TEMPE, Ariz.—The majority of the No. 6 Sun Devils will compete at the Michigan State Open while All-Americans Tanner Hall and Zahid Valencia will compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic, both on Sunday, Nov. 5 to open the season.
UP NEXT
After this week, ASU remains on the road for their first two dual meets, facing No. 3 Michigan at DCC in Novi, Mich. on Friday, Nov. 10 and No. 2 Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday, Nov. 12.
ABOUT THE MICHIGAN STATE OPEN
The Michigan State open will begin the Sun Devils' 2017-18 season at one of the nation's toughest open tournaments. No. 6 ASU will be joined by wrestlers from No. 3 Michigan, No. 16 Central Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Oklahoma, Purdue, and Wisconsin.
The tournament begins at 8:30 am CT/7:30 am MT (Arizona moves to MT Sunday morning) and will run until completion.
Live coverage can be found on Flowrestling.org.
ABOUT THE NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC
Zahid Valencia and Tanner Hall earned an invitation to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic at Princeton University's Jadwin Gym on Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. ET/1 p.m. MT (starting on this date, Arizona will be on MT).
Tanner Hall will face Penn State's Nick Nevills at heavyweight while Zahid Valencia will earn a rematch of the NCAA semifinal match vs. Nevills' teammate, Mark Hall at 174 lbs.
Last March's NCAA semifinals matchup is the only time in college Valencia and M. Hall have faced, with Valencia 5-1 vs. common opponents. Nevills and T. Hall have never faced in college.
This is the second and third time in 52 years of the event that wrestlers from Arizona State and Penn State will face in the All-Star Classic. The first time was a 9-5 victory by ASU's Ray Miller (167) over PSU's Dave Hart in 1993.
Fans can watch live on Trackwrestling.com.
GRAPPLING AT GAMMAGE
In a first of it's kind event, Arizona State will take their home opener to a different venue, hosting Pitt on Sunday, Nov. 19 at ASU Gammage Theatre on the ASU Tempe campus.
"Wrestling has performed on the biggest stages in the world - the Coliseum in Rome, Times Square, the U.S.S. Intrepid on the Hudson River, and even NYC's Grand Central Station. Now we will make our own small part of history when we wrestle Pitt in one of Arizona's iconic buildings. It will be an excellent venue for wrestling and a historical event in ASU history and we're proud to be a part of it."
ASU Gammage was designed in partnership with then-President Grady Gammage and famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the mid-1950's. Though neither lived to see the blueprints take life, the building was completed in Sept. 1964 and is the only public building in Arizona designed by Wright.
The Gammage stage has welcomed a vast number of musical, artistic, and cultural talents over the years including B.B. King, Johnny Cash, and Elton John, a 2004 presidential debate, and numerous Broadway touring plays including The Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, the Lion King, and more.
SUN DEVIL REPRESENTATION ON WORLD TEAMS
Two Sun Devil coaches served on USA Wrestling World Freestyle Teams, with assistant coach Chris Pendleton on the Junior World Team staff and assistant coach Lee Pritts on the Cadet World Team staff.
All-American Zahid Valencia also won a silver medal for the US, helping the team to its first title since 1984. Valencia significantly improved upon his 10th place finish in 2015 and seventh place finish in 2016.
Valencia followed in his head coach's footsteps as Zeke Jones earned a Junior World Freestyle silver in 1986 while Sun Devil teammate Mike Davies won silver in 1984.
It was the seventh consecutive year ASU has had representation on the Junior World Team, with Zahid Valencia from 2015-17, his brother Anthony Valencia in 2014, and Tanner Hall in 2011-12. Now current Sun Devil Jason Tsirtsis was on the 2013 team while Bubba Jenkins won gold in 2007 prior to his time in Tempe.
ANTHONY ROBLES INDUCTED INTO ARIZONA SPORTS HOF
Anthony Robles, 2011 NCAA champion and ASU graduate, was inducted into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday, Nov. 1.
The 3-time All-American and 4-time NCAA qualifier at 125 lbs. also finished his ASU career ranked eighth in wins (122) and 10th in dual wins (53), setting ASU career records for bonus-point victories (92) and technical falls (47).
In 2011, Robles capped a perfect 36-0 season and won a national championship by defeating the reigning champion, Iowa's Matt McDonough, 7-1, in the finals. That year, he was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Since graduating from ASU, Robles has become a motivational speaker, receiving the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance in 2011, and recently had the opportunity to narrate an ESPN E:60 episode on Wisconsin high school wrestler Zack Anglin, who was born with no hands or feet. Robles also returns to ASU on the Pac-12 Network broadcast team for wrestling matches, also part of ESPN's team for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
Robles is the third representative of Sun Devil wrestling to be named to the prestigious Hall of Fame after 1967 NCAA wrestling champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer Curley Culp (2002) and 1965 WAC champion, former president of USA Wrestling, and longtime supporter of ASU wrestling Art Martori (2014).
Joining Robles in the five-member class of 2017 are Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill, longtime sportswriter and current Cronkite School professor Paola Boivin, former Coyotes captain Shane Doan, and former NBA great and GCU head men's basketball coach Dan Majerle.
1988 CHAMPIONSHIP REUNION
On January 20 vs. Oregon State, members of the 1988 NCAA National Championship team will return to Tempe to be honored as part of the dual for the 30th anniversary of the championship.
PAC-12 NETWORK BROADCASTS
Three of five Sun Devil home duals will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network, starting with Sunday, Nov. 26 vs. South Dakota State as well as Pac-12 duals vs. Stanford (Friday, Jan. 19) and Oregon State (Saturday, Jan. 20) on back-to-back days.
2016-17 IN REVIEW
The Sun Devils reached and surpassed many significant milestones in 2016-17, including the following:
•First Pac-10/12 championship since 2006 (11 years)
•Third-place finish at Midlands was best team finish at prestigious tournament since 1989, first top-10 finish since 2001, first top-5 finish since 1997, and best finish since winning the tournament in 1989
•Seventh time in Midlands' 54-year history that ASU finished top-5 as a team (1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1996, 1997)
•At Midlands, Tanner Hall and Zahid Valencia became ASU's 13th and 14th individual title winners, first individual winners for the program since 2001
•Most Pac-10/12 individual champions (5) since 2003 (6)
•First time ASU had 3 or more individual Pac-12 champions in back-to-back years since 2006/07
•Zahid Valencia was ranked No. 1 at 174 lbs. and went as high as No. 5 on NCAA's Most Dominant List (undefeated going into NCAA semis)
•With a 10-4 dual record, Sun Devils earned back-to-back 10-win seasons for first time since 2004-05 and 2005-06
•Finished 4-1 in the Pac-12 for the first time since 2013-14
•Posted best finish at Virginia Duals since 1997 (3rd). It was the sixth time ASU had finished in top-4 (also 1988, 1989, 1990, 1997), including 3-straight second place finishes (1988-1990). Zahid Valencia was named Most Outstanding Wrestler.
•Won first Pac-12 opener of Zeke Jones era, defeating Cal Poly 30-15 (Jan. 8)
•Earned 25-14 win at Iowa State (Jan. 6), first win in Ames since 1989
•Zeke Jones named Pac-12 Coach of the Year, Zahid Valencia named Pac-12 Wrestler and Freshman/Newcomer of the Year, first time in conference history a wrestler has earned both titles in the same season
NEW KIDS IN TOWN
Two transfers who redshirted and trained with the team last season will now be eligible to compete for the Sun Devils in 2017-18: Jason Tsirtsis and Ryan Millhof.
Tsirtsis (149) transferred from Northwestern where he was the 2014 NCAA Champion as well as a two-time Big Ten champion and 2015 All-American.
Millhof moved to Tempe from the University of Oklahoma where he earned All-American honors in 2015-16 and was one of just four true freshmen to compete in OU's starting lineup in 2014-15.
ASU adds 12 other freshmen and transfers, highlighted by freshmen Cade Belshay, Kordell Norfleet, Navonte Demison and Brandon Courtney.
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 open 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.
OREGON STATE TO HOST 2018 PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Hosting responsibilities for the 2018 Pac-12 Championships shifts to Oregon State as the Beavers host the conference championships on Sunday, Feb. 25. Last season, the Sun Devils won their first Pac-12 title in 11 years (since 2006). In 2019, the hosting duties will return to Tempe after ASU hosted in 2016.
In 2017, Josh Maruca (149), Josh Shields (157), Anthony Valencia (165), Zahid Valencia (174), and Tanner Hall (HWT) won Pac-12 individual titles.
2018 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships are set for March 15-17 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
In 2017, ASU qualified five wrestlers in the form of five Pac-12 champions - Josh Maruca (149), Josh Shields (157), Anthony Valencia (165), Zahid Valencia (174), and Tanner Hall (HWT) while Z. Valencia and Hall became All-Americans.
THE STAFF
Joining head coach Zeke Jones on the 2017-18 coaching staff are sixth-year assistant coach Lee Pritts, fourth-year assistant coach Chris Pendleton, and second-year volunteer assistant Haislan Garcia.
Pritts, considered one of the top recruiters in the country, previously worked at North Carolina State, Old Dominion, and Missouri. He was an All-American at Eastern Michigan and qualified for the 2000 Olympic trials. This summer, he was a coach for USA Wrestling at the Cadet Freestyle World Championships.
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. In summer 2017, he served as an assistant coach for the USA Wrestling Junior World Freestyle Team in Finland where Zahid Valencia won a silver medal.
Garcia, a three-time Canadian Olympian, joined the staff as volunteer assistant coach last season and brings a wealth of experience as a nine-time Canadian National Champion and multiple-time Pan-American championship medalist.
Maddie Schossow (Iowa '15) enters her second season as Director of Operations while Alex Reyes and Matt Kramer join the staff as Student Video Coordinators.