January 6, 1999
On Tap: The 9th-ranked Arizona State wrestling team opens its 1999 home dual season with contests against 17th-ranked Michigan State on January 8th and top-ranked Oklahoma State on January 10th in the Wells Fargo Arena. Friday's match will be held at 7 p.m., and Sunday's match will be at 3 p.m. and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Arizona locally on a taped-delay basis.
Mighty Midlands: The Devils are coming off a ninth-place finish at the Midlands Invitational held on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Two ASU wrestlers suffered their first losses of the season in Evanston. Senior Casey Strand, who eventually finished third, and freshman Eric Larkin both recorded blemishes on their perfect records. Other Devil placers were sophomore Matt Azevedo, who finished fourth at 125 and sophomore Quinn Foster, who finished sixth at 149.
About the Spartans: The 17th-ranked Spartans from Michigan State recently finished fifth at the Midlands Invitational. Sophomore Pat McNamara, the champion at 133 pounds at the Midlands, is currently ranked second in the nation. The Spartans are coming off a loss to rival 11th-ranked Michigan in their Big Ten opener.
Convincing Cowboys: The top-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, coached by head coach Lee Roy Smith's brother John Smith, is in the midst of a streak of 54 straight dual victories. The Cowboys finished first at the Reno Duals for the fourth straight year, and are led by seniors Teague Moore (125), Eric Guerrero (133) and Mark Smith (174), also brother to ASU head coach Lee Roy Smith. Moore, Guerrero and Smith are all ranked numer one in their respective weight classes. The Cowboys are coming off a win over 13th-ranked Nebraska in the Sunshine Open. Oklahoma State will wrestle Michigan State on January 7th at home before heading to Tempe.
Series with the Cowboys: The Cowboys hold a big edge over ASU in the series, holding a 29-4 advantage. Last season the Devils opened the season with the top-ranked Cowboys in Stillwater, losing 22-9. Last time OSU came to Tempe, Arizona State dropped a 26-10 loss to the Cowboys. The last win ASU had over the Cowboys came in 1992-93 in Tempe by a score of 24-20.
Surfin' ASU: Catch all the latest wrestling news on the Sun Devils' official website at www.thesundevils.com
Up Next: After hosting Michigan State and Oklahoma State, the Devils head to the University of Iowa to participate in the Cliff Keen/National Team Duals on January 16th and 17th. Last season ASU finished 7th, defeating 7th-ranked Oklahoma in the final match. The Devils return home January 29th to host Wyoming.
ASU Quick Facts
Sun Devil Casey Strand in the lone returning All-American on this year's team. Strand placed fifth at last year's NCAAs and was sixth in 1997.
ASU boasts seven ranked Devils in the latest Amateur Wrestling News poll:
* Matt Azevedo (8th/125)
* Eric Larkin (6th/133)
* David Douglas (18th/141)
* Quinn Foster (15th/149)
* Steve Blackford (12th/165)
* Casey Strand (4th/184)
* Randy Leydecker (16th/Hwt)
ASU has won three of the last four Pac-10 titles, and has won 12 Pac-10 titles in school history
ASU has finished in the top 10 nationally in 11 of the previous 14 seasons.