EVANSTON, Ill. – Zahid Valencia and Tanner Hall won a pair of individual championships en route to a third-place finish at #Midlands54, the Devils' best team placing at the prestigious tournament since 1989.
The impressive showing marked ASU's first top-10 finish since 2001, first top-5 finish since 1997 and best finish since winning the tournament in 1989. This was just the seventh time in the tournament's 54-year history that the Sun Devils finished in the top five as a team (also: 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1996, 1997).
"It was a team effort. It takes every man on to get to the goal. We're not there yet but we're on the way," said Zeke Jones.
In team scores (according to NWCA/USA Today rankings), No. 19 ASU finished just behind No. 3 Iowa and No. 7 Nebraska and ahead of 10 other ranked teams in attendance – No. 9 Lehigh, No. 10 NC State, No. 11 Rutgers, No. 12 Illinois, No. 14 Central Michigan, No. 15 Michigan, No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 20 South Dakota State, and No. 23 Pittsburgh.
Individually, Zahid Valencia continued the undefeated start to his freshman season, winning his second title of December at 174 lbs., after winning the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational earlier this month.
ASU Individual Champions (Midlands)
1987 – Dan St. John (158)
1988 – Thom Ortiz (150)
1988 – Dan St. John (158)
1989 – Zeke Jones (118)
1989 – Andrew McNaughton (134)
1989 – Thom Ortiz (142)
1989 – Ray Miller (158)
1989 – Dan St. John (167)
1995 – Markus Mollica (167)
1996 – Casey Strand (167)
1996 – Aaron Simpson (177)
2001 – Eric Larkin (141)
2016 – Zahid Valencia (174)
2016 – Tanner Hall (HWT)
Following a significant performance this weekend, the Sun Devils start their dual schedule in earnest at Iowa State next Friday, Jan. 6 before returning home for their Pac-12 opener vs. Cal Poly on Sunday, Jan. 8.
Zahid Valencia (174) – 1st Place
Semifinals – Zahid Valencia def. Zac Brunson (Illinois) (Dec 8-3)
1st Place Match – Zahid Valencia def. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) (Maj 11-2)
Tanner Hall (HWT) – 1st Place
Semifinals – Tanner Hall def. Samuel Stoll (Iowa) (Dec 2-1)
1st Place Match – Tanner Hall def. Jordan Wood (Lehigh) (Dec 4-1)
Anthony Valencia (165) – 3rd Place
Semifinals – Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) def. Anthony Valencia (Maj 10-1)
Consolation Semifinals – Anthony Valencia def. Kaleb Young (Iowa) (Dec 7-3)
3rd Place Match – Anthony Valencia def. Alex Marinelli (Iowa) (Fall 2:41)
Josh Shields (157) – 3rd Place
Consolation Round 6 – Josh Shields def. Hayden Hidlay (NC State) (Dec 3-1)
Consolation Round 7 – Josh Shields def. John Van Brill (Rutgers) (Dec 7-2)
Consolation Semifinals – Josh Shields def. Jason Tsirtsis (Arizona State) (MFF)
3rd Place Match – Josh Shields def. Evan Wick (Wisconsin) (Maj 8-0)
Josh Maruca (149)
Consolation Round 6 – Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers) def. Josh Maruca (Dec 4-3)
The impressive showing marked ASU's first top-10 finish since 2001, first top-5 finish since 1997 and best finish since winning the tournament in 1989. This was just the seventh time in the tournament's 54-year history that the Sun Devils finished in the top five as a team (also: 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1996, 1997).
"It was a team effort. It takes every man on to get to the goal. We're not there yet but we're on the way," said Zeke Jones.
In team scores (according to NWCA/USA Today rankings), No. 19 ASU finished just behind No. 3 Iowa and No. 7 Nebraska and ahead of 10 other ranked teams in attendance – No. 9 Lehigh, No. 10 NC State, No. 11 Rutgers, No. 12 Illinois, No. 14 Central Michigan, No. 15 Michigan, No. 17 Wisconsin, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 20 South Dakota State, and No. 23 Pittsburgh.
Individually, Zahid Valencia continued the undefeated start to his freshman season, winning his second title of December at 174 lbs., after winning the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational earlier this month.
Heavyweight Tanner Hall continued ASU's winning ways with the team's second individual championship, just the fourth time in program history the Sun Devils have had multiple individual champions at Midlands (also: 1988, 1989, 1996). Current head coach Zeke Jones was one of the Devils' multiple champions in 1989.Another title. Still undefeated. Our third #Midlands54 placer is none other than than @Z_MONEY97, our first champ since '01 #ElevateAll pic.twitter.com/eWBwPhwevo
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) December 31, 2016
Valencia and Hall became the 13th and 14th individual title winners for ASU, the first individual winners for the program since 2001.Tanner Hall becomes the Devils' second #Midlands54 Champ, just fourth time in history multiple Sun Devils win Midlands #ElevateAll pic.twitter.com/iR3Jmbgnws
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) December 31, 2016
ASU Individual Champions (Midlands)
1987 – Dan St. John (158)
1988 – Thom Ortiz (150)
1988 – Dan St. John (158)
1989 – Zeke Jones (118)
1989 – Andrew McNaughton (134)
1989 – Thom Ortiz (142)
1989 – Ray Miller (158)
1989 – Dan St. John (167)
1995 – Markus Mollica (167)
1996 – Casey Strand (167)
1996 – Aaron Simpson (177)
2001 – Eric Larkin (141)
2016 – Zahid Valencia (174)
2016 – Tanner Hall (HWT)
Addtionally, Josh Shields (157) and Anthony Valencia (165) finished third place in their respective weight classes, the first time since 1997 ASU has had four plus podium finishers.
Wrestling unattached, Jason Tsirtsis, who finished runner-up while wrestling for Northwestern at last year's Midlands Championships and who will compete for the Sun Devils in 2017-18, finished fifth.Following a significant performance this weekend, the Sun Devils start their dual schedule in earnest at Iowa State next Friday, Jan. 6 before returning home for their Pac-12 opener vs. Cal Poly on Sunday, Jan. 8.
Zahid Valencia (174) – 1st Place
Semifinals – Zahid Valencia def. Zac Brunson (Illinois) (Dec 8-3)
1st Place Match – Zahid Valencia def. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) (Maj 11-2)
Tanner Hall (HWT) – 1st Place
Semifinals – Tanner Hall def. Samuel Stoll (Iowa) (Dec 2-1)
1st Place Match – Tanner Hall def. Jordan Wood (Lehigh) (Dec 4-1)
Anthony Valencia (165) – 3rd Place
Semifinals – Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) def. Anthony Valencia (Maj 10-1)
Consolation Semifinals – Anthony Valencia def. Kaleb Young (Iowa) (Dec 7-3)
3rd Place Match – Anthony Valencia def. Alex Marinelli (Iowa) (Fall 2:41)
Josh Shields (157) – 3rd Place
Consolation Round 6 – Josh Shields def. Hayden Hidlay (NC State) (Dec 3-1)
Consolation Round 7 – Josh Shields def. John Van Brill (Rutgers) (Dec 7-2)
Consolation Semifinals – Josh Shields def. Jason Tsirtsis (Arizona State) (MFF)
3rd Place Match – Josh Shields def. Evan Wick (Wisconsin) (Maj 8-0)
Josh Maruca (149)
Consolation Round 6 – Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers) def. Josh Maruca (Dec 4-3)