TROY, N.Y. – Facing some of the nation's best competition, the Sun Devils overall impressed with eight top three finishes as a team, led by Zahid Valencia who finished first in the championship "A" bracket at 174 pounds at the Journeymen Classic.
"Today was a heck of a battle," said head coach Zeke Jones. "Many of the top 20 teams in the nation were here so it was a good test to see how our young team would do."
Along with the No. 18/20 Sun Devils, the field featured seven other teams ranked in the top-25 (according to TrackWrestling and the latest NWCA/USA Today poll) – No. 2/4 Ohio State, No. 9/15 NC State, No. 11/12 Lehigh, No. 14/16 Minnesota, No. 18/27 Oklahoma, No. 12/19 Wisconsin, and No. 25 North Carolina – as well as West Virginia, Lock Haven, Rider, Long Island University, Ithaca, Buffalo, The Citadel, and SUNY Cortland.
"In the end, no one team had more than two champions in the top bracket so that shows me we were all pretty even."
In the Champion "A" brackets only, Ohio State, Lehigh, and NC State each had two champions while ASU, Oklahoma, Rider, and Minnesota each had one.
"Now we know exactly what we need to work on if we want to develop into the best team. We just need to go home and make the adjustments. Since we're such a young team we should be able to make fast improvement. It's time to come home and go to work."
The Sun Devils return home for their hotly anticipated regular season home opener vs. top-five Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. At halftime, 1967 NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion and 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Curley Culp will be honored with a singlet hanging from the Wells Fargo Arena rafters.
Josh Kramer (125) – 5th Place Finish
James Szymanski (North Carolina) def. Josh Kramer, 6-2
Jens Lantz (Wisconsin) def. Josh Kramer, 10-5
Josh Kramer def. Brendan Calas (Rider), forfeit
No. 18 Ali Naser (133) – 3rd Place Finish
Ali Naser def. Cory Stainbrook (West Virginia), 4-3
Sean Fausz (NC State) def. Ali Naser, 8-0
Ali Naser def. Scotty Parker (Lehigh), forfeit
Tyler Sage (141) – 4th Place Finish
Nick Wahba (Ithaca) def. Tyler Sage, 8-0
Douglas Gudenburr (The Citadel) def. Tyler Sage, 5-2
Luke Rowh (Wisconsin) def. Tyler Sage, 9-4
No. 19 Josh Maruca (149) – 2nd Place Finish
Josh Maruca def. Tyler Buckiso (Citadel), 6-3
Josh Maruca def. Fredy Stroker (Minnesota), 2-1
Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) def. Josh Maruca, 13-1
Oliver Pierce (149) – 3rd Place Finish
Christian Monserrat (West Virginia) def. Oliver Pierce, 2-0
Oliver Pierce def. Jesse Rodgers (Rider), 7-1
Oliver Pierce def. Jesse Meaney (LIU), 12-1
No 22 Josh Shields (157) – 2nd Place Finish
Aaron Walker (Citadel) def. Josh Shields, 7-6
Josh Shields def. Carson Brolsma (Minnesota), fall 6:50
Josh Shields def. Rylan Lubeck (Wisconsin), 13-4
No. 8 Anthony Valencia (165) – 3rd Place Finish
Anthony Valencia def. Cole Walter (Lehigh), 4-4
Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia) def. Anthony Valencia, 6-5
Anthony Valencia def. Gordon Wolf (Lehigh), 14-10
No. 8 Zahid Valencia (174) – 1st Place Finish
Zahid Valencia def. Lee Davis (NC State), 13-3
Zahid Valencia def. Wayne Stinson (Rider), forfeit
Zahid Valencia def. Ethan Ramos (North Carolina), 11-10
Jacen Petersen (174) – 4th Place Finish
Jacen Petersen def. Hayden Hansen (Oklahoma), 8-7
Nick Reenan (NC State) def. Jacen Petersen, TF 6:24 24-9
Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin) def. Jacen Petersen, 13-8
Conner Small (184) – 4th Place Finish
Colin Barber (SUNY Cortland) def. Conner Small, 3-2
Conner Small def. Chandler Sambets (The Citadel), 7-4
Adam Mackie (Lock Haven) def. Conner Small, 9-4
Austyn Harris (197) – 3rd Place Finish
Austyn Harris def. Ricardo Dawkins (SUNY Cortland), fall 4:00
James Benjamin (Buffalo) def. Austyn Harris, fall 5:12
Mason Reinhardt (Wisconsin) def. Austyn Harris, fall 1:33
No. 5 Tanner Hall (HWT) – 2nd Place Finish
Tanner Hall def. Michael Kosoy (NC State), 2-0
Tanner Hall def. Thomas Haines (Ohio State), 7-4
Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) def. Tanner Hall, 3-2
"Today was a heck of a battle," said head coach Zeke Jones. "Many of the top 20 teams in the nation were here so it was a good test to see how our young team would do."
Along with the No. 18/20 Sun Devils, the field featured seven other teams ranked in the top-25 (according to TrackWrestling and the latest NWCA/USA Today poll) – No. 2/4 Ohio State, No. 9/15 NC State, No. 11/12 Lehigh, No. 14/16 Minnesota, No. 18/27 Oklahoma, No. 12/19 Wisconsin, and No. 25 North Carolina – as well as West Virginia, Lock Haven, Rider, Long Island University, Ithaca, Buffalo, The Citadel, and SUNY Cortland.
"In the end, no one team had more than two champions in the top bracket so that shows me we were all pretty even."
In the Champion "A" brackets only, Ohio State, Lehigh, and NC State each had two champions while ASU, Oklahoma, Rider, and Minnesota each had one.
"Now we know exactly what we need to work on if we want to develop into the best team. We just need to go home and make the adjustments. Since we're such a young team we should be able to make fast improvement. It's time to come home and go to work."
The Sun Devils return home for their hotly anticipated regular season home opener vs. top-five Ohio State on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. At halftime, 1967 NCAA heavyweight wrestling champion and 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Curley Culp will be honored with a singlet hanging from the Wells Fargo Arena rafters.
Josh Kramer (125) – 5th Place Finish
James Szymanski (North Carolina) def. Josh Kramer, 6-2
Jens Lantz (Wisconsin) def. Josh Kramer, 10-5
Josh Kramer def. Brendan Calas (Rider), forfeit
No. 18 Ali Naser (133) – 3rd Place Finish
Ali Naser def. Cory Stainbrook (West Virginia), 4-3
Sean Fausz (NC State) def. Ali Naser, 8-0
Ali Naser def. Scotty Parker (Lehigh), forfeit
Tyler Sage (141) – 4th Place Finish
Nick Wahba (Ithaca) def. Tyler Sage, 8-0
Douglas Gudenburr (The Citadel) def. Tyler Sage, 5-2
Luke Rowh (Wisconsin) def. Tyler Sage, 9-4
No. 19 Josh Maruca (149) – 2nd Place Finish
Josh Maruca def. Tyler Buckiso (Citadel), 6-3
Josh Maruca def. Fredy Stroker (Minnesota), 2-1
Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) def. Josh Maruca, 13-1
Oliver Pierce (149) – 3rd Place Finish
Christian Monserrat (West Virginia) def. Oliver Pierce, 2-0
Oliver Pierce def. Jesse Rodgers (Rider), 7-1
Oliver Pierce def. Jesse Meaney (LIU), 12-1
No 22 Josh Shields (157) – 2nd Place Finish
Aaron Walker (Citadel) def. Josh Shields, 7-6
Josh Shields def. Carson Brolsma (Minnesota), fall 6:50
Josh Shields def. Rylan Lubeck (Wisconsin), 13-4
No. 8 Anthony Valencia (165) – 3rd Place Finish
Anthony Valencia def. Cole Walter (Lehigh), 4-4
Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia) def. Anthony Valencia, 6-5
Anthony Valencia def. Gordon Wolf (Lehigh), 14-10
No. 8 Zahid Valencia (174) – 1st Place Finish
Zahid Valencia def. Lee Davis (NC State), 13-3
Zahid Valencia def. Wayne Stinson (Rider), forfeit
Zahid Valencia def. Ethan Ramos (North Carolina), 11-10
Jacen Petersen (174) – 4th Place Finish
Jacen Petersen def. Hayden Hansen (Oklahoma), 8-7
Nick Reenan (NC State) def. Jacen Petersen, TF 6:24 24-9
Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin) def. Jacen Petersen, 13-8
Conner Small (184) – 4th Place Finish
Colin Barber (SUNY Cortland) def. Conner Small, 3-2
Conner Small def. Chandler Sambets (The Citadel), 7-4
Adam Mackie (Lock Haven) def. Conner Small, 9-4
Austyn Harris (197) – 3rd Place Finish
Austyn Harris def. Ricardo Dawkins (SUNY Cortland), fall 4:00
James Benjamin (Buffalo) def. Austyn Harris, fall 5:12
Mason Reinhardt (Wisconsin) def. Austyn Harris, fall 1:33
No. 5 Tanner Hall (HWT) – 2nd Place Finish
Tanner Hall def. Michael Kosoy (NC State), 2-0
Tanner Hall def. Thomas Haines (Ohio State), 7-4
Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) def. Tanner Hall, 3-2