TEMPE, Ariz.—The Arizona State wrestling team (4-4, 0-1 Pac-12) will kick off 2016 by resuming the dual slate, competing at the 36th Virginia Duals on Friday and Saturday at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Va.
On Friday, ASU will open competition with a rematch with Campbell at 7 a.m. MT/9 a.m. ET, before taking on Old Dominion at 11 a.m. MT/1 p.m. ET.
Other teams in the mix include Bucknell, Chattanooga, George Mason, Grand Canyon, Iowa State, Kent State, Rider, The Citadel, and Virginia Tech.
Live results will be available via VirginiaDuals.org and TrackWrestling.com, while FloWrestling is set to live stream competition on all 10 mats (FloPro subscription required).
Updates throughout the day will also be available on Twitter by following @ASUWrestling, and by following #VADuals16.
ASU PROBABLES
125: Ares Carpio (6-7, 2-3 duals) OR Mikel Perales (2-4, 1-2 duals)
133: Cord Coronado (1-6, 1-4 duals) OR Alex D’Aloisio (0-0, 0-0 duals)
141: Robbie Mathers (13-6, 6-2 duals)
149: Matt Kraus (14-5, 7-1 duals) OR Christian Pagdilao (2-2, 0-0 duals)
157: Oliver Pierce (10-11, 3-5 duals)
165: Jacen Petersen (6-6, 6-2 duals) OR Preston McCalmon (2-3, 0-1 duals)
174: Anthony Anderson (0-0, 0-0 duals)
184: Blake Stauffer (8-2, 8-0 duals)
197: Josh DaSilveira (6-6, 4-4 duals)
HWT: Tanner Hall (14-6, 5-3 duals) OR Chace Eskam (8-4, 0-0 duals)
ASU HOSTS IOWA STATE ON MMA NIGHT
The Sun Devils will resume the home slate next week, hosting Iowa State at 8 p.m. MT on the Pac-12 Networks for their annual MMA Night, featuring, among many others, two-time All-American and current UFC Light Heavyweight competitor Ryan Bader.
ASU will also coordinate with the university’s Zero Waste initiative.
AT THE 2015 VIRGINIA DUALS
Last season, the Sun Devils went 2-2 at the Virginia Duals, picking up a 31-6 victory over Kent State and upsetting then-No. 17 Rider, 28-16. Christian Pagdilao (149) and Blake Stauffer (184) were the two Sun Devil wrestlers to go 4-0 on the weekend.
LAST TIME OUT
Tanner Hall finished as the heavyweight runner-up at the 53rd Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern on Dec. 29-30.
In the finals, Hall fell, 4-3, to NC State’s Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU), the defending NCAA Champion who currently posts the nation’s longest active win streak at 71 consecutive bouts.
The Meridian, Idaho native is ASU’s highest placer at the event since 2002, when Dana Holland finished as the runner-up at 141 pounds. He is also ASU’s highest-placing heavyweight wrestler, surpassing Mike Anderson’s 3rd-place finish at that weight class in 1991. All-time, 25 of ASU’s 73 Midlands placers finished second or higher.
En route to the finals, Hall defeated Northern Illinois’ Jake Cochrane in a 10-2 major decision, and then upset No. 10 seed Garrett Ryan of Columbia, 4-0. In the quarterfinals, Hall posted an upset of previously undefeated No. 2 seed Amarveer Dhesi of Oregon State on a last-second takedown, 6-5. In the semifinals, Hall picked up a 10-2 major decision and upset over No. 6 seed Ross Larson of Oklahoma.
IN THE RANKINGS
As a team, the Sun Devils are ranked at No. 19 in the WrestlingReport team rankings, which also ranks Robbie Mathers (141, No 27), Matt Kraus (149, No. 19), Blake Stauffer (184, No. 4), and Tanner Hall (HWT, No. 8).
InterMat also ranks Kraus at No. 19, Stauffer at No. 9, and Hall at No. 9. The Open Mat ranks Stauffer at No. 5 and Hall at No. 8, while AWN has Staffer at No. 9 and Hall at No. 6 in their respective weight classes.
STAUFFER IN THE ASU WRESTLING RECORD BOOK
Blake Stauffer appears in four categories in the Arizona State Wrestling record book, most recently moving up to a tie for No. 4 all-time in career tech falls. He has eleven, the same mark as Steve Blackford (1998-01) and Cain Velasquez (2004-06). He is five away from Casey Strand’s (1996-99) total of 16, while Anthony Robles (2008-11) holds the school record at 47.
Stauffer sits at No. 11 in major decision wins with 18, tied with Nick Frost (2000-04), and at No. 17 all time in career dual victories with 46, along with Ray Miller (1990-93).
He also has 36 bonus-point victories (18MD, 11TF, 7P), No. 14 all-time and one away from tying the No. 13 mark, held by Curtis Owen (2000-03).
With 88 career overall victories, Stauffer will soon move into the ranks of the overall wins at ASU. Marco Sanchez (1988-93) sits at No. 26 all-time with 90.
2015-16 TOURNAMENT PLACERS
Second Place: Tanner Hall (Midlands Championships)
Fourth Place: Matt Kraus (Las Vegas Invite)
Fourth Place: Tanner Hall (Las Vegas Invite)
Fifth Place: Chace Eskam (Reno TOC)
Seventh Place: Robbie Mathers (Las Vegas Invite)
STAUFFER WINS AT NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC
All-American Blake Stauffer opened his redshirt senior season with a victory at the 50th NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 1 at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, defeating Lehigh’s All-American Nate Brown in a 4-1, sudden victory decision.
For his efforts, Stauffer was named the red team’s outstanding wrestler for the classic, and is ASU’s 14th NWCA All-Star Classic winner in program history, the first since Anthony Robles and Bubba Jenkins won in 2011.
ROBLES RETURNS TO PAC-12 NETWORKS BROADCAST TEAM
Arizona State wrestling standout and 2011 NCAA Champion Anthony Robles returns for his second season as an analyst for the Pac-12 Networks, it was announced on Wednesday, Nov. 18.
Robles joins Rich Burk, Jason Knapp, and Ken Chertow, covering nine regular-season matchups around the league.
The broadcast schedule includes four in Tempe, culminating in the Pac-12 Championships finals on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT.
Last season, along with joining the Pac-12 Networks broadcast crew, Robles joined the ESPN broadcast team in its coverage of the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
ON THE HOME SLATE
In 2016, the Sun Devils kick off the year by hosting Iowa State on Friday, January 15 at 8 p.m., followed by a rematch with West Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 11 a.m. MT. On that day, the Sun Devils will also host Pac-12 foe Stanford at 3 p.m. MT.
The final home match of the season, against Oregon State, is set for Friday, Jan. 29, at 5 p.m. MT.
JOIN THE INNER CIRCLE
Sun Devil Wrestling is just one part of a very successful wrestling community in the Valley of the Sun and is happy to opens its doors for the Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions. During a Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Reception say hello to former NCAA National Champions and Olympic Medalists, have a conversation with wrestling coaches on the national stage, interact with former Sun Devil wrestlers along with friends and families of the program, and listen to a pre-match analysis from a current Sun Devil Wrestling coach.
While in the Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Reception, enjoy beverages while having a light snack prior to heading to your seats to watch the Sun Devils in action.
Admission for two (2) is provide to Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions for wrestling supporters who donate $100 or more to Sun Devil Wrestling. Your donation will be used to continue the tradition of Sun Devil Wrestling and build a successful future.
The Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions are located in Room 116 inside Wells Fargo Arena. Doors open one hour prior to each Sun Devil Wrestling home contest.
Join here: http://www.sundevilclub.com/wrestling-inner-circle?DB_OEM_ID=30300
ASU TO HOST THE 2016 PAC-12 WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
On Saturday, Feb. 27, 2016, Arizona State will host Oregon State, Stanford, Boise State, Cal Poly, and Cal State Bakersfield at the Pac-12 Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Pac-12 Conference will release ticket information at a later date.
In 2015, Blake Stauffer and Christian Pagdilao became ASU’s first conference champions since 2011 with wins at 184 pounds and 149 pounds, respectively. Their performances helped ASU to a second-place finish with 107.0 points, the Sun Devils’ best finish since winning it all in 2006.
THE 2016 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships are set for March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In 2015, ASU qualified six wrestlers, including All-American Blake Stauffer, who finished fourth overall at the 184-pound weight class. Other NCAA qualifiers returning to the 2015-16 roster include Ares Carpio (125), Matt Kraus (141), Christian Pagdilao (149), and Oliver Pierce (157).
2015 PAC-12 SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR ESKAM RETURNS FOR SIXTH SEASON
ASU’s heavyweight wrestler Chace Eskam, the 2015 Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, has been granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA, head coach Zeke Jones announced prior to the season.
Eskam was granted a final year to compete for the Sun Devils following the successful cancer battle that sidelined him during his sophomore year. Following his freshman season at Cal State Fullerton, Eskam transferred to Arizona State in 2011, was diagnosed with the illness in 2012, and went into remission the following year.
In 2013-14, Eskam returned to the mat at 197 pounds, winning his first bout in over a year by way of a 4-2 sudden-victory decision. Later in the season, Eskam moved up a weight class and started at heavyweight for the Sun Devils for the rest of the year.
In 2014-15, Eskam started each match for ASU at heavyweight, going 17-14, including a 4-1 mark in Pac-12 dual bouts. He also recorded three bonus-point victories on the year, and was the first wrestling conference scholar-athlete since the 2013 season.
THE RETURNERS
Anthony Anderson (R-Fr./174), Sully Cauley (R-Fr./197), Alexander D’Aloisio (R-Fr./133), Austyn Harris (R-Fr./HWT), Michael Oramas (R-Fr./149), Mikel Perales (R-Fr./125), Koby Reyes (R-Fr./141), Jacen Petersen (So./165), Christian Pagdilao (R-So./149), Oliver Pierce (R-So./157), Dalton Brady (Jr./133), Jesse Calderon (Jr./133), Wes Moore (Jr./197), Ryan Nantuna (Jr./149), Ares Carpio (Sr./125), Cord Coronado (Sr./133), Matt Kraus (Sr./149), Kaylon Sencio (Sr./157), Josh DaSilveira (R-Sr./197), Preston McCalmon (R-Sr./165), Tyree Owens (R-Sr./125), Blake Stauffer (R-Sr./184), Chace Eskam (6th Year Senior/HWT)
THE NEWCOMERS
Lance Benick (Fr./197/Fridley, Minn.), Jake Deutschlander (Fr./165/Carver, Minn.), Chance Eskam (Fr./HWT/Carlsbad, Calif.), Andy Gandara (Fr./141/Somerton, Ariz.), Tanner Hall (Fr./HWT/Meridian, Idaho), Paul Klein (Fr./133/New Orleans, La.), Josh Kramer (Fr./125, Buckeye, Ariz.), Josh Maruca (Fr./149/Murrysville, Pa.), Ted Rico (Fr./133/Queen Creek, Ariz.), Tyler Sage (Fr./141/Weston, Fla.), Josh Shields (Fr./157/Murrysville, Pa.), Conner Small (Fr./174/Issaquah, Wash.), Zach Smith (Fr./174/Wexford, Mass.), Antony Valencia (Fr./165/Bellflower, Calif.), Zahid Valencia (Fr./184/Bellflower, Calif.), Nikko Villarreal (Fr./Gilroy, Calif./Gilroy HS), Kirk Wilson (Fr./HWT/Baton Rouge, La.), Robbie Mathers (So./141)
ASU WELCOMES COUNTRY’S NO. 1-RANKED RECRUITING CLASS TO TEMPE
Arizona State’s incoming freshman class was named No. 1 in the nation, Amateur Wrestling News announced in August.
This marks the first time the Sun Devils have had the top recruiting class, per AWN, since 1988. The last time ASU was ranked was at 11 in 2010.
Announced in the fall of 2014, the ASU signees include Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif.), Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Bellflower, Calif.), Lance Benick (Totino-Grace HS, Fridley, Minn.), Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional HS, Murrysville, Pa.), Josh Shields (Franklin Regional HS, Murrysville, Pa.), and Nikko Villarreal (Gilroy, Gilroy, Calif.). Tanner Hall (Meridian, Meridian, Idaho) signed with the Sun Devils in the spring.
ANTHONY VALENICA TO TAKE 2015-16 TO PREP FOR RIO OLYMPIC TRIALS
In preparation for the upcoming Olympic Trials and the 2016 Rio Olympics, Anthony Valencia has decided to redshirt the upcoming competition season.
“You don’t get the chance to qualify to redshirt to focus on the Olympics very often when you’re someone as young as Anthony,” head coach Zeke Jones said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a high school senior qualify, but he meets the US Olympic Standard to take a year where he can train and compete, travel all around the country and the world, which will put him on track to reaching his ultimate, and really any athlete’s ultimate goal to be an Olympic Champion.”
Valencia reached the qualification standards while still in high school as he finished in the top-8 at the 2015 Senior World Team Trials earlier this year.
The U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials will be held in Iowa City, Iowa, in 2016. The event is scheduled for April 8-10, four months prior to the Olympic Games.
The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
HEAD COACH ZEKE JONES
The seventh coach in ASU wrestling history, Zeke Jones was hired in April 2014. In his first season with the Sun Devils, Jones led ASU to a second-place finish at the Pac-12 Championships, the best finish since 2006, and coached six wrestlers to the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships, including All-American Blake Stauffer (184 pounds).
An Olympic silver medalist for the United States, Jones was the 1991 World Champion at 52kg, a four-time World-Cup Champion, and coached United States’ Olympians in the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2012 Olympic Games.
A member of ASU’s 1988 NCAA Wrestling Championship team, Jones was a three-time All-American and Pac-10 Champion for the Sun Devils. A national runner-up at 118, Jones sits at No. 4 in ASU’s career record book in both overall victories (134) and dual victories (59). He also holds the school record for dual match victories in a season with 22 during the 1989-90 campaign.
THE COACHING STAFF
Joining head coach Zeke Jones on the 2015-16 coaching staff are fourth-year assistant coach Lee Pritts, second-year assistant coach Chris Pendleton, and volunteer assistant Jordan Oliver.
Pendleton previously served as an assistant coach at Wyoming for four seasons, and specialized in training the team’s upper weight classes. Pendleton was a two-time NCAA Champion and three-time All-American at Oklahoma State.
Oliver, also a two-time NCAA Champion from Oklahoma State was a four-time All-American for the Cowboys, and set the career record for pins with 54. In his second year with USA Wrestling, Oliver stands as the No. 2 wrestler at 65 kg.