TEMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devil wrestling team (10-1, 2-0 Pac-12), ranked No. 4 by Trackwrestling's tournament rankings, heads to the Midwest for the weekend as it gets ready to take on new Pac-12 opponent Little Rock and 2018 MAC Champion Missouri. The road trip will get started with a 5:30 p.m. MST matchup in Little Rock on Friday, before rounding out the weekend in Columbia on Sunday to battle the Tigers.
ASU, winners of five-straight, looks to continue its dominance in Pac-12 Conference play this weekend after providing a dominant performance over No. 11 Stanford this past Friday. Five bonus-point victories proved to be the difference, including an upset at 197, where Kordell Norfleet took down his second top-five opponent of the year in Nathan Traxler. The team victory capped a perfect 8-0 home record for ASU, which is the first undefeated finish at home since 1992-93.
"We have to continue to keep our focus with things that we can control," head coach Zeke Jones said. "I think we are getting better each weekend. We have a new guy come out and have a breakout performance, like Brandon (Courtney), Kordell (Norfleet), and I think everyone sees their stock rising at the NCAA tournament and that elevates our team performance. We have to have it at every weight class too - '33, '41 and '49 need to step up and contribute. There is no way you can take home the championship trophy without ten people rowing the boat in the same direction."
Multiple Sun Devil wrestlers find themselves rising in a number of national ranking polls these past few weeks while others, such as Josh Shields (No. 6), Anthony Valencia (No. 9), Zahid Valencia (No. 1) and Tanner Hall (No. 4) remain the same at their respective weight classes. Brandon Courtney (125), Jacori Teemer (157) and Norfleet (197) have seen the most progression up the ranks of late as Courtney has climbed all the way up to No. 7 in the latest FloWrestling rankings after winning six consecutive matches. Teemer is also finding his groove of late, winning five of his last six and picking up bonus points in two straight. He is ranked No. 15 at 157 by Trackwrestling. Coming off another top-five win, Norfleet has catapulted himself into the top-10 in most major ranking systems.
The Trojans are entering their inaugural season as a division one wrestling program, coming in as the sixth team to join the Pac-12 Conference. So far, Little Rock is 1-5 this year with their lone victory coming over Ozarks back in late November.
"It's pretty awesome seeing a new team in the Pac-12, like Arkansas Little Rock, who is not a traditional Pac-12 school by any means," Jones said. "Wrestling right now is revolutionizing and reinventing itself through these conference associations around the country and we are happy to have Little Rock in the conference with us and I know their goal is like everybody else's in the whole country. They want to get to the national tournament and do some damage. We are excited about this one because it is going to be for Pac-12 seeding."
The Tigers come in 10-6 so far, most recently falling to No. 11 Oklahoma State last weekend in Stillwater, 26-6. The match against the Cowboys was highlighted by Missouri's Brock Mauller pulling off the upset over top-ranked Boo Lewallen in overtime for his first loss of the season. During dual competition, Missouri has seen its most notable wins come against Buffalo (Dec. 15), Wyoming (Dec. 29) and Central Michigan (Jan. 17).
"They have finished in the top-five and top-10 quite a bit in the last 10 years," Jones said. "This team is a consistent performer at the NCAA tournament. They have a lot of team trophies to show for it at the national tournament. Last year didn't feel good, you can still kind of taste it and there is a certain sense that we want to compete with some intensity this weekend because we owe them. They gave it to us last year so we want to return the favor."
The Sun Devils will look to avenge its loss from a season ago this time around as Missouri got the better of ASU in Tempe, 30-12. Sunday's meeting will be the sixth such matchup between the two storied programs, with ASU visiting Columbia for the first time in school history. Overall, ASU owns a 4-1 all-time record over the Tigers.
Fans will have the chance to watch both matchups over the weekend, with Friday's match being available for free via live stream while Sunday's match against the Tigers can be found on ESPN3. Remember to follow all of the action from the weekend by following the team at @ASUWrestling on Twitter.
Following the weekend trip, the Sun Devils will head to the west coast to round out the Pac-12 schedule when they face Cal Poly (Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. MST) and Cal State Bakersfield (Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. MST).
Arizona State Probable Lineup
125 – #8 Brandon Courtney (18-4)
133 – Josh Kramer (7-9)
141 – Navonte Demison (3-11) or Cory Crooks (2-3)
149 – Josh Maruca (7-8) or Dillon Ulrey (4-2)
157 – #15 Jacori Teemer (9-5)
165 – #6 Josh Shields (15-4)
174 – #9 Anthony Valencia (15-5)
184 – #1 Zahid Valencia (18-0)
197 – #9 Kordell Norfleet (7-2)
285 – #4 Tanner Hall (15-3)
Little Rock Probable Lineup
125 - Jayden Carson
133 - Paul Bianchi
141 - Conner Ward
149 - Tyler Brennan
157 - Tommy Lisher OR Jose Champagne
165 - Will Edgar
174 - Tristan Tadeo
184 - Matthew Muller
197 - Dylan Johnson
HWT - Drake Barbee
Missouri Probable Lineup
125 – Cameron Valdiviez (15-6) or Dack Punke (12-9)
133 – Allan Hart (14-8)
141 – Alex Butler (9-7)
149 – #2 Brock Mauller (21-1)
157 – #12 Jarrett Jacques (21-4)
165 – Peyton Mocco (19-10)
174 – Connor Flynn (15-6) or Jeremiah Kent (17-7)
184 – #24 Dylan Wisman (14-6)
197 – #26 Wyatt Koelling (17-5)
HWT – Jake Bohlken (10-10)
^ Trackwrestling Rankings
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
#4 ASU vs. #20 Missouri
125: #8 Brandon Courtney vs. Cameron Valdiviez
157: #15 Jacori Teemer vs. #12 Jarrett Jacques
174: #9 Anthony Valencia vs. Connor Flynn
184: #1 Zahid Valencia vs. #24 Dylan Wisman
197: #9 Kordell Norfleet vs. #26 Wyatt Koelling
POLLS
- The Sun Devils, winners of five straight, remain at No. 5 in the NWCA Coaches poll
- ASU remains in the top-10 in all national dual/tournament ranking systems – FloWrestling (No. 3), Trackwrestling (No. 4), Intermat (No. 5), WIN Magazine (No. 5), The Open Mat (No. 7).
- After upsetting No. 1 Penn State back in late November, the Sun Devils moved up to No. 4 in the NWCA poll – the highest-ranking received for ASU since 1998.
MILESTONES
- 2 major decision wins needed for Josh Shields to move into 2nd all-time in career major wins in ASU history (sits at 31 behind Steve Blackfords' 32)
- 2 pins needed for Zahid Valencia to move into 3rd for most career pins in ASU history (sits 4th with 40 behind Gary Coleys' 41)
- 2 major decision wins needed for Brandon Courtney to move into ASU's top-10 for most majors in a season (sits T-17th with 8)
- 2 wins needed for Tanner Hall to reach the 100 career win mark (currently sits at 98)
- 1 bonus-point win needed for Anthony Valencia to move into T-5th all-time in career bonus wins in ASU history (sits at 55 with teammate Josh Shields)
FIVE BONUS WINS LEAD DEVILS PAST STANFORD ON SENIOR NIGHT
In the season finale at Desert Financial Arena, the Sun Devil wrestling team honored the 2015 recruiting class for its final home meet in an ASU singlet, with a commanding 28-12 victory over No. 11 Stanford on Jan. 31. The night was highlighted by a marquee matchup at 197 between Nathan Tranxler and Kordell Norfleet. It took two overtimes to decide the winner, as Norfleet was able to earn his second top-5 win of the season and get the crowd on their feet going into intermission. Overall, the Sun Devils racked up five bonus point wins from Jacori Teemer (Tech), Anthony Valencia (Major), Zahid Valencia (Tech), Brandon Courtney (Tech), and Dillon Ulrey (Major). The victory would snap an eight-match win streak for the Cardinal and notch the first undefeated season at home for ASU since 1992-93.
ASU, winners of five-straight, looks to continue its dominance in Pac-12 Conference play this weekend after providing a dominant performance over No. 11 Stanford this past Friday. Five bonus-point victories proved to be the difference, including an upset at 197, where Kordell Norfleet took down his second top-five opponent of the year in Nathan Traxler. The team victory capped a perfect 8-0 home record for ASU, which is the first undefeated finish at home since 1992-93.
"We have to continue to keep our focus with things that we can control," head coach Zeke Jones said. "I think we are getting better each weekend. We have a new guy come out and have a breakout performance, like Brandon (Courtney), Kordell (Norfleet), and I think everyone sees their stock rising at the NCAA tournament and that elevates our team performance. We have to have it at every weight class too - '33, '41 and '49 need to step up and contribute. There is no way you can take home the championship trophy without ten people rowing the boat in the same direction."
Multiple Sun Devil wrestlers find themselves rising in a number of national ranking polls these past few weeks while others, such as Josh Shields (No. 6), Anthony Valencia (No. 9), Zahid Valencia (No. 1) and Tanner Hall (No. 4) remain the same at their respective weight classes. Brandon Courtney (125), Jacori Teemer (157) and Norfleet (197) have seen the most progression up the ranks of late as Courtney has climbed all the way up to No. 7 in the latest FloWrestling rankings after winning six consecutive matches. Teemer is also finding his groove of late, winning five of his last six and picking up bonus points in two straight. He is ranked No. 15 at 157 by Trackwrestling. Coming off another top-five win, Norfleet has catapulted himself into the top-10 in most major ranking systems.
The Trojans are entering their inaugural season as a division one wrestling program, coming in as the sixth team to join the Pac-12 Conference. So far, Little Rock is 1-5 this year with their lone victory coming over Ozarks back in late November.
"It's pretty awesome seeing a new team in the Pac-12, like Arkansas Little Rock, who is not a traditional Pac-12 school by any means," Jones said. "Wrestling right now is revolutionizing and reinventing itself through these conference associations around the country and we are happy to have Little Rock in the conference with us and I know their goal is like everybody else's in the whole country. They want to get to the national tournament and do some damage. We are excited about this one because it is going to be for Pac-12 seeding."
The Tigers come in 10-6 so far, most recently falling to No. 11 Oklahoma State last weekend in Stillwater, 26-6. The match against the Cowboys was highlighted by Missouri's Brock Mauller pulling off the upset over top-ranked Boo Lewallen in overtime for his first loss of the season. During dual competition, Missouri has seen its most notable wins come against Buffalo (Dec. 15), Wyoming (Dec. 29) and Central Michigan (Jan. 17).
"They have finished in the top-five and top-10 quite a bit in the last 10 years," Jones said. "This team is a consistent performer at the NCAA tournament. They have a lot of team trophies to show for it at the national tournament. Last year didn't feel good, you can still kind of taste it and there is a certain sense that we want to compete with some intensity this weekend because we owe them. They gave it to us last year so we want to return the favor."
The Sun Devils will look to avenge its loss from a season ago this time around as Missouri got the better of ASU in Tempe, 30-12. Sunday's meeting will be the sixth such matchup between the two storied programs, with ASU visiting Columbia for the first time in school history. Overall, ASU owns a 4-1 all-time record over the Tigers.
Fans will have the chance to watch both matchups over the weekend, with Friday's match being available for free via live stream while Sunday's match against the Tigers can be found on ESPN3. Remember to follow all of the action from the weekend by following the team at @ASUWrestling on Twitter.
Following the weekend trip, the Sun Devils will head to the west coast to round out the Pac-12 schedule when they face Cal Poly (Feb. 15 at 8 p.m. MST) and Cal State Bakersfield (Feb. 17 at 1 p.m. MST).
Arizona State Probable Lineup
125 – #8 Brandon Courtney (18-4)
133 – Josh Kramer (7-9)
141 – Navonte Demison (3-11) or Cory Crooks (2-3)
149 – Josh Maruca (7-8) or Dillon Ulrey (4-2)
157 – #15 Jacori Teemer (9-5)
165 – #6 Josh Shields (15-4)
174 – #9 Anthony Valencia (15-5)
184 – #1 Zahid Valencia (18-0)
197 – #9 Kordell Norfleet (7-2)
285 – #4 Tanner Hall (15-3)
Little Rock Probable Lineup
125 - Jayden Carson
133 - Paul Bianchi
141 - Conner Ward
149 - Tyler Brennan
157 - Tommy Lisher OR Jose Champagne
165 - Will Edgar
174 - Tristan Tadeo
184 - Matthew Muller
197 - Dylan Johnson
HWT - Drake Barbee
Missouri Probable Lineup
125 – Cameron Valdiviez (15-6) or Dack Punke (12-9)
133 – Allan Hart (14-8)
141 – Alex Butler (9-7)
149 – #2 Brock Mauller (21-1)
157 – #12 Jarrett Jacques (21-4)
165 – Peyton Mocco (19-10)
174 – Connor Flynn (15-6) or Jeremiah Kent (17-7)
184 – #24 Dylan Wisman (14-6)
197 – #26 Wyatt Koelling (17-5)
HWT – Jake Bohlken (10-10)
^ Trackwrestling Rankings
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
#4 ASU vs. #20 Missouri
125: #8 Brandon Courtney vs. Cameron Valdiviez
157: #15 Jacori Teemer vs. #12 Jarrett Jacques
174: #9 Anthony Valencia vs. Connor Flynn
184: #1 Zahid Valencia vs. #24 Dylan Wisman
197: #9 Kordell Norfleet vs. #26 Wyatt Koelling
POLLS
- The Sun Devils, winners of five straight, remain at No. 5 in the NWCA Coaches poll
- ASU remains in the top-10 in all national dual/tournament ranking systems – FloWrestling (No. 3), Trackwrestling (No. 4), Intermat (No. 5), WIN Magazine (No. 5), The Open Mat (No. 7).
- After upsetting No. 1 Penn State back in late November, the Sun Devils moved up to No. 4 in the NWCA poll – the highest-ranking received for ASU since 1998.
MILESTONES
- 2 major decision wins needed for Josh Shields to move into 2nd all-time in career major wins in ASU history (sits at 31 behind Steve Blackfords' 32)
- 2 pins needed for Zahid Valencia to move into 3rd for most career pins in ASU history (sits 4th with 40 behind Gary Coleys' 41)
- 2 major decision wins needed for Brandon Courtney to move into ASU's top-10 for most majors in a season (sits T-17th with 8)
- 2 wins needed for Tanner Hall to reach the 100 career win mark (currently sits at 98)
- 1 bonus-point win needed for Anthony Valencia to move into T-5th all-time in career bonus wins in ASU history (sits at 55 with teammate Josh Shields)
FIVE BONUS WINS LEAD DEVILS PAST STANFORD ON SENIOR NIGHT
In the season finale at Desert Financial Arena, the Sun Devil wrestling team honored the 2015 recruiting class for its final home meet in an ASU singlet, with a commanding 28-12 victory over No. 11 Stanford on Jan. 31. The night was highlighted by a marquee matchup at 197 between Nathan Tranxler and Kordell Norfleet. It took two overtimes to decide the winner, as Norfleet was able to earn his second top-5 win of the season and get the crowd on their feet going into intermission. Overall, the Sun Devils racked up five bonus point wins from Jacori Teemer (Tech), Anthony Valencia (Major), Zahid Valencia (Tech), Brandon Courtney (Tech), and Dillon Ulrey (Major). The victory would snap an eight-match win streak for the Cardinal and notch the first undefeated season at home for ASU since 1992-93.