TEMPE, Ariz. – Kyle Parco sank the nation's top-ranked 149-pounder in Nebrasa's Ridge Lovett and Richard Figueroa added his second top-five win in as many days, but the Sun Devils fell to the No. 3 Cornhuskers, 26-9, on Sunday at Mullett Arena to close out the regular season.
The Sun Devils jumped out to a promising start, winning three of the first five bouts, but the Cornhuskers made their living in the final five bouts of the afternoon. They won the final four and added six additional points when the Sun Devils opted to forfeit the 285-pound contest.
Figueroa started the afternoon with authority, bringing the 1,700-plus in attendance to their feet when he outdid No. 5 ranked Caleb Smith in a 4-3 decision.
The loss snapped the team's five-match winning streak in Tempe across both Mullett Arena and Desert Financial, serving as their first on-campus loss since Jan. 20, 2023 against Cal Poly.
No. 3 Nebraska 26, No. 12 Arizona State 9
Richard Figueroa (Arizona State) over Caleb Smith (Nebraska) (Dec 4-3)
Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska) over Julian Chlebove (Arizona State) (Dec 8-6)
Brock Hardy (Nebraska) over Jesse Vasquez (Arizona State) (Dec 6-1)
Kyle Parco (Arizona State) over Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) (Dec 4-3)
Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) over Ethan Stiles (Nebraska) (Dec 7-2)
Antrell Taylor (Nebraska) over Chance McLane (Arizona State) (Dec 11-5)
Bubba Wilson (Nebraska) over Cael Valencia (Arizona State) (Dec 1-0)
Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) over Tony Negron (Arizona State) (Dec 7-4)
Silas Allred (Nebraska) over Jacob Meissner (Arizona State) (TF 21-6 4:35)
Nash Hutmacher (Nebraska) over Unknown (For.)
.@kyle_ocrap is HERE ?? pic.twitter.com/9frzGKBjwb
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) February 25, 2024
NOTABLES
- Attendance: 1,727.
- Here comes Richie: With Richard Figueroa's win against #5 Caleb Smith on Sunday, he's netted back-to-back top-five wins for the first time in his career. Figueroa had a statement win over No. 2 Luke Stanich against Lehigh on Saturday.
- Figueroa handed Smith his first loss since Jan. 28, 2024 vs. #4 Eric Barnett (Wisconsin), snapping a three-match win streak.
- Kyle Parco earned career win No. 105 on Sunday Nebraska's Ridge Lovett, handing the Cornhusker his first loss of his season. Lovett, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the 149-pound class, hadn't suffered a loss since March 2022.
- It's also Parco's 19th victory of the season, tied with Jacori Teemer for the team lead.
- Jacori Teemer won his ninth consecutive dual match, this time beating Nebraska's Ethan Stiles. It's his 19th victory of the season, tied with Kyle Parco for the team lead. He's also won 17 of his last 18 matches dating back to Dec. 1.
TEAM HISTORY AT MULLETT ARENA
The Sun Devils dropped their first ever dual in Mullett Arena on Sunday against the Cornhuskers. Despite the loss against one of the country's top programs, the Sun Devils still sport a terrific record in this venue, winning four of five duals competed here.
vs. Nebraska (L, 26-9), Feb. 25, 2024
vs. No. 8 Lehigh – W (24-14), Feb. 24, 2024
vs. No. 21 Stanford - W (18-17), Feb. 17, 2024
vs. Little Rock - W (31-6), Feb. 3, 2023
vs. No. 3 Missouri - W (19-17), Nov. 17, 2022
SENIOR DAY
The Sun Devils honored five seniors for the team's annual Senior Day, celebrating Tony Negron, Tristan Mascarenas, Ricky Roberto, Lou Fincher and Tarik Sutkovic in the team's final dual of the regular season.
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) February 25, 2024
UP NEXT
That's all for the 2023-24 regular season. The focus now shifts to the postseason at the Pac-12 Championships, an event the Sun Devils have won three of the past four seasons, on Sunday, March 10 in Corvallis, Oregon.
THANK YOU, ART MARTORI!
The Sun Devils paid tribute to a wrestling icon on Sunday afternoon at Mullett Arena, celebrating the accomplishments and legacy of Art Martori, who's closing the doors of his legendary Sunkist Wrestling Club this year.
Martori was honored with a pre-match ceremony with friends, family and nearly two dozen Olympic medalists he's shaped throughout this storied career. He was also celebrated during intermission of the Sun Devils-Cornhuskers dual.
The end of an era.
— Sun Devil Wrestling (@ASUWrestling) February 20, 2024
Retiring as the owner of the legendary Sunkist Wrestling Club, Art Martori's impact on our sport has been immeasurable.
We'll honor Art, an ASU alum, prior to our dual versus Nebraska on Sunday.
?? https://t.co/rM0chVrnuO pic.twitter.com/aQro7ip1nH
Kyle Parco
"My preparation is coming to fruition. I think I've done a lot of work. I've prepared a lot so all that work is paying off. I just have to keep doing that after this point."
On his mindset heading into Pac-12's and NCAA's:
"The number one thing on my mind is being at the top of the podium. It's been on my mind for the past few months, especially. That's what has been in my mind and I have to keep it there and just focus on that."
On beating the No. 1 149-pounder heading into the postseason:
"As far as the rankings go, it's kind of like perfect timing. But at the end of the year, the rankings really don't matter. It's about who you're wrestling in that match, who you're going to step out there with. So I think it gives me a lot of confidence, but just reinforces what I've been thinking to myself, what I've been envisioning this whole time. So, it's perfect."
Richard Figueroa
On having two top five wins in a row after an up-and-down start to the season:
"It feels good. I got my mojo back. I've been practicing hard, making sacrifices, going extra, pushing myself to the limit how I used to do from these injuries and just having a good mindset and taking these guys down one by one. It doesn't matter what rank they are. I've done this before. I competed at the highest level, worlds. So none of these guys scare me. They should be worried that I'm coming for them."
On what it feels like to be back in his groove:
"It feels good, I had four takedowns I needed to finish. I have to go back in the room and secure those takedowns, just keep doing my thing. Match-by-match. I keep getting better, my style changes for each opponent. They don't know where I'm coming from, left or right or under or above. So I'm just happy with the way I've been performing now."
ASU alum and Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club owner Art Martori
On what is was like to be honored at his alma mater today:
"You don't go off doing this for that, for people who pat you on your back. When you get this kind of support and people coming back and saying thank you, it's overwhelming. It's not expected. We did change lives and for people to say that to your face and give you a hug, it means a lot. In my time here with ASU with all the fellows I wrestled with, we were brothers. To be able to come back to wrestling and then people come back and tell you how you helped us, you can't measure that."