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Super Senior Sun Devils: Meet ASU's Top 2022-23 Leaders

Sun Devil Athletics has more than 650 students athletes across 26 sports, and with the cancelation of 2019-20 spring sports, the extra year granted by the NCAA and the transfer portal, it has become hard to keep track of who is what year now.

One thing we do know is who are seniors...those that are competing and about to or have graduated. Check out the list below of the top Sun Devils seniors in 2022-23. Some of these folks might come back for a fifth year, but they all should be considered as super seniors.

All of these Sun Devils are fantastic nominees for the annual Bill Kajikawa and Tom Hansen awards, announced each spring.

YANNI ACUÑA/SOFTBALL
Yanni Acuña is leading Sun Devil softball again in 2023 after having a breakout season helping the program to the NCAA Super Regionals last season. Coming off a 2022 season in which she was named NFCA Second Team All-America and Softball America's NCAA Most Improved Player, Acuña is leading the team in batting average, hits, runs, and doubles. The 2023 Heather Farr Award winner, she was named to the Softball America and D1 Softball Preseason All-America First Teams and Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference. Acuña is working on a Master's in communications after graduating last spring with a Liberal Studies degree. She was named a CoSIDA Academic All-American and to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll. 

KAYLON BUCKNER/WOMEN'S LACROSSE
Senior Kaylon Buckner has Lacrosse in her blood. Buckner was a star at Ladue Horton Watkins High School where she broke the Missouri State High School record for most career goals, finishing with an astounding 379 goals and added 122 assists, giving her a total of 501 career points in high school. While at LHWHS, she served as a captain each of her final three seasons, was a four-time All-State selection and was named a U.S. Lacrosse All-American after a tremendous senior season. Buckner was one of the most impactful freshmen in the entire Pac-12 conference during her first season with the Sun Devils. She had an unbelievable college debut, being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week finishing with six caused turnovers, five draw controls, as well as picking up a ground ball, while also scoring the game-winning goal in the second half. She continued her stellar play into her sophomore season, scoring eleven goals in just eight games before her season was cut short. Buckner’s Junior season was a continuation of her on-the-field dominance. She played in all 16 games and started 14. Buckner had a monster performance in a win against Oregon where she tied her career-high with four goals and had a season-high five draw controls. Buckner also worked hard in the classroom, being named to the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll. Buckner started in all 19 games of her senior season, ending with 48 draw controls and a career high of nine in a win against Cal. She also recorded 25 points on the season, with her 17 goals coming off of just 33 shots (51.5%). Buckner was also named to the 2022 IWLCA Division I Academic Honor Roll. In her graduate season, she leads the Sun Devils in goals (29), points (37), free position goals (9), shots on goal (58) and free position shots (21). She was also voted Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week on March 28. Post-graduate she has accepted a job in supply chain management.
 
DESMOND CAMBRIDGE JR./MEN'S BASKETBALL
In his lone season with Arizona State, Desmond Cambridge Jr. was the leading scorer on a Sun Devil men’s basketball program that had a nine-win improvement from the 2021-22 season. ASU made the NCAA Tournament as an at-large team and picked up a First Four win over Nevada, where he scored 17 points and dished six assists in an offensive-record setting performance. Cambridge Jr. was named to the All-Pac-12 second team after earning three weekly conference honors. Despite spending only one season in Tempe, he only trails Eddie House (5) and Ike Diogu (4) in career weekly honors. Dating back to when the award was first given out in 1984, Cambridge Jr. is only the fourth Sun Devil to be named Pac-12 Player of the Week three times in a season. Cambridge Jr. has a 3.83 GPA in Organizational Leadership.

ALEXIA DELGADO/SOCCER
Throughout her Sun Devil career, team captain Alexia Delgado provided the program with both top-notch production on the field and invaluable leadership that helped guide the Sun Devils to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2020, 2022). Delgado’s career statistics included 11 goals and 16 assists in 82 games (75 starts). In her final season, Delgado accounted for single-season career highs in goals (5) and points (15). Delgado would go on to be named second-team all-Pac-12 and second-team United Soccer Coaches all-region. Delgado earned her undergraduate degree in sports business in 2021 and her master’s degree in organizational leadership in 2022. A member of the Mexican national team since 2019, Delgado signed a professional contract in January 2023

NICOLE DOUGLAS/SOCCER
Sun Devil Soccer fifth-year superstar Nicole Douglas became the first player in program history to earn All-America honors multiple times (United Soccer Coaches 2021 third team, 2022 second team). The program's all-time career leader in goals (60), points (140) and game-winning goals (18), Douglas, who was named the 2022 Pac-12 Forward of the Year in addition to earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors, concluded the regular season ranked seventh nationally in goals per game (0.82), 11th in points per game (1.82), 25th in shots on goal per game (1.88) and 29th in game-winning goals (4). A starter in all 89 games she played, in 2021, Douglas led the nation in goals (19), goals per game (0.95) and points per game (2.25) and set the single-season school records for goals (19) and points (45). Douglas' play was one of the biggest factors in the program's recent success, which included a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2020, 2022). Douglas earned her undergraduate degree in interdisciplinary studies and in 2021 and her master’s degree in higher and postsecondary education in 2022. In January 2023, Douglas was drafted by the National Women’s Soccer League’s (NWSL) Washington Spirit with the 26th overall pick in the 2023 NWSL Draft.

AUDREY ERNST/TRIATHLON
The Sun Devil Triathlete left her mark on the program after coming to Tempe in 2018. She was a member of five-national championship teams, and achieved finished runner-up in the National Championship in Tempe her sophomore year, which was her highest finish of her career. The Illinois native competed in numerous races for the Sun Devils, while competing at the national level. Recently she placed fourth for ASU Oktoberfest race this past October. She was named an honorable mention at the 2021 national championship, where she finished 15th with a time of 1:08:14.5. Ernst shined in her Sophomore year with three runner-up finishes, including the 2019 National Championship held in Tempe to secure victory for the Sun Devils. Ernst managed to finish in third place in her first ever colliegate race at the East Regional Qualifer in Huddleston, Va and finished fifth in that 2018 National Championships. Coming into college Ernst was a finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman Award and is earning her degree in Nursing.
 
GRANT HOUSE/MEN'S SWIMMING
The first building block to the current national success of Sun Devil Men's Swim & Dive, Grant House has cemented himself as one of the most decorated swimmers in team history. He helped the Sun Devil Men place second at the NCAA Championships in 2022-23 for the first time in program history when he was second in the 800 free relay, third in both the 200 free and 400 free relay, fifth in the 200 free relay, ninth in the 200 IM and 12th in the 100 free. A 16-time All-American, House is also a five-time Pac-12 Champion. In March 2023, he won the 200 free, 800 free relay, 400 medley relay at the Pac-12 Championships, guiding the Sun Devils to the first conference title in program history. Currently studying for his Master's degree in ASU's Sports Law & Business program, House was named a CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American last spring, becoming the first in Men's team history since 1992 to do so.
 
JORDYN JASLOW/GYMNASTICS
Jordyn Jaslow has had an amazing comeback to peak in her senior season. After missing her freshman season due to injury, the Parker, Colorado native competed twice on vault as a sophomore. In 2022, she became a key part of the vault and floor lineups, leading off in both of those events and hitting every routine. She also competed on beam three times that year. In her senior season, Jordyn reached new heights on floor, scoring a career high 9.900 four times. Her personal best on vault is also a 9.900. She won two career event titles, one in 2023 on floor and one in 2022 on vault. For academic honors, Jordyn has been on the Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll twice and was named a WCGA Scholastic All-American three times. This year, she has been the chair of the Mental Health Committee for SAAC. She will graduate with a degree in Kinesiology in May from Barrett, The Honors College. Following graduation, she will be going back to Colorado to work for a year to gain experience before applying to PA school.

RYGGS JOHNSTON/MEN'S GOLF
Then just a sophomore, Ryggs Johnston made his first full season count, as he earned third-team All-America honors led by a fantastic 2021 NCAA Championship that included a 7-under 63 on May 29, the second-best round by a Sun Devil in NCAA Championship history. He finished third at the 2021 NCAA Championships, matching the best by a Sun Devil since 1997. He has posted a 4.00 grade point average and will earn his management degree and a certificate in sport business in May.


MICHAEL MATUS/ FOOTBALL
Part of the 2018 class, Graduate student defensive lineman Michael Matus has been a key player in the Sun Devils pass rushing attack. After redshirting his first year in Tempe, Matus has played in 28 career games with 41 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble. In his Redshirt Junior season, Matus was rated as the 11th-highest graded end on run defense in the Pac-12 for the season. Matus earned his undergraduate degree in Supply Chain Management with a minor in Applied Business Data Analytics and is currently working on his Master’s Degree in Business Administration


OLIVIA NGUYEN/SOCCER
After starting one of 24 games over her first two seasons playing in the Maroon and Gold, forward Olivia Nguyen’s incredible work ethic enabled her to play in integral role in the Sun Devil Soccer team’s success between 2020-22 in which qualified for the NCAA Tournament twice. Over her last three seasons, Nguyen accounted for all of her career 13 goals and 12 assists while starting 51 of 55 games. Nearly half of her career goals (6) represented the game winner for ASU. Nguyen earned her undergraduate degree in biological sciences (member of ASU’s Barrett, the Honors College) in 2021 and is working on completing her master’s degree in biology. In March 2023, Nguyen signed a professional contract with Norway’s Klepp Elite.

LIBERTY RICCA/TRIATHLON
Liberty Ricca has been able to grow the Sun Devil Triathlon team into the powerhouse that is today. In her career she has assembled four national titles and was selected to compete for Team USA last Spring. Recently, she placed in second in the 2022 National Champions with a time of 1:04.51 to lead the Sun Devils to another national title. She was also named to the 2022 All-West region team  and was named team caption in her senior season with the Sun Devils and won the U23 National Championships in Alamitos Beach on July 17 with a 1:01:38 finish and placed 35th. In her first ever race as a Sun Devil she placed second in the East Regional Qualifier in 2019, and ended up carrying her momentum to finish in sixth place at the National Championships to finish as the highest freshman in the field. For her efforts, she was named 2019 USA Triathlon Division I Triathlete of the year. 

GIO SANDERS/ FOOTBALL
Originally joined the program as a walk-on in 2020, Graduate Student wide receiver Gio Sanders was put on scholarship before the 2021 season after proving himself on the scout team. A slot receiver Sanders bursted on to the scene this past season hauling in 40 receptions for 500 yards. His lone touchdown of the season came against Arizona on November 25th. Sanders graduated with his degree in Psychology and is currently pursing his graduate degree.


HANNAH SCHARF/GYMNASTICS
In Scharf's four seasons, she has cemented herself as a Gym Devil legend. She has three All-America honors, two in the all-around and one on bars. She is also a six-time All-Pac-12 honoree, most recently making the first team on floor and in the all-around in 2023. She has qualified as an individual in the all-around twice (2021, 2023). Additionally, she has 39 total event titles in her career. Scharf had a big senior campaign for her Sun Devils, competing in the all-around in every meet. She ended the regular season ranked No. 21 in the all-around and earned All-Pac-12 First Team honors in the all-around and on floor. She has four all-around scores of 39.625 or better, including her score at regionals. Her career-high of 39.675 that she earned against Utah is tied for the 10th-best all-around mark in program history. She had 19 scores of 9.9-plus (five are 9.95-plus), eight of those coming from floor.

LEXI SWEENEY/BEACH VOLLEYBALL
Lexi Sweeney has been a staple in the lineup since her freshman season. She has been in the number one pair for three seasons, including this one. The Phoenix native has 40 wins and is No. 11 in the ASU record book for career wins. She has nine wins against pairs from ranked teams, including three against the top pairs from the Wildcats. In 2022, she was named to the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team after helping ASU reach the furthest it had been. That season, she also helped the team reach 17 wins, the second-highest win total in program history. Lexi will be graduating in May with a bachelor’s degree in business with a sports business emphasis.


?? ALL-PAC-12 SECOND TEAM ??

Congrats to senior Lexi Sweeney! This is the first All-Pac-12 honor for the Sand Devils since 2021 ??#SandDevils /// #ForksUp pic.twitter.com/NtTNg3sB8B

— Sun Devil Beach VB (@SunDevilBeachVB) May 4, 2023


DOMENIKA TURKOVIC/WOMEN'S TENNIS
Domenika Turkovic has emerged as one of the nation’s best doubles players in her three seasons as a Sun Devil, as she is currently ranked No. 20 in the nation alongside Patricija Spaka. Ranked as high as No. 7 in the ITA National Doubles Rankings during her time as a Sun Devil, Turkovicand Spaka were one of 32 doubles teams selected to compete at the NCAA Doubles Championships last spring. She is the only Sun Devil to be nationally ranked in both singles and doubles in each of the past two seasons and has posted a singles record of 30-24 since arriving at ASU. Graduating with a perfect 4.0 in Psychology last year, she is now pursuing a Master's degree in ASU's Sports Law & Business program. She is also a two-time ITA Scholar Athlete and Pac-12 Spring Academic Honor Roll member.

EVA VAN DEURSEN/SOCCER
Eva van Deursen was a major contributor in the Sun Devil Soccer program's recent success, which included pair of NCAA Tournament appearances (2020, 2022). By the eighth game of the 2022 season, van Deursen had established a new single-season career high in goals. She would go on to finish the 2022 season with 19 points (seven goals and five assists) and was named third-team all-Pac-12. Van Deursen, who in 2021 set the school's single-season record for assists (10), concluded her career tied with Sun Devil Hall of Famer Stacey Tullock for most career assists (25). Following the 2022 season, van Deursen was named to the 2022 Academic All-America® women's soccer teams as selected by the College Sports Communicators. Van Deursen earned her undergraduate degree in kinesiology in 2021 and her master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology in 2022.A member of the Dutch national team, in January 2023, van Deursen signed a professional contract with Germany’s Bayer 04-Frauen.

CHRISTINA WARREN/WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Christina Warren encapsulates what it means to be a Sun Devil. Warren is a Microbiology (Medical Microbiology) major with a 4.00 GPA. The Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, native has achieved academic recognition as a Pac-12 Honor Roll recipient, earned a spot on the NCAA All-Academic Women’s Track and Field Team, and earned a spot on the Dean’s List four times. She’s also a member of Phi Beta Kappa Society (ΦΒΚ), the oldest & most prestigious academic honor society in the United States. In ASU’s record books, Warren is No. 5 in the indoor triple jump and No. 2 in the outdoor triple jump. Professionally, Warren has shadowed and/or volunteered at five organizations since summer 2021, including several opportunities to get hands-on work in animal clinics. Warren is the co-founder of Destination Stem Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide aid and support in guiding students of color towards pursuing an education and career in STEM related fields, and interned at an animal rescue facility for the past two summers.

TURNER WASHINGTON/MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD
Turner Washington’s Sun Devil career has been nothing short of legendary. The Tucson native is a six-time All-American and four-time NCAA champion. He holds the NCAA indoor shot put record (21.85m/71-8.25, the program indoor shot and discus (66.26m/217-04) records, and is second all-time in the outdoor shot. Washington collected USTFCCCA indoor and outdoor Scholar Athlete of the Year honors in 2021, was the 2021 USTFCCCA Indoor Male Athlete of the Year, the ?21 Outdoor West Regional Male Athlete of the Year, and was a ?21 finalist for The Bowerman. Between January 2021 and April 2022, Washington won the discus and shot put in every collegiate meet he entered, stringing together a 22-0 streak. Additionally, Washington is a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, and has twice been awarded CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. Washington earned a 3.66 undergrad GPA as a Biological Sciences (Conservation Biology and Conservation) major, and has a 3.81 graduate GPA in the Sports, Law and Business program.