TEMPE – An individual national champion, a fourth consecutive top-seven finish at NCAAs, four All-Americans and the 24th conference championship title were just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the success Sun Devil Wrestling enjoyed in 2023-24. Zeke Jones's tenth year at the helm was nothing short of amazing, as the Sun Devils continue to establish themselves as one of the country's elite wrestling programs.
After placing 6th at the NCAA Championships in March, Sun Devil Wrestling has now had four consecutive top-seven finishes, while having four straight seasons with at least four All-Americans. Tenth-year head coach Zeke Jones has ushered the Sun Devils into the national spotlight on a consistent basis.
An individual national champion, a fourth consecutive top-seven finish at NCAAs and four All-Americans in 2023-24 for Zeke Jones and the Sun Devils. It was business as usual for the Sun Devils this season, who continue to establish themselves as one of the country's elite programs. 125-pounder Richard Figueroa won the team's first individual national title since 2019 (Zahid Valencia), defeating No. 3 Drake Ayala (Iowa) in the final to become the 10th individual champion in team history. Figueroa went 5-0 at the T-Mobile Center, knocking off two top-three seeds, to help the Sun Devils place 6th overall. He was joined in the finals session by Jacori Teemer, as the duo marked the first time since 2011 that the Sun Devils had multiple NCAA finalists. Figueroa, Kyle Parco (5th), Teemer (2nd) and Cohlton Schultz (6th) earned All-American status at the championships in Kansas City, marking the fourth consecutive season the Sun Devils have had at least four AAs. Parco, Teemer and Schultz, now four-time AAs, are among an elite club of just eight Sun Devils to earn four-time AA honors in team history.
KEY MOMENTS
DUAL-BY-DUAL RECAP
Nov. 11 - ASU vs. Lock Haven University at Wranglemania (W, 23-18)
Jan. 7 - ASU at CSU Bakersfield (W, 43-0)
Pac-12 Championships | Gill Coliseum | Corvallis, Oregon (March 10/1st place; five individual titles)
After placing 6th at the NCAA Championships in March, Sun Devil Wrestling has now had four consecutive top-seven finishes, while having four straight seasons with at least four All-Americans. Tenth-year head coach Zeke Jones has ushered the Sun Devils into the national spotlight on a consistent basis.
An individual national champion, a fourth consecutive top-seven finish at NCAAs and four All-Americans in 2023-24 for Zeke Jones and the Sun Devils. It was business as usual for the Sun Devils this season, who continue to establish themselves as one of the country's elite programs. 125-pounder Richard Figueroa won the team's first individual national title since 2019 (Zahid Valencia), defeating No. 3 Drake Ayala (Iowa) in the final to become the 10th individual champion in team history. Figueroa went 5-0 at the T-Mobile Center, knocking off two top-three seeds, to help the Sun Devils place 6th overall. He was joined in the finals session by Jacori Teemer, as the duo marked the first time since 2011 that the Sun Devils had multiple NCAA finalists. Figueroa, Kyle Parco (5th), Teemer (2nd) and Cohlton Schultz (6th) earned All-American status at the championships in Kansas City, marking the fourth consecutive season the Sun Devils have had at least four AAs. Parco, Teemer and Schultz, now four-time AAs, are among an elite club of just eight Sun Devils to earn four-time AA honors in team history.
KEY MOMENTS
- Three Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week honors - Negron, Parco, Figueroa
- Schultz represented Team USA at the Pan-Am games
- Larkin qualified for the 2024 Olympic Trials
- Parco notched his 100th collegiate victory
- Assistant Coach Lee Pritts was inducted into the Florida Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Sun Devils notch five title wins at the Pac-12 Championship
- Eight wrestlers represent ASU at the NCAA's
DUAL-BY-DUAL RECAP
Nov. 11 - ASU vs. Lock Haven University at Wranglemania (W, 23-18)
- Kyle Parco, Chance McLane, Max Wilner, and Tony Negron went 2-0 over both duals at Wranglemania
- Negron upset No. 6 Gavin Kane by 7-4 decision
- Carter Dibert (133) and Negron (184) both went 3-0 throughout the day, both earning titles in their weight classes B sections
- Daniel Miranda placed 3rd in 133E
- McLane upset No. 28 AJ Kovacs from NC State 7-1
- Freshman Nicco Ruiz placed 3rd in 165B
- Tarik Sutkovic placed second in 285C
Nov. 19 - ASU at Missouri (L, 6-39)??Upset Alert!??
— The College Wrestling Report (@TheCollegeWrR) November 12, 2023
165: Chance McLane (@ASUWrestling) over #28 AJ Kovacs (NC State) 7-1
Journeyman Collegiate Classic (Round 2)
- Julian Chlebove picked up his second victory of the season with a 6-4 decision over Zeke Seltzer
- Parco placed 3rd in the 149 weight class
- Jacori Teemer placed 2nd in the 157 weight class
- Teemer titled in the 157 weight class
- Kaleb Larkin made his college debut in style with a pin 48 seconds in
Kaleb Larkin, a Gilbert resident, set this place off with a pin at 149 for No. 11 @ASUWrestling vs. No. 9 @CycloneWR at Hamilton High.
— Jason P. Skoda (@JasonPSkoda) January 6, 2024
Suns Devils up 10-8. pic.twitter.com/XXJRIZns37
Jan. 7 - ASU at CSU Bakersfield (W, 43-0)
- Two major decision victories (Cody Foote and Larkin), three pins (Chlebove, Teemer, and Negron), and one tech fall decision (Cohlton Schultz)
- Richard Figueroa competed in his first match of the season with a massive 18-5 MD
- Teemer's tech fall victory 6:33 into his match gave the Sun Devils a bonus point, which gave them the win
- Parco notched his 100th win of his collegiate career
- Ruiz had a massive upset over No. 11 Matthew Olguin
- Jesse Vasquez and Negron returned for the Sun Devils and were fully healthy for the first time in months
- Schultz's six-point victory from a pin at 4:52 secured the win for the Sun Devils
Feb. 24 - ASU vs. Lehigh (W, 24-14)SEND US HOME, COHLTON SCHULTZ ??
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) February 17, 2024
?? @Pac12Network | #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/1kLCZ5wQSy
- McLane's 8-1 win against #26 Jake Logan avenged the loss McLane suffered against Logan back on Nov. 12 at the Journeyman Classic
- Two top-five upsets - Figueroa over No. 5 Caleb Smith and Parco over No. 1 Ridge Lovett
.@kyle_ocrap is HERE ?? pic.twitter.com/9frzGKBjwb
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) February 25, 2024
Pac-12 Championships | Gill Coliseum | Corvallis, Oregon (March 10/1st place; five individual titles)
- The team's fourth title in the past five seasons and the sixth under head coach Zeke Jones
- The 24th conference title won in team history
- ASU outscored the next closest team by 23 points
- Results:
- 125 | Richard Figueroa - 1st place
- 133 | Julian Chlebove - 3rd place
- 141 | Jesse Vasquez - 1st place
- 149 | Kyle Parco - 1st place (his 3rd Pac-12 title)
- 157 | Jacori Teemer - 1st place (his 4th Pac-12 title)
- 165 | Chance McLane - 3rd place
- 174 | Cael Valencia - 3rd place
- 184 | Tony Negron - 2nd place
- 197 | Jacob Meissner - 5th place
- HWT | Cohlton Schultz - 1st place (his 4th Pac-12 title)
- Figueroa's 125 individual title is the first since 2019; just the second 125-pounder in team history to win (Anthony Robles/2011)
- Final individual results:
- 125 | Richard Figueroa (5-0/1st place/1x All-American)
- 149 | Kyle Parco (4-2/5th place/4x All-American)
- 157 | Jacori Teemer (4-1/2ndplace/4x All-American)
- HWT | Cohlton Schultz (3-3/6th place/4x All-American)