March 11, 1999
AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: No. 13 Arizona State travels six wrestlers to the 1999 NCAA Championships, held March 18-20 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa., hosted by Penn State University. ASU brought eight wrestlers to last year's NCAAs and will be looking to improve on its 17th-place finish in 1998. The Sun Devils are gunning for their first top-10 finish since 1996. ASU has finished in the top-10 in 11 of the past 14 seasons, winning the NCAA title in 1988 and becoming the national runner up in 1989 and 1990. Arizona State is led by returning All-American Casey Strand, ranked sixth at 184, and Eric Larkin, ranked third at 133, the lone true freshman ranked in the top 10 in any weight class. Both are looking to claim their first NCAA titles, while Strand is competing for a third straight set of All-America honors. Strand placed 5th at 167 last year and claimed 6th place in 1997. ASU travels four other ranked wrestlers to NCAAs - sophomore Matt Azevedo (17th at 125), junior Mark Perryman (14th at 141), sophomore Quinn Foster (17th at 149) and sophomore Steve Blackford (10th at 165). All will make tough cases for All-America honors. Four Sun Devils bring NCAA experience to Happy Valley: Blackford, Foster, Perryman and Strand. Arizona State has brought home no less than three All-America titles in 13 of the last 14 NCAA Championships, dating back to 1985. ASU's last national champion was Markus Mollica in 1995 (167). Mollica was also the Sun Devils' last freshman All-American, winning the NCAA title at 158 in 1993.
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Five of ASU's six qualifiers earned their NCAA trips by placing in the top four at the Pac-10-Championships (Feb. 27-28) in Palo Alto, Calif., hosted by Stanford. At 125 pounds, Matt Azevedo placed fifth but was awarded one of the Pac-10's three wildcard entries. Two Sun-Devils captured Pac-10 titles: Eric Larkin (133) and Mark Perryman (141), while Quinn Foster (2nd - 149), Steve Blackford (2nd-165) and Casey Strand (2nd- 184) all garnered runner-up honors.
ASU ROSTER-BREAKDOWN
By Class: Seniors (1), Juniors (1), Sophomores (3), Freshmen (1)
By State: California (2), Arizona (1), Iowa (1), Maryland (1), Nevada (1)
By NCAA-Experience: Three Years (1) - Casey Strand; One Year (3) - Steve Blackford, Quinn Foster, Mark Perryman; First Year (1) - Eric Larkin
By NCAA Placings: Two (1) - Casey Strand ( 5th - 1998, 6th - 1997)
HEAD COACH LEE ROY SMITH: Currently in his seventh season at the helm of Arizona State, Lee Roy Smith owns a career slate of 71-45-1 (.611). He has led the Sun-Devils to four top-10 national finishes - including two top-five finishes - in the last six seasons. His highest national finish is fourth (1993, 1995). Smith has tutored 21 All-Americans, guiding five wrestlers into the NCAA finals six times. He has produced three national champions at Arizona State. Smith has directed ASU-to three conference championships in his seven years as head coach, including two of the last three team titles. Arizona State has finished no lower than third in those seven years. A former NCAA champion at 142 pounds and a three-time All-American at Oklahoma State, Smith helped lead the Cowboys to second-place finishes at the NCAAs in 1977 and 1980. Lee Roy Smith is the second-oldest of 10 children and an older brother to John, Pat and Mark Smith. He and his wife, Lisa, have two daughters, LeAnne (10) and Shannon (8).
SEASON-LEADERS
FALLS MAJOR-DECISIONS WINS 1. Steve Blackford 10 1. Casey Strand 8 1. Casey Strand 33 2. Quinn Foster 8 Eric Larkin 8 2. Blackford/Larkin 26LAST TIME AT THE NCAAs: Quinn Foster - 1998 (134): 0-2, lost to Whitey Chlebove (W. Virginia) F, 0:58; lost to Troy Marr (Minnesota) TF 19-2, 7:00.TECH FALLS 1. Casey Strand 8 2. Azevedo/Larkin 3
Mark Perryman - 1997 (134): 0-2, lost to Steven Schmidt (Oklahoma St.) MD 11-0; lost to Jason Grant (George Mason) 5-2
Steve Blackford - 1998 (150): 2-2, beat John Fogarty (Cornell) F, 3:53; beat Darryl Christian (Oregon) 4-1; lost to Chad Kraft (Minnesota) 4-3; lost to Rodney Jones (Oklahoma) 8-7.
Casey Strand - 1998 (167): 4-2, Fifth Place, beat Chris Snyder (Cent. Mich.) 8-6, sd; beat Josh Stanley (Drexel) 7-2; lost to Jeff Catrabone (Michigan) 9-3; beat Ed Mosley (Harvard) 8-2; beat Glenn Pritzlaff (Penn State) F, 6:52; lost to Mark Smith (Oklahoma St.) 4-2; beat Mark Bybee (Northwestern) 9-7, sd. 1997 (167): 3-3, Sixth Place, beat Shaftone Dunklin (Slippery Rock) 7-2; beat Chad Liott (Rider) 7-2; beat John Withrow (Pittsburgh) 5-4; lost to Mark Branch (Oklahoma St.) 10-4; lost to Jeff Catrabone (Michigan) 6-1; lost to Mike Uker (Iowa) 6-2.
BEST-IN-THE-WEST: Arizona State is arguably the most successful wrestling program on the West Coast. With its 1988 national title, ASU is still the only program west of Oklahoma and Iowa to win a national championship. ASU has finished in the top 10 at 11 of the last 14 NCAA Championships and Sun Devils have claimed seven individual NCAA titles.
THE CENTURY MARK: Sun Devil senior Casey Strand recorded his 100th career victory this season and surpassed the 50 dual victories milestone, placing him among an elite group of ASU wrestlers. With his 11-5 decision over Northwestern's Tom Ciezki Dec. 29 at the Midlands Invite, Strand posted career win No. 100. He currently ranks fifth on the ASU all-time list with 120 victories, and with 56 career dual wins, finishes sixth in that category.
Arizona State NCAA-Quick Facts
Highest Team Finish: 1st (1988, 93 pts.) Most Sun Devils Qualified: 9 (three times - 1985, 1987, 1990) Most Points: 104.75 (1990) Most Finalists: 3 in 1990 - Zeke Jones (118), Thom Ortiz (142) andASU's Top-10 NCAA FINISHES
Dan St. John (167) National Champions (7): Curley Culp (1967 - HWT) Eddie Urbano (1985 - 150) Dan St. John (1989 - 158; 1990 - 167) Ray Miller (1993 - 167) Markus Mollica (1993 - 158; 1995 - 167) Most Points Scored - Individual: 21.5 (Dan St. John, 1989) 20.5 (Dan St. John, 1990) 19 (Thom Ortiz, 1990) 18 (Townsend Saunders, 1989) 18 (Zeke Jones, 1990) Most Place Winners (All-Americans): 8 in 1990
(Zeke Jones, Shawn Charles, Wayne McMinn, Thom Ortiz, Townsend Saunders,
Ray Miller, Dan St. John, G.T. Taylor) Fastest Fall: 0:51 (Curley Culp pinned Nick Cordolla, Adams State, 1967) Gorriaran Award Winners: 4:28 (Charlie Tribble, 1965, three falls)
1st - 1988 2nd - 1990, 1989 4th - 1995, 1993 5th - 1980 6th - 1992, 1985, 1965 8th - 1994, 1986, 1979, 1967 9th - 1987 10th - 1996
National Champions
1995 - Markus Mollica, 167 1993 - Markus Mollica, 158 1993 - Ray Miller, 167 1990 - Dan St. John, 167 1989 - Dan St. John, 158 1985 - Eddie Urbano, 150 1967 - Curley Culp, HWT
All-Americans/NCAA Finishes
115 2nd Glenn McMinn Sr., 1965 3rd Glenn McMinn Sr., 1967118 2nd Zeke Jones, 1990 4th Zeke Jones, 1989 5th Billy Rosado, 1977 6th Zeke Jones, 1988 7th Danny Felix, 1995 Randy Hoffman, 1979
126 2nd Shawn Charles, 1992; 1993 Gary Bohay, 1983 3rd Chip Park, 1988 4th Eddie Ortiz, 1980 Ricky Reed, 1977 5th Shawn Charles, 1990 7th Shawn Charles, 1991 8th Gary Bairos, 1985
134 2nd Steve St. John, 1996 Marco Sanchez, 1992 3rd Steve St. John, 1995 4th Steve St. John, 1994 Joe Romero, 1979 6th Joey Heckel, 1997 Wayne McMinn, 1990 8th Marco Sanchez, 1993
142 2nd Thom Ortiz, 1990 Townsend Saunders, 1989 Adam Cohen, 1986 3rd Bill Cripps, 1980 4th Thom Ortiz, 1988 5th Kelly Trujillo, 1972 7th Bill Cripps, 1979
147 4th Buzz Hayes, 1965
150 1st Eddie Urbano, 1985 3rd Jeff Theiler, 1995 Townsend Saunders, 1990 Eddie Urbano, 1984 5th Kistler Jackson, 1981 Tim Jeffries, 1978 Roye Oliver, 1976; 1977 6th Jeff Theiler, 1994 7th Thom Ortiz, 1989
158 1st Markus Molica, 1993 Dan St. John, 1989 2nd Ray Miller, 1992 3rd Dan St. John, 1988 4th Ray Miller, 1991 5th Markus Mollica, 1994 Ray Miller, 1990 Tom Draheim, 1985 7th Kistler Jackson, 1982 8th Matt Suter, 1997 Roye Oliver, 1979
167 1st Markus Mollica, 1995 Ray Miller, 1993 Dan St. John, 1990 3rd Jim Gressley, 1988 4th Markus Mollica, 1996 5th Casey Strand, 1998 6th Casey Strand, 1997 7th G.T. Taylor, 1991
177 3rd Charlie Tribble, 1965 4th Aaron Simpson, 1998 Don Shuler, 1978 5th Dave Severn, 1979 6th Tom Kolopus, 1985 7th G.T. Taylor, 1990 John Ginther, 1987 8th Aaron Simpson, 1996 Pat Lynch, 1993 John Ginther, 1986 Dave Severn, 1980
190 2nd Mike Davies, 1988 Dan Severn, 1980 3rd Mike Davies, 1987 5th John Ginther, 1989 6th Gary Seymour, 1968 7th Danny Faqir, 1997
hwt 1st Curley Culp, 1967 4th Dan Severn, 1981 5th Rod Severn, 1988 6th Rod Severn, 1987 7th Mike Anderson, 1991 Rocco Liace, 1986 Rod Severn, 1985
4-Time NCAA Placewinners
Shawn Charles: 126 - 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
Ray Miller: 158/167 - 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993
Markus Mollica: 158/167 - 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
3-Time NCAA Placewinners
Zeke Jones: 118 - 1988, 1989, 1990
Steve St. John: 134 - 1994, 1995, 1996
Thom Ortiz: 142/150 - 1988, 1989, 1990
Roye Oliver: 150/158 - 1976, 1977, 1979
Dan St. John: 158/167 - 1988, 1989, 1990
John Ginther: 177/190 - 1986, 1987, 1989
Rod Severn: hwt - 1985, 1987, 1988
NCAA Runners Up
1996 - Steve St. John, 134
1993 - Shawn Charles, 126
1992 - Shawn Charles, 126
1992 - Marco Sanchez, 134
1992 - Ray Miller, 158
1990 - Zeke Jones, 118
1990 - Thom Ortiz, 142
1989 - Townsend Saunders, 142
1988 - Mike Davies, 190
1986 - Adam Cohen, 142
1983 - Gary Bohay, 126
1980 - Dan Severn, 190
1965 - Glenn McMinn Sr., 115