TEMPE — Getting a second chance isn’t always promised, but for Arizona State wrestling, this second chance meant that they had one last opportunity to prove themselves on their own terms.
The Sun Devils beat out the No. 22 Lehigh Mountain Hawks 24-11, with a five-match win streak.
Several rematches hit the mat, including No. 4 Graduate Student Sheldon Seymour vs. Junior An’ee Vigil and the highlight of the night, No. 10 senior Max Brignola vs. No. 12 redshirt sophomore Nicco Ruiz.
The dual between Ruiz and Brignola was electric, with two challenged takedowns sending it to overtime. Ruiz took the lead in the first period, scoring the only takedown of the first three minutes.
The second period went by without much action, with the only point scored coming from an escape from Brignola. However, the third period brought the action everyone was waiting for.
The first challenge block thrown was from Lehigh, after Ruiz earned a point for an escape. The referees held their decision, and the play was sent to independent review. The ruling was changed, and Brignola was awarded three points for a takedown.
The score was tied. The crowd was louder than ever. Overtime started, and Ruiz and Brignola found themselves in the same situation they were in at National Duals three months ago.
Ruiz pinned Brignola down without a call from the referees, and three’s were thrown up from the team and the home crowd. Head Coach Zeke Jones threw his challenge brick, and the play was sent for review.
The call on the mat was overruled, and Ruiz scored a takedown, securing the win.
“Honestly, I was so happy,” Ruiz said. “I’m glad I got my rematch, and I got it in the same position, too.”
Ruiz said the team had been working a lot on overtime play recently to prepare for a match like this. When he stepped on the mat, Ruiz felt “surprisingly calm,” knowing that this was exactly what he was practicing for since their last matchup.
After the eventful 165lb matchup, graduate student Cael Valencia stepped up for his first match against Lehigh this season, and his last home dual as a Sun Devil.
Valencia kept a close match against junior Richie Grungo. Only one point separated the two wrestlers in the first and second periods.
Valencia took down Grungo in the third period, and Jones had the challenge brick in his hand in case this was a repeat of the previous match. The referees called the takedown, and no review of the play was needed, giving Valencia one final win in Desert Financial Arena.
While most matches of the night were eventful, freshman Kyler Larkin’s match was the opposite. The Mountain Hawks were down by seven, and they had to forfeit their final match, securing the win for ASU.
“That was disappointing that Kyler didn’t get to wrestle,” Jones said. “But, it does send a message to the country. You know, if you’ve got to go on and wrestle Kyler Larkin, you’re in for a long night. So, it’s probably better that you just stay on the bench.”
After a slow beginning, the Sun Devils were able to end the season on a two-win streak. The Sun Devils are now shifting their focus to the upcoming Big 12 Championships and the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
ASU wrapped up their hometown play in front of several alumni, including several members from the historic season in the 80’s, and a member from the first Sun Devil wrestling team in 1964.
When it comes to wrestling, one of the main pillars of the sport is community, and the Sun Devils saw that Saturday night when the seniors and graduate students got to be cheered on at home one last time by a family of their own.
“I know I’m going to be a Sun Devil for life, and getting the win for my last home dual was special,” Valencia said.
