TEMPE, Ariz.— The 2017-18 collegiate wrestling season culminates in one final weekend of competition as the 2018 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are set to take place at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio Mar. 15-17.
Schedule
Thursday, Mar. 15 - First Round (12 pm ET/ESPNU)
Thursday, Mar. 15 - Second Round (7 pm ET/ESPN)
Friday, Mar. 16 - Quarterfinals (11 am ET/ESPNU)
Friday, Mar. 16 - Semifinals (8 pm ET/ESPNU)
Saturday, Mar. 17 - Medal Round (11 am ET/ESPN)
Saturday, Mar. 17 - Championships (8 pm ET/ESPNU)
Last season, the Sun Devils had their best team finish since 2011, finishing 14th, while it marked the first time they have had multiple All-Americans and medalists since 2011.
2017 marked the first time in two seasons ASU had an All-American and the highest All-American finish for the team since Anthony Robles and Bubba Jenkins won national titles in 2011 (Levi Cooper was also an All-American the same season).
Zahid Valencia and Tanner Hall, each finishing third, became the 113th and 114th All-Americans in Sun Devil wrestling history and 14th and 15th third-placers, first since Eric Larkin in 2011.
ICYMI: The 2018 DI #NCAAWrestling bracket is out: https://t.co/ikftylnNML pic.twitter.com/vwoIXsQk5S
— NCAA Wrestling (@ncaawrestling) March 8, 2018
ASU CAPTURES BACK-TO-BACK PAC-12 TITLES
One of the most decorated programs in the west, the Sun Devils captured their 20th conference title (18 Pac-10/12 and 2 WAC) on Feb. 25 in Corvallis, Ore. Since joining the Pac-12 Conference in 1978-79, the Sun Devils have been one of the most dominant member institutions with 119 individual Pac-10/12 titles (28 WAC crowns).
After winning their first title in 11 years last season, the Sun Devils win back-to-back titles for the first time since 2005/2006, a span in which they also won three in four years and four in six years (also 2001 and 2003).
Ali Naser (133), Jason Tsirtsis (149), Josh Shields (157), Anthony Valencia (165), Zahid Valencia (174), and Kordell Norfleet (184) won Pac-12 titles while Ryan Millhof (125) and Tanner Hall (HWT) also qualified with a second and third-place finish, respectively, bringing ASU's total qualifiers to eight.
Six Pac-12 champions for the Sun Devils were the most since six winners in 2003. Shields, Z. Valencia, and A. Valencia become the first back-to-back Pac-12 individual champions for Arizona State since Anthony Robles won three straight from 2009-11.
It's #MarchMadness inside the @ASUWrestling room. Zeke Jones team is preparing to make a run a title, with 17,000 fans set to pack the @ncaawrestling championships.https://t.co/4gDfyG6xK3 pic.twitter.com/nOMlS0ybqr
— Mark McClune (@MarkMcClune) March 8, 2018
WIN STREAK
The Sun Devils recorded a 10-match win streak this season, which is now the third-longest win streak in program history. The 1977-78 team won 13 straight and the 1975-76 team earned a perfect 15-0 record for the longest win streak in program history. At the time, the 10-match win streak was also the fourth longest currently in the NCAA.
We're blessed with some of the best staff and administrators including Senior Associate AD Don Bocchi, who stopped by our video shoot this week and shared encouragement for Tanner Hall leading into next week #SunDevilIntensity @DonaldBocchi pic.twitter.com/j20Z3yLDOn
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) March 9, 2018
SUN DEVIL GREATS TO BE PART OF NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame will partner together this week for a "Wrestling and Football" exhibit at NCAA Wrestling Fan Fest. Fan Fest will take place at the Huntington Convention Center (Hall A) throughout the championships and is free to the public. Sun Devil Curley Culp, Pro Football Hall of Fame member and NCAA wrestling champion, will be part of the roundtable discussion alongside Bob Golic (2x wrestling All-American and 14-year NFL veteran), Carlton Haselrig (6x NCAA wrestling champion and NFL veteran), and Stephen Neal (2x NCAA wrestling champion and 3x Super Bowl champion). The roundtable will take place from 5:15-6 pm at Fan Fest and the group will sign autographs directly afterwards from 6-6:30 pm on Thursday, Mar. 15.
Culp and fellow Sun Devil great Dan St. John will also be presenting NCAA awards on Saturday night at the championships.
Flashback Friday to 1967 @ncaawrestling DI Championships and @ASUWrestling's Curley Culp pinning Nick Carollo in HWT finals https://t.co/PsXN9gIrM1 Curley, a @ProFootballHall member, is part of our Wrestling & Football event at DI Fan Fest. Learn more at https://t.co/fpC15SE11k
— NWHOF (@NWHOF) March 9, 2018