TEMPE – Sun Devil wrestling closed out the regular season with a statement upset win over No. 22 Lehigh, 24-11, on Saturday night at Desert Financial Arena.
On a night where Arizona State honored its seniors and alumni, the wrestlers paid homage to their program’s legacy with a ranked win in the final match of the season.
All four seniors and graduate students in action - Benji Alanis (141 pounds), Cael Valencia (174 pounds), Colton Hawks (197 pounds) and David Szuba (heavyweight) - each picked up individual wins as the Sun Devils took seven of 10 total matches against the Mountain Hawks.
Szuba headlined the night with a 7-3 win by decision over Lehigh’s No. 5 Nathan Taylor. The win for Szuba marked the highest-ranked win over an opponent in his five-year career between ASU and Rider. Notably, Taylor pinned Szuba in their previous matchup on Dec. 22, 2024, while at Rider.
In a highly anticipated rematch at 165 pounds, redshirt sophomore No. 12 Nicco Ruiz got the upper hand on Lehigh’s No. 9 Max Brignola, defeating him 8-5 in overtime after suffering an overtime loss to Brignola in their first matchup at the National Duals Invitational on Nov. 15, 2025.
Redshirt junior Shay Addison (184 pounds) added a win by decision, as freshman Kyler Larkin (133 pounds) took a win by forfeit to round out a 24-point effort for the Sun Devils and finish the regular season in the win column.
Postseason action looms for ASU as the team is set to compete in its second Big 12 Championships. The full list of participants remains TBD as the tournament is set for March 6-7 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the BOK Center.
Full Results
ASU 24, Lehigh 11
125: No. 4 Sheldon Seymour (LU) 11-4 dec. over An’ee Vigil
133: No. 5 Kyler Larkin forfeit over Logan Wadle (LU)
141: Seamus Mack (LU) TF (15-0, 5:43) over Carter Dibert
149: Benji Alanis 9-6 dec. over Owen Reinsel (LU)
157: Griffin Gonzalez (LU) 7-1 dec. over Jabari Hinson
165: No. 12 Nicco Ruiz SV 8-5 over No. 9 Max Brignola (LU)
174: Cael Valencia 8-7 dec. over Richie Grungo (LU)
184: Shay Addison 9-6 dec. 9-6 over Brady Collins (LU)
197: Colton Hawks 8-1 dec. over Jack Wilt (LU)
HWT: No. 18 David Szuba 7-3 dec. over No. 5 Nathan Taylor (LU)
Notes
- After starting the season 0-8, the Sun Devils turned in a 5-3 record in their final eight duals, which included three ranked wins (Cornell, Oregon State, Lehigh).
- The Sun Devils picked up two ranked upsets with Ruiz and Szuba downing No. 9 Brignola and No. 5 Taylor.
- ASU snapped Lehigh’s streak of eight-straight wins.
- Sun Devil heavyweights have now won 24 matches in a row, as David Szuba added his 19th win of the season and 11th consecutive win.
- Additionally, Szuba is two wins away from 90 career wins.
- Nicco Ruiz reached 20 wins on the season after his upset over Brignola. He joins redshirt sophomore Kaleb Larkin as the only Sun Devil with at least 20 wins this season.
- Cael Valencia is now one win away from 50 career wins - all as a Sun Devil.
Follow along
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