowa)
141: #2 Nick Gallick (Iowa State) vs. #3 Alex Krom (Maryland)
149: #2 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) vs. #5 Kyle Borshoff (American)
157: #1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) vs. #2 Matt Moley (Bloomsburg)
165 :#4 Jonathan Reader (Iowa State) vs. #6 Andrew Rendos (Bucknell)
174: # Chris Henrich (Virginia) vs. #7 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska)
184: #4 Max Askren (Missouri) vs. #5 Josh Patterson (Binghamton)
197: #1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. #2 Craig Brester (Nebraska)
285: #1 Mark Ellis (Missouri) vs. #5 David Zabriskie (Iowa State)
Featured Bouts:
141: Adin Duenas (Cal State Fullerton) vs. Elijah Nacita (Cal State Bakersfield)
184: Zach Giesen (Stanford) vs. Enoch Francois (Cal Baptist University)
197: John Drake (Cal State Fullerton) vs. Riley Orozco (Cal State Bakersfield)
Maroon Wins 6-of-9 Matches to Defeat Gold, 19-10, at Arizona State Wrestle-Offs
Anthony Robles defeats Ben Ashmore, 7-4, in marquee match-up of the evening
TEMPE - The Arizona State University wrestling team held its annual Maroon and Gold Dual on Friday night at the Riches Wrestling Complex to determine the starters for the upcoming season and the maroon walked away victorious, 19-10, over the gold on the strength of winning six of the nine contests. The Sun Devils are preparing for their first dual of the year that will take place at UC Davis on November 13, just two weeks away.
The dual opened at 125 pounds with a match that everyone had been anticipating for several months now as Anthony Robles, a 2009 All-American at the weight class, came from behind to score a 7-4 decision over Ben Ashmore. Robles was trailing 2-0 at the end of the first as Ashmore scored a takedown and the challenger remained ahead, 3-2, at the end of two after he escaped after Robles took him down. After starting down and receiving a penalty point that tied the match, Robles reversed Ashmore and picked up two near-fall points before Ashmore escaped to make it a 7-4 final.
Leading 3-0 in the team standings, the maroon squad added another decision victory as David Prado scored a 6-4 decision over Jake Hannaford in overtime. After a scoreless first, Prado chose down and escaped before taking down Hannaford and riding him out for a 3-0 lead. Hannaford chose down in the third and took at 4-3 lead on an escape and then a takedown and a penalty point (stalling). Prado escaped to force overtime where he won on a takedown.
The maroon team extended its lead to 9-0 as 2009 All-American Chris Drouin pulled out a close 3-2 decision over Orlando Jimenez. After a scoreless first, Jimenez chose down and escaped for the lone point in the period. Trailing 1-0, Drouin chose down for the third and escaped, then took Jimenez down for a 3-1 lead. Jimenez escaped to inch closer, but neither man scored again.
Gold finally got on the board at 149 when Vicente Varela won a 10-3 decision over Tony Ruiz. Varela led, 2-1, through one and then used an escape and two takedowns in the second to make it 7-2. Varela added a takedown and one point on a second stalling call for the final score.
Te Edwards brought the gold side to a 9-7 deficit as he scored the first bonus-point victory of the night by defeating Lucas Mariacher in a 15-5 major decision. Edwards held a 6-2 lead through the first period as he scored two takedowns and two near-fall points. Mariacher chose down to start the second and escaped before Edwards scored twice more on takedowns for a 10-4 lead. Edwards escaped to open the third and then, once again, scored on two takedowns for the final margin of victory.
After trailing through the first five bouts, the gold team took their first lead (10-9) after the 165 match ended in a 12-6 victory for Kyle DeBerry over Sal Musto. DeBerry took down his foe and Musto escaped before the reverse happened, but DeBerry added a takedown at the end of the first period for a 5-3 lead. DeBerry chose down to start the second and escaped before scoring another takedown and riding Musto out. DeBerry added two more takedowns to Musto's three escapes in the third for the final score.
The gold team's lead, however, did not last long as Eric Starks scored a 16-3 major decision over Emilio Veramontes at 174 to put maroon back on top, 13-10. Starks opened up a 10-1 lead through one period with two takedowns and two, three-point near-falls and added an escape and takedown in the second. In the final period, a takedown and a stalling point provided the 2009 Pac-10 runner-up with his final margin of victory.
Although the match did not count toward the team score, the 184 match was good one as former Missouri All-American and current volunteer coach Raymond Jordan won an 8-4 decision over Jake Meredith in the featured match. Jordan took a 4-2 lead through one on a pair of takedowns and added two more in the second after choosing neutral. Meredith opened the third down and escaped, but could not find the takedown and fell to one of his coaches in the exhibition match.
The 197 match pitted a pair relative newcomers against one another with true freshman Anthony Pike scoring a 9-2 decision over redshirt freshman Michael Hawkins to push the maroon advantage to a score of 16-10. Pike scored a takedown for a 2-0 first period lead before Hawkins started down in the second and escaped for a 2-1 score. Pike scored twice more on takedowns and held a 6-2 lead through two before escaping bottom to open the third and then add a takedown for the 9-2 final.
In the final match of the night, the gold team needed a pin by Imanibom Etukeren to force a tie, but Erik Nye secured the team win for the maroon side as he took a 3-1 victory at heavyweight. After a scoreless first period, Nye chose down and escaped for a 1-0 lead and then added a takedown for a 3-0 lead through two periods. Etukeren chose down to start the third and escaped, but neither man scored again for the 3-1 final.
In two weeks, the Sun Devils will compete in a pair of Pac-10 duals on the road as they travel to UC Davis and CS Fullerton on November 13 and 15, respectively.
2009 Maroon and Gold Dual
Riches Wrestling Complex - Tempe
125 - Anthony Robles (M) dec. Ben Ashmore (G), 7-4
133 - David Prado (M) dec. Jake Hannaford (G), 6-4 sv
141 - Chris Drouin (M) dec. Orlando Jimenez (G), 3-2
149 - Vicente Varela (G) dec. Tony Ruiz (M), 10-3
157 - Te Edwards (G) major Lucas Mariacher (M), 15-5
165 - Kyle DeBerry (G) dec. Sal Musto (M), 12-6
174 - Eric Starks (M) major Emilio Veramontes (G), 16-3
184 - Raymond Jordan (G) dec. Jake Meredith (M), 8-4
197 - Anthony Pike (M) dec. Michael Hawkins (G), 9-2
285 - Erik Nye (M) dec. Imanibom Etukeren (G), 3-1
Mat-Side Season Tickets Available to Arizona State Wrestling Home Duals
Fans can sit closer to the action than anyone with their donation supporting the Sun Devils
TEMPE - The 2009-10 season for the Arizona State University wrestling team is getting closer each day with the Sun Devils' first dual just over two weeks away and their first home competition exactly one month away. And for those supporters that are not only anxious to see the Sun Devils open the season, but also want to be close to the action, the program is announcing the creation of season tickets that will allow fans to sit mat-side.
With a $75 donation, fans not only will be able to have one of the best seats in the house, but also will be able to help support and grow the financial stability of Sun Devil Wrestling. Along with obtaining a pass to home competitions, those fans that purchase a season ticket also will receive a "Wrestling with the Devil" T-shirt.
This year, the Sun Devils will play host to one intrastate foe, two Pac-10 Conference opponents and two other teams that finished the 2008-09 season among the Top 10 nationally at the NCAA Championships. ASU will take on Grand Canyon on November 29 in a battle of teams from the Valley of the Sun before facing Nebraska (January 22) and Oregon State (January 31) in the month of January. The final two weekends of the regular season will see the Sun Devils playing host to Iowa State (February 7) and Stanford (February 14) before heading into the Pac-10 Championships and the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
The make your donation to the program and receive one of the best seats in the house, fill out the form located in the link at the top of the page and send it to the Sun Devil Wrestling office. Checks for your donation should be made out to the Sun Devil Club - Wrestling. For more information, please contact Bryan Snyder (head assistant coach) via email at bryansnyder@asu.edu.
Arizona State Wrestling Helps Raise Funds at Zoo Walk for Autism Research
Current members of the program joined forces with former ASU All-American G.T. Taylor
TEMPE - The Arizona State University wrestling program continued to take part in its community last week as the Sun Devils joined the Taylor Twins Team at the 2009 Zoo Walk for Autism Research that was held at the Phoenix Zoo on October 17. The Sun Devils, along with former two-time All-American G.T. Taylor, came together to walk the 1.1 mile loop at the zoo and raise money to research treatments for autism, which two of Taylor's sons are affected by.
"Two of my son's have autism and my wife Karen and I are very passionate about helping fund research for autism," Taylor said. "This was not only a great event for our family, but also for Arizona State University. ASU has a very large hand in the research for autism here in the state with professor James Adams leading the way. The walk was a great event and having the Sun Devil wrestlers there to support this community and help a worthy cause was remarkable. I know we appreciate their help."
Overall, the walk raised over $120,000 for autism research. The Taylor family (G.T. and Karen and their children Logan, Jordan and Rylan), Kirsten Metz, P. Clarke and the Sun Devil wrestlers and staff set out on the walk with a goal of raising $400. After the walk, The Taylor Twins Team had raised $560.
Athletically, Taylor was a two-time All-American for the Sun Devils, earning national honors at 177 pounds in 1990 (seventh place) and at 167 pounds in 1991 (seventh). A member of the program from 1988-92, Taylor was a part of four Pac-10 team championships and three NCAA Top 2 team placements, including the 1988 NCAA Championship crown. He and current Sun Devil head coach Shawn Charles were teammates during that time as well.
Arizona State Sun Devil Wrestling Gains Experience at Sunkist Kids International Open
Twenty with ties to ASU Wrestling competed in wrestling, grappling events in Phoenix
TEMPE - Many current and former members of the Arizona State University wrestling program were on hand to compete in a pair of events over the weekend as the Sunkist Kids International Open and the USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials were held simultaneously in Phoenix. Fifteen current Sun Devils competed in the freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling events for their club team, Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club, while several others with ties to the program competed in the grappling and women's freestyle events. In all, ASU athletes collected three grappling titles and five total medals, two Greco-Roman medals and one freestyle championship with two total medals, giving the program four titles and nine medals (Top 3 placements) overall.
The lone wrestling champion came in the women's freestyle event as Kelsey Campbell, a silver medalist at the 2009 Pan-American Championships, went 4-0 to win the 59kg (130) division, defeating Deanna Rix, 1-0, 3-1, in the final. The other medal in freestyle came from Ben Askren, ASU wrestling's Director of Operations, as the 2008 Olympian went 3-1 and dropped a close 2-1, 1-1, decision to Chris Pendelton in the final.
Eric Nye, who is ranked third in the latest USA Wrestling Greco-Roman rankings at 120kg (264.5), finished third overall in his division as he posted a 3-1 record to place the highest of any current Sun Devil competing. Kenny Lester finished sixth in the same division while Kyle DeBerry took sixth in the 74kg (163) freestyle division with a 2-3 record. In all, 13 current members of the program competed in the freestyle competition and will now turn their focus toward folkstyle (the high school and collegiate style) and the start of the collegiate season.
Several with ties to the program also competed in the grappling event and earned berths into the FILA World Grappling Championships that will be held in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on December 11-13. Askren (no-gi 84kg), Jeff Funicello of American Pankration (gi 84kg, no-gi 84kg) and Lester (both gi and no-gi at 120kg and absolute) have qualified to compete for Team USA in two months. Askren, who has recently been fighting in MMA events, won four matches to claim the no-gi 84kg division, winning his first three matches with submissions and then taking the title with 6-0 decision over Jacob Volkmann.
Funicello was second in the 84kg gi competition to earn an automatic berth and was fourth in the no-gi division (could receive an at-large selection to the world event). Lester competed in four events and won two, including the 120kg and absolute gi divisions while placing third in no-gi 120kg and fourth in no-gi absolute. Another former heavyweight at ASU, Kellan Fluckiger, also competed in the no-gi 120kg division and placed fourth overall, which makes him a possible at-large selection to the world event as well.
The current Sun Devil squad will continue preparing for the start of their 2009-10 season by holding its Maroon and Gold Dual (wrestle-offs) on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Riches Wrestling Complex on campus. The first duals of the season are just over two weeks away as the Sun Devils will travel to conference rivals UC Davis and CS Fullerton on November 13 and 15, respectively, to open the year.
2009 Sunkist Kids International Open
Saturday-Sunday, October 24-25
Phoenix, Ariz.
Greco-Roman - 74kg (163)
Orson Lor (SK) - DNP (0-2)
Greco Roman - 120kg (264.5)
Eric Nye (SK) - 3rd (3-1)
Kenny Lester (SK) - 6th (1-1)
Freestyle - 60kg (132.25)
Angel Alegre (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Travis Forster (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Kalin Goodsite (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Jake Hannaford (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Daniel Walker (SK) - dnp (1-2)
Freestyle - 66kg (145.5)
Vicente Varela (SK) - dnp (2-2)
Carlos Castro (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Wes Fimbrez (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Orlando Jimenez (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Freestyle - 74kg (163)
Kyle DeBerry (SK) - 6th (2-3)
Sergio Cortez (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Orson Lor (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Jerrad Trulson (SK) - dnp (0-2)
Freestyle - 84kg (185)
Ben Askren (SK) - 2nd (3-1)
Raymond Jordan (SK) - 4th (3-2)
Women's Freestyle - 59kg (130)
Kelsey Campbell (SK) - Champion (4-0)
2009 USA Wrestling Grappling World Team Trials
Friday-Saturday, October 23-24
Phoenix, Ariz.
No Gi - 84kg (185)
Ben Askren (SK) - Champion (4-0)
Jeff Funicello (American Pankration) - 4th (2-2)
No Gi - 120kg (264.5)
Kenny Lester (SK) - 3rd
Kellan Fluckiger (SK) - 4th
No Gi - Absolute
Kenny Lester (SK) - 4th
Gi - 84kg (185)
Jeff Funicello (AP) - 2nd
Gi - 120kg (264.5)
Kenny Lester (SK) - Champion
Gi - Absolute
Kenny Lester (SK) - Champion
Matches Set for Arizona State Sun Devil Wrestling's Annual Maroon and Gold Dual
Wrestle-offs will be held to determine the team's starters for the upcoming dual season
TEMPE - The matches have been set for the Arizona State University wrestling program's annual Maroon and Gold Dual, Head Coach Shawn Charles announced today. The event, which serves as the program's wrestle-offs for the starting positions in the upcoming dual season, will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night inside the Riches Wrestling Complex on campus.
Head Assistant Coach Bryan Snyder will coach the gold team while Assistant Coach Brian Stith will guide the maroon team in the annual competition. In all, 10 matches have been set which include nine wrestle-offs for the starting position and one featured match as well. That featured match will see Jake Meredith take on volunteer coach Raymond Jordan at 184 pounds.
Here is a look at the matches:
125: Anthony Robles vs. Ben Ashmore - perhaps the most anticipated match of the dual will be the first on the mat as two highly skilled competitors face off for the starting job at 125. Robles is coming off a 29-8 season last year that saw him win titles at the Reno Tournament of Champions and Pac-10 Championships before earning his first All-America honor by finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships. Although redshirting during the season, Ashmore still found his way into several competitions as an unattached competitor and met up with Robles in the consolation quarterfinals of the Midlands Championships where Ashmore took a 3-2 decision before placing fifth and Robles seventh.
133: David Prado vs. Jake Hannaford - Prado ended the season as the starter at 133 for the Sun Devils and placed eighth at the Pac-10 Championships while Hannaford is making his return to the roster after not being part of the program for three seasons.
141: Chris Drouin vs. Orlando Jimenez: Drouin will look to retain his starting position for the third year in a row after posting a 29-9 record in 2009 that culminated with his first All-America honor by placing sixth at the NCAA Championships. A pre-season pick for the national Top 4, Drouin also won the Reno tournament last year and was runner-up in both the Las Vegas Invitational and Pac-10 Championships. Jimenez is making the move up to 141 this season after posting a 2-6 overall record last year at 133.
149: Tony Ruiz vs. Vicente Varela - Varela will look to remain the starter once again as the sophomore is coming off a rookie season that saw him finish 10-13 overall and placing seventh at the Pac-10 Championships to finish among the Top 8 first the first time in a collegiate tournament. Ruiz did not compete during last season after transferring in from Cerrittos College.
157: Lucas Mariacher vs. Te Edwards - After initially opening his freshman season as a redshirt last year, Edwards earned a place in the starting line up and went on to finish fifth in the Pac-10 Championships to post a 4-8 overall record in limited action. Mariacher did not compete during the 2009 season.
165: Sal Musto vs. Kyle DeBerry - DeBerry will look to retain the starting nod after recording a 14-14 overall record last year as a redshirt freshman and placing fifth at the Pac-10 Championships. Musto competed in one match last year (also as a redshirt freshman) and dropped a tough 9-7 decision in overtime.
174: Eric Starks vs. Emilio Veramontes - Starks emerged as a strong competitor last year in his true freshman season and posted a 15-11 overall record while earning the No. 2 seed at the Pac-10 Championships and taking second in a 5-2 decision to No. 12 Nate Lee of Boise State. Veramontes did not compete last year as he redshirted his first season with the program.
184: Jake Meredith vs. Raymond Jordan - The featured match will see Meredith taking on a tough competitor in Jordan, who was a two-time All-American at Missouri with one each at 174 pounds and 184 pounds. Meredith, in his true freshman season last year, posted an 11-12 overall record and was 5-4 in duals before placing sixth overall at the Pac-10 Championships. Jordan, who went 123-29 in his collegiate career, recently placed fourth at the Sunkist Kids International Open at 185 pounds.
197: Anthony Pike vs. Michael Hawkins - The 197 match will see a pair of relative newcomers to the program square off for the starting job as Pike will look to make the varsity line up as a true freshman and Hawkins will try for the job after redshirting last season. Pike was a two-time state champion in Arizona, including last year at Sunnyside HS in Tucson, while Hawkins was a two-time state placer in Colorado after winning 94 career matches with 59 coming by fall.
285: Erik Nye vs. Imanibom Etukeren - The heavyweight match will feature the two starters from last year as Nye will look to reclaim the job that he held at the start of the year before being forced out of the line up. Nye was 3-2 in the first month of the season with both of his losses coming one-point decisions while Etukeren posted a 2-11 record and finished eighth in the Pac-10 Championships.
2009 Maroon and Gold Dual
125 - Anthony Robles (M) vs. Ben Ashmore (G)
133 - David Prado (M) vs. Jake Hannaford (G)
141 - Chris Drouin (M) vs. Orlando Jimenez (G)
149 - Tony Ruiz (M) vs. Vicente Varela (G)
157 - Lucas Mariacher (M) vs. Te Edwards (G)
165 - Sal Musto (M) vs. Kyle DeBerry (G)
174 - Eric Starks (M) vs. Emilio Veramontes (G)
184 - Jake Meredith (M) vs. Raymond Jordan (G)
197 - Anthony Pike (M) vs. Michael Hawkins (G)
285 - Erik Nye (M) vs. Imanibom Etukeren (G)
Arizona State Wrestling Again Lends a Hand at the Wilson Neighborhood Cleanup
Sun Devils on hand to assist elementary school children pick up trash throughout the area
TEMPE - For the fourth year in a row, the Arizona State University wrestling program took part in the Wilson Neighborhood Cleanup project as the Sun Devils met with the children of Wilson Elementary School in Phoenix to pick-up trash from around the neighborhoods surrounding the school. The volunteers met on Saturday, September 19, and worked in the areas in and around the school's campus near 20th Street off of Van Buren Road.
As they had done in the past, the Sun Devils were on hand to help invigorate students, parents and the community residents to take pride and ownership of their neighborhood by working to clear debris from the streets. Organized by the Wilson Community Center, the day started at 8 a.m. with the Sun Devils meeting with the members of the community and students of Wilson Elementary School before breaking off into groups with the volunteering children to begin the clean up. After a two-hour clean up, all involved came together at the school for lunch.
The Wilson community is distinguished by a highly mobile, single parent impoverished population and is surrounded by substance abuse, prostitution and substandard housing. As an inner-city school district, Wilson Elementary School District serves approximately 1,500 children, many of which reside below the poverty level. Twenty-five percent of the children that attend Wilson School are classified as homeless while 75% live in dilapidated housing or local hotels. Ninety-eight percent of the total population qualifies for the free/reduced-cost Federal lunch program. According to the Arizona State Education Department data, Wilson School District is considered to be the most "at-risk" in Maricopa County.
Alex Ryan
Associate Media Relations Director
Arizona State University
SID for: Cross Country, Track & Field
Water Polo and Wrestling
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2007 Women's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
2007 Women's NCAA Outdoor T&F Champs
2008 Men's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
2008 Women's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
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500 E. Veterans Way
Carson Student-Athlete Center, Rm. 131
Tempe, AZ 85287-2505
Direct: (480) 965-4987
Cell: (480) 734-7794
Fax: (490) 965-5408
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona State Sun Devil Wrestling Announces Schedule for the 2009-10 Season
Five home events and several prestigious tournaments await ASU in Shawn Charles' first year
TEMPE - The 2009-10 schedule for the Arizona State University wrestling team was announced by Head Coach Shawn Charles today and will feature five home duals and participation in several of the nation's top individual and team dual tournaments. The first season under Charles' direction will see the Sun Devils compete in seven road duals, including an intrastate dual at Embry-Riddle and a tough road swing through the Sooner State early on. ASU also will compete in a pair of dual tournaments (NWCA National Duals and the Lonestar Duals) as well as returning to a pair of individual tournaments that have been mainstays on the schedule (Las Vegas and Reno).
"As soon as you look at our schedule, you will see how competitive of a schedule we have this year," Charles said. "We did that, in part, because we are committed to making sure our guys are ready for the Pac-10 Championships and for the NCAA Championships where they can become All-Americans, earn the right to become a national champion and to help us win the Pac-10 title this year. We are looking for progress throughout the season. Our main focal point is we will start with what we start with and then, as the season goes on, we build up and improve so that come conference time, we are prepared to win the title and then send guys to the NCAA tournament to become national champions. That is our goal."
Of the duals slated for home and away, the Sun Devils will face three teams that placed in the Top 20 nationally last year, including home dates with fourth-place Nebraska and third-place Iowa State and a trip to 16th-place Oklahoma State. The Sun Devils also will compete in the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and the Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas, which will give ASU more chances to face the best in the nation. At the National Duals alone, the Sun Devils could face the Top 5 teams from the 2009 NCAA Championships (Iowa, Ohio State, Iowa State, Nebraska and Cornell), as well as seven other teams that finished among the Top 15 nationally one year ago.
"Going to the national duals is huge because we are going to be butting heads with some of the best programs in the country," Charles said. "For me, I want to see progress. From our first dual on November 13 through the National Duals, I want to see progress in our athletes as far as their strength and conditioning levels, their confidence levels and their technical skill levels. I want to see them wrestling and wrestling well."
The Sun Devils will open their season with four-consecutive road duals with two each slated for the opening two weekends. First up, ASU will hit the road for two Pac-10 duals as it faces UC Davis (Nov. 13) and CS Fullerton (Nov. 15) and then will travel to America's Heartland for its duals at Oklahoma State (Nov. 20) and Oklahoma (Nov. 22). The trip to both Oklahoma schools will mark the sixth time ASU has faced both in the same weekend on the road and the first time since a trip during the 1999-00 season.
November will come to an end with the Sun Devils' fifth dual of the year as they play host to intrastate rival Grand Canyon, who ASU has defeated in each of the past two seasons. From there, the Sun Devils will participate in a trio of individual tournaments, including the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev. (Dec. 4-5) and the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev. (Dec. 20).
When the New Year begins, the Sun Devils will return to dual action on the road and open by facing CS Bakersfield in Bakersfield, Calif. (Jan. 3) before heading to the National Duals (Jan. 9-10) and the Lone Star Duals (Jan. 16). From there, ASU will have six more competitions to prepare for the championship season and will begin its push by hosting Nebraska (Jan. 22). Following the Sun Devils' first trip to Prescott, Ariz., to take on Embry-Riddle (Jan. 24), the team will return home for a Pac-10 dual with Oregon State (Jan. 31).
"We have some really good matches later in the season, too," Charles said. "We have Nebraska, which is very strong Big XII school, and later, we have Iowa State, who is supposed to be in position to challenge for the national title this year. No matter who it is, when that time comes, I feel we should be winning. I want to see hard work and effort from our guys, but by that time in the season, we should be challenging the best programs in the nation and our guys should be confident enough and in good enough shape to beat the best in the country."
The month of February will see the Sun Devils compete in its final three duals of the season and will open with one road and one home dual. First up, ASU will travel to Cal Poly for a Pac-10 dual (Feb. 5) before returning home for its final non-conference dual as Iowa State visits Tempe (Feb. 7). One week later, the regular season comes to an end for ASU as it plays host to Stanford (Feb. 14). The Sun Devils will then return to Davis, Calif., for the Pac-10 Championships (Feb. 28-Mar. 1) before competing in the season-ending NCAA Championships (Mar. 18-20) in Omaha, Neb.
This season will mark the 48th year the program has competed on the varsity level and its 32nd year as a member of the Pac-10 Conference. In that time, the Sun Devils are the only program west of the Rocky Mountains to have captured the NCAA Division I title (1988) and have collected 16 Pac-10 championships, the second most in the history of the league. ASU has produced 64 individual All-Americans who have accumulated 108 total honors, including Charles, who is one of only four, four-time honorees (1990-93) in program history.
2009-2010 Sun Devil Wrestling Schedule
N 13 at UC Davis * Davis, Calif. TBA
N 15 at CS Fullerton * Fullerton, Calif. TBA
N 20 at Oklahoma State Stillwater, Okla. TBA
N 22 at Oklahoma Norman, Okla. TBA
N 29 Grand Canyon Wells Fargo Arena TBA
D 4-5 at Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational Primm, Nev. All Day
D 20 at Reno Tournament of Champions Reno, Nev. All Day
J 3 at CS Bakersfield * Bakersfield, Calif. 2:00 pm
J 9-10 at NWCA National Duals Cedar Falls, Iowa TBD
J 16 at Lone Star Duals Arlington, Texas TBD
J 22 Nebraska TBA TBA
J 24 at Embry-Riddle Prescott, Ariz. 3:00 pm
J 31 Oregon State * Wells Fargo Arena TBA
F 5 at Cal Poly * San Luis Obispo, Calif. TBA
F 7 Iowa State Wells Fargo Arena TBA
F 14 Stanford * Wells Fargo Arena 2:00 pm
F 28-1 at Pac-10 Championships Davis, Calif. All Day
M 18-20 at NCAA Championships Omaha, Neb. All Day
Alex Ryan
Associate Media Relations Director
Arizona State University
SID for: Cross Country, Track & Field
Water Polo and Wrestling
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2007 Women's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
2007 Women's NCAA Outdoor T&F Champs
2008 Men's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
2008 Women's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
---------------------------------------------------------------------
500 E. Veterans Way
Carson Student-Athlete Center, Rm. 131
Tempe, AZ 85287-2505
Direct: (480) 965-4987
Cell: (480) 734-7794
Fax: (490) 965-5408
---------------------------------------------------------------------
- Returning Arizona State University Wrestlers and Walk-ons Invited to Meet & Greet on Aug. 24
Students interested in joining the team need to meet with Coach Charles that day
TEMPE - Shawn Charles, the head coach of the Arizona State University wrestling team, and his coaching staff will play host to a meet and greet on Monday, August 24, at the Riches Wrestling Complex on campus. The event, which will begin promptly at 3:30 p.m., is for all returning team members and any ASU student that is interested in joining the program as a walk-on for the up-coming season.
This meeting will be mandatory for all potential walk-ons as Coach Charles will discuss the steps it will take to join the team, including filling out essential paperwork and covering the training schedule for the coming weeks. All students in attendance should bring their identification card, Social Security number and ASU student identification number. Following the meeting, all students in attendance can mingle with the coaching staff while food (hamburgers and hot dogs) and drinks will be served.
Leading up to the meet and greet and throughout the season, both wrestlers and fans can get the latest news and updates on the program by following its tweets on Twitter (@ASUWrestling).
Alex Ryan
Associate Media Relations Director
Arizona State University
SID for: Cross Country, Track & Field
Water Polo and Wrestling
---------------------------------------------------------------------
2007 Women's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
2007 Women's NCAA Outdoor T&F Champs
2008 Men's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
2008 Women's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
---------------------------------------------------------------------
500 E. Veterans Way
Carson Student-Athlete Center, Rm. 131
Tempe, AZ 85287-2505
Direct: (480) 965-4987
Cell: (480) 734-7794
Fax: (490) 965-5408
---------------------------------------------------------------------
- ASU Wrestling Adds Snyder, Askren and Jordan to Coaching Staff
July 28, 2009
Trio combined for 10 All-America honors and two individual national titles while competing
TEMPE - Former collegiate standouts Bryan Snyder, Ben Askren and Raymond Jordan have joined the coaching staff of the Arizona State University wrestling program, Head Coach Shawn Charles announced Tuesday. All three individuals, who will join current assistant coach Brian Stith on the staff, were multiple All-Americans and conference champions in their time on the mats and will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the mats in Tempe.
"I am very excited to have all three of these men on my staff," Charles said. "I have worked with them all in the past and I believe they bring a lot to the table as we push to become a very successful program once again. I really feel our coaching staff is second-to-none and I know each of these men are ready to work hard to help our program succeed both on the mats and off. I look forward to watching this program continue to grow with their help."
A four-time All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up for Nebraska, Snyder will serve as the head assistant coach on Charles' staff while both Askren and Jordan will serve as volunteer assistant coaches. Askren, a 2008 U.S. Olympian and two-time NCAA Champion at Missouri, and Jordan, a two-time All-American at Missouri, will also continue their training as members of the Sunkist Kids organization while assisting with the Sun Devil program. All three have worked with Charles in the past as well: Charles was a coach during Snyder's senior season and both were on the staff together for two seasons (2003-04 and 2004-05); Charles was an assistant coach at MU for the past two years where Askren was a volunteer coach and Jordan was a competitor for the Tigers.
Snyder was one of the top wrestlers at 157 pounds from 1999-02 as he collected four All-America honors after placing fourth, fifth, second and second in his NCAA appearances. One of the few four-time champions in the history of the Big XII Conference, Snyder compiled a career record of 136-11 with his .925 winning percentage standing as the best in Husker history. Snyder was equally as successful in the classroom during his time in Lincoln as he was selected as the school's 2002 Student-Athlete of the Year. He graduated from NU with a pair of degrees (Sociology and Communication Studies) in 2002 before coaching at Harvard for one season. After his stint with the Crimson, Snyder returned to NU where he served as a graduate assistant coach while working toward his Masters in Sociology, which he earned in 2005. Recently, he has spent the past three years at the University of Colorado where he studied as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology.
"I am really excited to work alongside Shawn Charles and the rest of the staff to bring Arizona State back to national prominence," Snyder said. I am confident that we can do big things at Arizona State and I am anxious to get on campus and get to work by helping our student-athletes excel on the mat and in the classroom as well."
"Bryan is going to help me bring together all the pieces that we need to make our program very successful," Charles said. "He coached at Harvard as well and academics is big on his list. I know he is going to help make sure that our wrestlers are doing the things academically that we need to do to be among the top programs in our sport and across the board. We are going to go after wrestlers that can get the job done in the classroom as well as on the mat and he will be a big part of that. He also is from one of the more prestigious high schools in the country (Easton High School in Pennsylvania) and I feel he will be able to help us attract some of the East Coast talent that will continue to help the Sun Devil program rise to the top once again."
Askren was one of the elite collegiate competitors in the nation during his time at Missouri (2003-07) where his exciting style of wrestling led him to the finals of the 174-pound weight class at the NCAA Championships four times. A three-time Big XII champion, Askren won the national title in each of his last two seasons by winning 87 matches in a row and pinning numerous foes. For his dominance, he was named the Dan Hodge Winner twice while also collecting the Schalles Award (Best Pinner) twice. Askren built a career record of 153-7 in Columbia with 93 wins by fall (fourth-best in NCAA history) while also posting a national record of 18-consecutive wins by fall in the first period. A four-time NWCA All-Academic and four-time Academic All-Big XII honoree, Askren spent the past two years as a volunteer assistant coach with the Tigers while training for and competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where the member of Team USA went 1-1 in the 74kg freestyle competition.
"I am very excited to help Coach Charles take the Sun Devils back to the top," Askren said. "Coach Charles helped me tremendously in my Olympic run in 2008. I feel like Arizona State is a great school to recruit at and has the potential to challenge for a national title year after year. I am very motivated to seeing that become reality and look forward to doing all I can to help the Sun Devils reach that goal."
"With all his accolades, Ben certainly brings a lot of wrestling credentials to the table," Charles said. "He is going to be the guy that will work with our 165, 174 and 184-pound wrestlers and help prepare them to compete at a high level and to become national champions. He is a great guy and has a unique style of wrestling, which many call "funk". He will be able to teach our guys a different style of wrestling that I feel will help them understand the sport better and give them more tools to become better wrestlers and win more matches."
Jordan is the most recent graduate on the staff as he graduated in December with his degree in personal finance planning from MU. A four-time NCAA qualifier, Jordan was a two-time All-American for the Tigers and just the fourth MU wrestler to earn the national honor in multiple weight classes as he finished fifth at 184 pounds as a junior and then was third at 174 pounds as a senior. The 2007 Big XII champion at 184, Jordan compiled a career record of 123-29 and was the 15th wrestler in the program's history to record 100 or more victories in a career. His win total also stands as the fourth-most in program history. A three-time high school state champion from North Carolina and a high school All-American, Jordan was involved with the MU program off the mats as well as he served as the president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) on campus during his senior year.
"I am excited to come to Arizona State and work alongside a talented group of coaches," Jordan said. "The program has a strong tradition of being very successful and I am looking forward to helping restore that reputation. ASU is only one of a handful of programs that has tasted what it is like to win a National Championship and I hope to help them reach their goals of achieving that title again. I am really appreciative of this opportunity to join the Sun Devil staff and look forward to many great years ahead."
"Raymond is a hard worker and earned many accolades at Missouri," Charles said. "He will work with our wrestlers at 184, 197 and heavyweight and I know he will work hard to make sure those student-athletes are physically ready to compete and be well prepared to challenge for All-America honors and national titles. I am very happy to have someone like Raymond in our program because he is an all-around good guy with great character and determination to succeed. I was very excited when he told me he would be coming out to train with Sunkist and to help our program as well."
The Sun Devil coaching staff is currently preparing for the 2009-10 season and will look to build upon the program's 20th-place showing at the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships. ASU will be led by a pair of returning All-Americans in Anthony Robles (fourth place at 125) and Chris Drouin (sixth place at 141).
The Snyder File
* Four-time All-American for Nebraska at 157 pounds (1999-02)
* Two-time NCAA finalist (2001, 2002)
* Four-time Big XII Conference champion
* Three-time NWCA All-Star participant
* Career 136-11 overall and 69-4 dual records (#2 on NU wins lists)
* Career winning percentage leader at NU (.925)
* Four-time NWCA All-Academic
* Four-time Academic All-Big XII selection
* Graduated from NU in 2002 (two degrees: Sociology, Communication Studies) and in 2005 (Master's in Sociology)
* Working toward Ph.D. in Sociology at Colorado
The Askren File
* 2008 U.S. Champion and U.S. Olympian (74kg freestyle)
* Two-time NCAA Champion for Missouri at 174 pounds (2006, 2007)
* Four-time NCAA finalist and All-American (2004-07)
* Three-time Big XII Conference champion
* Two-time Dan Hodge Award winner
* Two-time Schalles Award winner
* Career 153-7 record at MU
* Won 93 matches by fall (fourth-most in NCAA history)
* Won 18-consecutive matches by fall in the first period (NCAA record)
* Undefeated over his last two years of competition at MU
* Won his last 87 matches in a row (Top 10 in NCAA history)
* Four-time NWCA All-Academic selection
* Four-time Academic All-Big XII selection
* Graduated from Missouri in 2007
The Jordan File
* Two-time All-American for Missouri at 174 (2009) and 184 (2008)
* Only the fourth Tiger to earn All-America honors at two different weights
* Four-time NCAA qualifier (three times at 184 and once at 174)
* 2007 Big XII Champion at 184 pounds
* Career record of 123-29 made him the 15th Tiger to win 100 or more matches in a career
* His 123 career wins ranks as the fourth-most in MU history
* Graduated from MU in December 2008 with a degree in Personal Finance Planning
Alex Ryan
Associate Media Relations Director
Arizona State University
SID for: Cross Country, Track & Field
Water Polo and Wrestling
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2007 Women's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
2007 Women's NCAA Outdoor T&F Champs
2008 Men's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
2008 Women's NCAA Indoor T&F Champs
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500 E. Veterans Way
Carson Student-Athlete Center, Rm. 131
Tempe, AZ 85287-2505
Direct: (480) 965-4987
Cell: (480) 734-7794
Fax: (490) 965-5408
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- Arizona State Sun Devil Wrestling Names Shawn Charles to Head Coaching Position
Former four-time All-American has been hired to return to Tempe and lead his Alma mater
TEMPE - Shawn Charles, a four-time All-American and two-time national runner-up at Arizona State University, has been named the head coach of the Sun Devil wrestling program, Senior Associate Athletic Director Don Bocchi announced Friday. Charles, an Arizona native and one of the more successful Sun Devils in the program's history, will become only the sixth head coach in the program's 47-year history.
"We are very excited to announce Shawn Charles as our head wrestling coach and feel that his drive to succeed and his determination to bring Arizona State wrestling back to the top of the standings is exactly what we are looking for," Bocchi said. "His passion for this great sport is very evident and we believe he is going to put everything he has into helping our program return to the success he and his teammates enjoyed when they competed. We also found his commitment to the total student-athlete concept on pace with our desires to help these young men succeed in the classroom and in the community both now and in the future. We are encouraged by the experiences he has had elsewhere and we are looking forward to seeing what Coach Charles and his Sun Devils achieve in the years to come."
"I am excited to be back at my Alma mater and to be the guy to put it all together and make Arizona State successful once again," Charles said. "It is a great opportunity to come back to Tempe and strengthen this program as a coach and I am looking forward to goals I have set for this team in the coming years. One of my goals is to get the community involved with our program. I really believe that wrestling is a viable form of entertainment and I would really like to see the communities around Arizona get involved in supporting this form of entertainment.
"I also think it is important for our student-athletes to be recognized not only for their achievements on the mats, but in the classrooms as well," Charles said. "I want to win championships, but I also want to make sure our young men are succeeding academically and setting their sites on the future by graduating from college. For me, I know the environment, I know the community, I know the boosters, I know the alumni and I know the task that is front of me and I know that makes me the best person to help drive this program forward and do the things I need to do to ensure that Arizona State wrestling stays a Division I program and wins championships."
Charles will have a wealth of knowledge at his disposal as he works to bring the program back to the top of the national and conference standings after being there himself as a Sun Devil. In his years in Tempe (1990-93), Charles helped the Sun Devils to three Pac-10 Championships (1990, 1991 and 1993) while also helping the team place among the Top 6 nationally in each of the those three seasons, including a national runner-up finish in 1990 and a fourth-place showing in 1993. He earned All-America honors in all four of his years on the mat at 126 pounds, placing fifth as a freshman and fourth as a sophomore before taking national runner-up honors in his final two campaigns.
A two-time Pac-10 individual champion (1992 and 1993), Charles collected 103 victories in his collegiate career, ranking him tied for 19th on the program's all-time wins list. He also ranks 19th in career dual-match victories after he posted a 44-15-5 record in those matches. Charles also was a two-time competitor in the East-West All-Star Dual and captured the Las Vegas Invitational twice while also finishing second at the prestigious Midlands Championships once during his Sun Devil career.
Upon earning his Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from ASU in 1993, the native of Tucson, Ariz., began his coaching career that has taken him all over the nation in the collegiate ranks and around the world as a representative of USA Wrestling. Charles, who has worked with programs in the Big XII Conference, the Mid-America Conference (MAC), the Ivy League and the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), began his coaching career at Iowa State (1993-95) where he served as an assistant coach before he returned to the Valley of the Sun to serve as the head assistant coach at Phoenix College (1995-96).
From there, he returned to the Big XII where he worked as the assistant freestyle wrestling coach at Oklahoma (1996-97) before Central Michigan brought him as its head assistant coach (1997-01). While at CMU, eleven wrestlers earned All-America status and one was crowned national champion in 1999. Overall, the team recorded a pair of Top 10 national finishes as well.
Charles was then named the head assistant coach at Nebraska (2001-05) and helped the Corn huskers to two Top 10 finishes with 11 All-Americans and one national champion. With 22 All-Americans, two national champions and four Top 10 team finishes on his resume, Fresno State brought Charles back to the West by naming him the head coach. Despite qualifying four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, including future Sun Devil Greg Gifford, the program was discontinued after his only year, sending Charles across the nation to Brown (2006-07) for a one-year stint as it's assistant coach.
Over the past two seasons, Charles worked with a Big XII program, this time helping Missouri's program to a seventh-place finish in 2009 and five individual All-America honors. All told in his brief stint in Columbia, Mo., the Tigers earned eight All-America honors and had one individual champion. All told in his 18 years of coaching, Charles has worked with 39 NCAA All-Americans and three individual NCAA champions while also helping teams to Top 10 finishes as the NCAA Championships on seven occasions.
But his dedication to excellence was not only felt on the mats, it was recognized in the classroom as well. Three of his wrestlers were selected for scholar-athlete of the year honors while each of his coaching stops has seen him work with at least one national all-academic honoree. He also has participated in countless community activities at each of his coaching stops while also working to create and/or improve club wrestling programs in those areas.
Away from the collegiate coaching scene, Charles also has coached internationally, which includes him being named to the 2009 University World Team coaching staff after serving on the U.S. Olympic staff in both 2004 and 2008. A coach with Sunkist Kids, Charles also has served as a coach for two World Cups (2003, 2007) and has helped lead the U.S. at two international tournaments in the Ukraine. Most recently, Charles worked with MU wrestler Ben Askren, who represented the U.S. at the 2008 Olympics.
As an international competitor, Charles claimed 14 titles, including victories at tournaments in Iran, Manitoba (Canada), Slovakia, Bulgaria and Turkey while also winning the U.S. Open, the NYAC International and the Pan-American Championships. Along with several U.S. national titles, Charles twice placed second at the World Team Trials and was an alternate on the 1996 U.S. Olympic freestyle team.
Charles began his wrestling career in Tucson and competed for Santa Rita High School. While at SRHS, he captured three state titles over the course of his final three years and also won the division championship all three years.
Charles and his wife, the former Jill Hansen, are the parents of two boys, Shawn Charles, Jr. (seven) and Titus "Tyty" Charles (five).
The Charles File
* ASU's first four-time wrestling All-American (5th in 1990, 4th in 1991, 2nd in 1992, 2nd in 1992)
* Two-time Pac-10 Conference champion at 126 pounds
* Graduated from Arizona State in 1993 with B.S. in Computer Information Systems
* Ranks 19th (tie) on the ASU all-time victories list (103)
* Native of Tucson, Ariz., where he won three state titles at Santa Rita High School
* Has coached in four Division I conferences, including the Big XII, Ivy, Western Athletic and Mid-American
* Has worked with 39 NCAA Division I All-Americans and three individual NCAA Champions
* Helped teams place among the Top 10 nationally in the NCAA Division I Championships seven times
Charles' Coaching Resume
2007-09 - Missouri (assistant coach)
2006-07 - Brown (assistant coach)
2005-06 - Fresno State (head coach)
2001-05 - Nebraska (head assistant coach)
1997-01 - Central Michigan (head assistant coach)
1996-97 - Oklahoma (assistant freestyle coach)
1995-96 - Phoenix College (head coach)
1993-95 - Iowa State (assistant coach)
Arizona State's Kelsey Campbell Captures Silver at Pan-Am Wrestling Champs
Senior finished second in international competition held in Venezuela
TEMPE - Over the weekend, four members of the Arizona State University wrestling program were on the mats and posted impressive results, including Kelsey Campbell, who placed second in her first international tournament while competing for Team USA at the 2009 Pan-Am Wrestling Championships in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Three other Sun Devils competed at the Asics University Nationals in Akron, Ohio, as well.
In Venezuela, Campbell, the 2009 U.S. Women's Senior National Champion at 59kg, took to the mats for the Stars and Stripes and won her opening match, 1-0, 1-0, over Mirna Henriquez of Venezuela. In the semifinals, Campbell went the distance with Brazil's Joice Silva, winning the first period, 1-0, dropping the second, 3-0, and then rebounding to take the match with a 1-0 score in the third. In the finals, Campbell dropped a 1-0, 4-0 decision to Cuba's Yamilea Del Valle Alvarez to finish second and earn the silver medal.
Back in the States, three Sun Devils competed at the University Nationals in Akron, Ohio, where the winner of each weight class would represent the U.S. at the World University Games later this year. Vicente Varela had the best showing of the three competitors as the rising sophomore went 5-2 at 70kg and was one victory short of placing in the Top 8. Varela opened the tournament with a pair of wins by pin, including one at 19 seconds. After falling to Anthony Jones (Michigan WC) in the third round (2-0, 1-1), Varela ran off three wins in a row in the consolations before running into Jones once again. In that match, Varela won the first period before dropping the last two to fall, 0-3, 1-0, 1-0.
Kyle DeBerry and Jake Meredith also competed in the tournament and, like DeBerry, represented Sunkist Kids. DeBerry, competing at 74kg, lost his first-round match before winning two consolation matches and falling in the third round in a 1-0, 1-1 decision to Josh Zupancic (Oklahoma Underdog WC). Similar to DeBerry was Meredith's tournament at 84kg as the rising sophomore lost his first match of the tournament before winning two consolations in a row. In the end, he dropped a 0-1, 2-0, 2-0 decision to Kaleb Young (MN Storm) to end his tournament.
Arizona State Wrestling Program to Begin National Search to Replace Thom Ortiz
Sun Devil administration will begin search immediately to fill head coaching vacancy
TEMPE, Ariz. - Don Bocchi, Senior Associate Athletic Director at Arizona State University, has announced a change in leadership for the Sun Devil wrestling program with the departure of eight-year head coach Thom Ortiz. A national search for his replacement will begin immediately.
"I want to thank Thom Ortiz for his eight years of service and dedication to the Sun Devil program," Bocchi said. "It is never easy to see one of your own leave, but we believe our program can return to the top of the national standings, as well as the Pac-10 Conference, and that begins immediately as we start our search for Thom's replacement."
Ortiz, a former All-American and Pac-10 champion at ASU, has served as the head coach for his Alma mater since the 2001-02 season. During his time in the Valley of the Sun, his teams posted an overall record of 79-60-1 and went 44-13-0 against Pac-10 foes.
During the 2008-09 season, Ortiz worked with a pair of All-Americans as both Anthony Robles (125) and Chris Drouin (141) advanced to the national semifinals before placing fourth and sixth, respectively. During his eight-year tenure, Ortiz' Sun Devils tallied 17 All-America honors with three national finalists, including 2003 NCAA Champion Eric Larkin (149).
Arizona State's Campbell to Represent Team USA at 2009 Pan-Am Championships
Senior recently won the U.S. Senior Nationals and will represent USA in Venezuela next week
TEMPE - Kelsey Campbell, a senior on the Arizona State University wrestling team, has been selected to represent the United States in women's freestyle wrestling at the 2009 Pan-American Wrestling Championships, USA Wrestling announced today. Coming off her first senior national crown, Campbell will travel to Maracaibo, Venezuela, for the annual competition and take part in the women's 59kg (130 lbs.) freestyle event on Friday, April 24.
Last weekend in Las Vegas, Campbell, who won the Women's Collegiate National Championships in 2008 (59kg) and 2007 (63kg), entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed and won all three of her matches to take the title. She first won a 2-1, 3-0 decision over Nena Garcia (Cumberlands) in the quarterfinals before scoring a 2-0, 2-0 decision over Natasha Umemoto (Sunkist Kids). In the finals, she lost the first round, 1-0, before winning the next two, 1-0, 1-0, to upset No. 1 seed Deanna Rix (NYAC) for her first senior national title.
The Pan-Am Wrestling Championships will feature athletes from nations throughout North, Central and South America. Last year, at the Championships held in Colorado Springs, Colo., the U.S. women pulled out the team title by a close three-point margin over Canada, winning the crown, 67-64. Venezuela (23), Brazil (20) and Mexico (18) rounded out the Top 5 in the team standings.
PAN AMERICAN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
At Maracaibo, Venezuela, April 23-25
U.S. Women's Freestyle Team
48 kg/105.5 lbs. - Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids)
51 kg/112.25 lbs. - Alyssa Lampe, Tomahawk, Wis. (Sunkist Kids)
55 kg/121 lbs. - Helen Maroulis, Rockville, Md. (New York AC)
59 kg/130 lbs. - Kelsey Campbell, Milwaukie, Ore. (Sunkist Kids)
63 kg/138.75 lbs. - Elena Pirozkhova, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC)
67 kg/147.5 lbs. - Sheila McCabe, San Diego, Calif. (OCU Stars)
72 kg/158.5 lbs. - Jenna Pavlik, Colorado Springs, Colo. (USOTC)
Coaches - Terry Steiner (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Izzy Izboinikov (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
U.S. Greco-Roman Team
55 kg/121 lbs. - Nate Engel, St. Helena, Calif. (Sunkist Kids)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Spenser Mango, St. Louis, Mo. (New York AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Faruk Sahin, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jess Hargrave, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Brad Ahearn, Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Army)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Brandon Rupp, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
Coach - Jay Antonelli (Chesapeake, Va.), Rob Hermann (Pensacola, Fla.)
U.S. Men's Freestyle Team
55 kg/121 lbs. - Obe Blanc, Naples, Fla. (Gator WC)
60 kg/132 lbs. - Matt Valenti, New York, N.Y. (New York AC)
66 kg/145.5 lbs. - Brent Metcalf, Davison, Mich. (Gator WC)
74 kg/163 lbs. - Jon Reader, Davison, Mich. (Cyclone WC)
84 kg/185 lbs. - Eric Luedke, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC)
96 kg/211.5 lbs. - Kyle Cerminara, Lewiston, Pa. (New York AC)
120 kg/264.5 lbs. - Steve Mocco, Coralville, Iowa (New York AC)
Coaches - Bill Zadick (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Lou Rosselli (Columbus, Ohio)
Arizona State's Robles Named Pac-10 Conference Wrestler of the Year
Pac-10 Champion, All-American selected for top honor in a vote of conference coaches
TEMPE - The Pacific-10 Conference announced its annual wrestling award winners and Anthony Robles, a sophomore on the Arizona State University team, has been voted as the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year, it was announced Wednesday. The 10th different Sun Devil to earn the wrestler of the year honor, Robles was selected in a vote of the conference coaches after winning his first Pac-10 title at 125 pounds and garnering All-America honors.
A native of Mesa, Ariz., Robles entered the Pac-10 Championships as the top-seed in his weight class, holding a 7-0 record against Pac-10 foes. At the Championships, Robles was voted as the Most Outstanding Wrestler as he went 3-0 with two wins by technical fall and one by pin en route to his first Pac-10 title. One year after falling in the finals, Robles came back and opened with a 16-0 technical fall in the first round before pinning Andre Gonzalez of CS Fullerton at 3:23 in the semifinals. In the championship match, Robles rolled his way to a 17-1 technical fall over Brandon Zoeteway of CS Bakersfield.
Following his first title, Robles added another first as he claimed All-America honors by going 4-2 overall and placing fourth at the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Mo. Seeded 12th in the tournament, Robles opened with a 5-0 victory over Nikko Triggas of Ohio State before upsetting No. 5 Charlie Falck of Iowa, 8-3. In the quarterfinals, Robles assured himself of All-America honors as he upset No. 4 Brandon Precin of Northwestern with a 9-0 major decision. In the semifinals, however, No. 1 Paul Donahoe of Edinboro knocked Robles into the consolation rounds with a 5-2 decision before Robles again scored an upset with a 19-10 major decision over No. 11 Zachary Sanders of Minnesota. In the medal round, Precin came out on top with a 3-1 decision, giving Robles a fourth-place showing.
Overall, Robles ended his sophomore season with a 29-8 record overall and, of those 29 wins, 25 produced bonus points. On the year, Robles won a team-high 10 matches by technical fall, a team-high nine by pin fall and added three by major decision and two more by forfeit.
Historically, Robles is one of 10 Sun Devils that have collected 15 conference wrestler of the year honors, which stands as the most of any team in the league with Oregon State in second with eight total honors. Overall since the Pac-10 began awarding the wrestler and coach of the year awards in 1979 and the addition of the newcomer award in 2000, the Sun Devil program has accumulated 30 total awards (15 coaching honors with 15 wrestler of the year) with OSU's 16 and Boise States' nine rounding out the Top 3. BSU moved into third this year after Greg Randall was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year and Jason Chamberlain was named Newcomer of the Year.
Robles also became the first wrestler in the lowest weight class to win the Pac-10 honor since former Sun Devil Gary Bohay won in 1983 while competing at 126 pounds. Outside of Robles and Bohay, the only other wrestler under 141 pounds to win the award was OSU's Babak Mohammadi (134 pounds) in 1994. Bohay's honor was the first for the Sun Devil program and since then, Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year honorees have included Eddie Urbano (1985), Adam Cohen (1986), Mike Davies (1987 & 1988), Dan St. John (1989 & 1990), Ray Miller (1992 & 1993), Steve Blackford (2000), Eric Larkin (2001, 2002 & 2003) and Cain Velasquez (2005).