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2018-19 Wrestling Roster
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Zahid Valencia Season 2018-19

Weight174 lbs
ClassRedshirt Junior
HometownBellflower, Calif.

2019-20 (Redshirt Senior)

  • Won the 184 lbs. title at Journeymen Collegiate Classic (Nov. 10)
  • Crowned 184 lbs. Champion at the Cliff Keen Invitational on Dec. 6-7, clinching the third first-place finish for Valencia in three appearances; awarded second Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament award
  • Won the 86-kg Freestyle title at the US Senior Nationals in December
  • Rated No.1 in preseason poll by Trackwrestling at 184 lbs.
  • Ranked No. 1 in preseason poll by WIN Magazine at 184 lbs.
  • Rated No. 1 in preseason poll by FloWrestling at 184 lbs.
  • Ranked No. 1 in preseason poll by TheOpenMat at 184 lbs.

2018-19 (Redshirt Junior)

  • Won the 174 lbs title at NDSU's Bison Open on Nov. 10
  • Won the 174 lbs title at SIUE's Cougar Clash on Dec. 2
  • Won the 174 lbs title at Midlands Championship on Dec. 30
  • Outstanding Wrestler at Virginia Duals for third straight season 
  • Outstanding Wrestler at Pac-12 Championships
  • Won Pac-12 championship and qualified for NCAA's
  • Became 10th 3-time All-American at ASU history
  • Advanced to second consecutive NCAA title match against Penn State's Mark Hall (third consecutive semifinals)
  • Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year

2017-18 (Redshirt Sophomore)

  • Ranked No. 3 in preseason poll by Trackwrestling at 174 lbs.
  • Ranked No. 3 in preseason poll by WIN Magazine at 174 lbs.
  • Ranked No. 2 in preseason poll by FloWrestling at 174 lbs.
  • Ranked No. 2 in preseason poll by Intermat at 174 lbs.
  • Defeated Penn State's Mark Hall, 3-2, at the NWCA All-Star Classic (Nov. 5)
  • FloWrestling National Wrestler of the Week (Nov. 6-12)
  • No. 3 on The Open Mat Top Nine College Wrestling Performances of the Week (Nov. 6-12)
  • NCAA Wrestler of the Week (Nov. 6-12)
  • Most Outstanding Wrestler at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational 
  • Won Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational at 174 lbs. with a 6-0 record on the weekend, named Most Outstanding Wrestler 
  • Won second straight Midlands Championships title at 174 lbs. becoming the Sun Devils' 15th and just the third all-time to win multiple titles
  • Named Most Outstanding Wrestler of Virginia Duals for second straight season
  • Named Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week (Jan. 8-14)
  • Won Pac-12 Championship, qualifying for NCAA's
  • 11th national champion in Sun Devil wrestling program history (174), All-American
  • Finished No. 4 on the top-10 Most Dominant among NCAA DI wrestlers 
  • Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year, marking the first time a wrestler has earned back-to-back honors since Eric Larkin won it three times (2001-03)
  • Named Outstanding Wrestler of the Year at annual team banquet 
  • Competed at Final X State College, finishing runner-up to four-time NCAA Champion Kyle Dake at 79 kg

2016-17 (Redshirt Freshman)

  • Pac-12 Wrestler and Newcomer/Freshman of the Year (first time in Pac-12 history the same person has received both awards)
  • FloWrestling Top 11 Freshmen (No. 1)
  • No. 13 (184) in The Open Mat Preseason Rankings
  • Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week (Jan. 18)
  • Won title at Daktronics Open (Nov. 6), Journeymen Classic (Nov. 13), CKLV (Dec. 2-3), Midlands (Dec. 29-30)
  • Most Outstanding Wrestler at Virginia Duals
  • Most Outstanding Wrestler, also receiving award for most falls at Pac-12 championships
  • Pac-12 Champion (174)
  • Finished 3rd at NCAA championships (No. 1 seed), one of two/multiple Sun Devil All-Americans for first time since 2011
  • In ASU records, T-3 in bonus point wins in a season (28), T-3 in major decision wins (11), T-12 in single season pins (14), and T-13 in single season victories (38)
  • T-19th in ASU career major decisions and career bonus points after one season
  • Finished 5th on NCAA Most Dominant list, 7th in falls
  • Had Sun Devils' fastest pin of the season (16 seconds)
  • The Open Mat Second Team All-Freshman Team (174)
  • Sun Devil Most Outstanding Wrestler
  • Qualified for the Junior World Team Trials by winning the UWW Junior Freestyle Title (84 kg)
  • Represented the USA on the Junior World Freestyle Team for the third straight year in Tampere, Finland, winning a silver medal and helping Team USA to its first team title since 1984 (Aug. 2017)

2015-16 (Freshman)

  • Redshirted 2015-16 season
  • Part of Division 1 College Wrestling.Net and Amateur Wrestling News' No. 1 recruiting class in 2015
  • Won UWW Junior National Title
  • Finished seventh at Junior World Championships in Macon, France

Previous:

  • Ranked as the No. 1 wrestling recruit at 182 pounds by AWP.
  • Touted as the No. 2 wrestling recruit at 182 pounds by Openmat.
  • Rated as the No. 3 wrestling recruit at 182 pounds by Flowrestling.
  • Ranked as the No. 6 wrestling recruit in the class of 2015 by d1collegewrestling.net.
  • Three time California State Wrestling Champion.
  • Finished as a national champion at 152 pounds at the USAW/Cliff Keen Folkstyle Nationals 
  • Cadet National double champion in both Greco and Freestyle at 126 pounds.
  • Won his third Walsh Jesuit Ironman title, the final one at 132 pounds.
  • Ended last season ranked No. 1 at 132 pounds.
Personal:
  • Majoring in Interdisciplinary Studies

_PV25693_1_

Redshirt Senior
2019-20

6-0 / 184 lbs
Zahid_Valencia

Redshirt Sophomore
2017-18

5-10 / 174 lbs
Zahid_Valencia

Redshirt Freshman
2016-17

5-10 / 174 lbs
Zahid_Valencia

Freshman
2015-16

5-10 / 184 lbs