TEMPE-- After adding another top-25 win to its resume and third win of the season with two pins, the No. 7 Sun Devil wrestling team concludes their 2021 home dual schedule against Pac-12 foe, Cal Poly (2-2, 1-2 Pac-12) at Desert Financial Arena this Thursday, Feb. 11 at 9:30 a.m. MST.
"First off, we're grateful to be competing and we continue to speak about that at practice. We're getting to do what most people aren't able to do," head coach Zeke Jones said. "We're looking forward to some great competition. Make no mistake about Cal Poly as they roster ranked wrestlers at 141, 149, and 174, so we will need to be ready to go."
Last weekend senior Kordell Norfleet (197) and redshirt freshman Cohlton Schultz (HWT) had back-to-back pins to send the Sun Devils (3-0, 1-0 Pac-12) to victory. ASU wrestlers combined for a season-high of 24 takedowns with nine coming from senior Cory Crooks (149).
Norfleet and Schultz join Brandon Courtney (125), Michael McGee (133) and Anthony Valencia (165) as the remaining undefeated wrestlers.
Five of 10 Sun Devil wrestlers enter a new week of rankings with their name listed in the top-10 at their respective weight classes - Courtney (No. 3), McGee (No. 6), Valencia (No. 4), Norfleet (No. 3) and Schultz (No. 7).
This week is packed with #7 Sun Devil Wrestling!?? We are back on Thursday, Feb. 11th against Cal Poly and then we are headed to Ames, Iowa for duals on Sunday, Feb. 14th against Northern Iowa and #18 Iowa State!?????????#ForksUp x #O2V pic.twitter.com/VzwwLoiv7i
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) February 8, 2021
Thursday's dual will be the last in Tempe for Sun Devil seniors Cade Belshay, Anthony Valencia, Cory Crooks, Navonte Demison and Peter Lipari. Norfleet is academically a senior, but has a redshirt available if he chooses to return this fall.
HOW TO WATCH:
Fans can follow along with the matches on ASU via Twitter @ASUWrestling and the match will be streamed via ASU Live Stream.
Due to the unusual schedule this season, teams agreed to additional matches with the goal to help individual wrestlers reach the minimum amount of matches needed to participate in and/or qualify for the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
CAL POLY HISTORY:
Last season in ASU's dual with Cal Poly, it earned its first shutout since 2012 with a 49-0 victory. The Sun Devils swept in nine weight classes while winning one class by forfeit.
Courtney won by a technical fall, Crooks and Norfleet by decision, Jacori Teemer by major decision with Valencia and Austin Clayton defeating their opponents with a pin.
The Mustangs, led by fifth-year head coach Jon Sioredas, find themselves at 2-2 in dual competition with wins over Little Rock (33-8) and California Baptist (30-12). Cal Poly is coming off a tight match with Stanford, but ultimately fell to the Cardinal 21-15.
Overall, the Sun Devils own a 39-12 all-time series record against the Mustangs, with the Devils winning eight consecutive matches.
PROBABLE MATCHES:
125: Antonio Lorenzo (2-2) vs. #3 Brandon Courtney (6-0)
133: Benny Martinez (1-5) vs. #6 Michael McGee (4-0) OR Cleveland Belton (0-0)
141: #33 Lawrence Saenz (3-1) vs. #17 Peter Lipari (2-2) OR Julian Chlebove (2-3)
149: #25 Legend Lamer (8-0) vs. Cory Crooks (4-1) OR Jesse Vasquez (2-0)
157: Brawley Lamer (1-2) vs. #12 Jacori Teemer (2-1) OR Hunter Balk (0-0)
165: Adam Kemp (2-2) vs. #4 Anthony Valencia (5-0)
174: #22 Bernie Truax (6-1) vs. Trey Munoz (1-0) OR Austin Clayton (0-1)
184: Dylan Miracle (1-1) vs. Cade Belshay (2-2)
197: Trevor Tinker (1-4) OR Josh Harkey (0-3) vs.#3 Kordell Norfleet (4-0)
HWT: Samuel Aguilar (4-1) vs. #7 Cohlton Schultz (7-0)
UP NEXT:
The Sun Devils are headed back to Ames, Iowa for their rescheduled matches against No. 18 Iowa State and Northern Iowa on Sunday, February 14. The match against Northern Iowa begins at 10 a.m. MST and be live streamed via Iowa State YouTube. ASU will wrestle back-to-back with their match against Iowa State on ESPN+ at 12:30 p.m.