(Photo: Jessica Carnivale/WCSN)
Friday marked the first time the 2019-2020 Arizona State Wrestling team was in action, partaking in the annual Maroon and Gold scrimmage at Desert Financial Arena. Wrestling in public and inside the arena allows the team to truly recognize what they can achieve this season.
With this being the first time newcomers felt the “cool air” of the arena, as Head Coach Zeke Jones put it, it was also the first time the fans got a glimpse of what is to come. That glimpse they got was pretty impressive, as Gold came out on top 19-12.
The night started off with exhibitions that did not have a part in the score of the scrimmage. The most profound part of these matches was undoubtedly Anthony Valencia, who pinned freshman Trey Munoz in just 23 seconds. He then went on to beat freshman Josh Nummer as well, going 2-0 on the night.
Following the match Anthony Valencia said, “We have a great upper-class right now, that’s helping the lower-class… and their starting to understand how we run this program.” Coach Jones also talked on the importance of the youth when he expressed that there are “question marks in the lightweights,” and followed that up by saying, “we go where the lightweights go.”
The first match of the official Maroon and Gold scrimmage included youthful lightweight 125-pound freshman, Nicholas Raimo. He got his Arizona State career off to a good start with a 10-4 win over redshirt freshman Aaron Valenzuela.
As the matches went back and forth between the Gold and Maroon teams, Coach Jones highlighted Josh Kramer’s match against Pennsylvania wrestler of the year and freshman, Julian Chlebove, as the most impressive of the night. Jones said, “Josh Kramer knew he had the ability to beat anybody.” This confidence makes Jones expect a breakout year from the redshirt senior.
Returning All-American Josh Shields was a standout performer as well. He went up against sophomore Ryan Moltz and pinned him after 2 minutes and 48 seconds of wrestling. Shields suggests the team as a whole will be “gunning for more pins this year.” A statement of aggression that should get fans excited for the upcoming season.
Other standout performers included returning back to back NCAA champion Zahid Valencia, and redshirt freshman Jacori Teemer.
Jones and Shields both spoke highly of Teemer’s performance during the scrimmage. Jones emphasized how he “wants to be great” while Shields spoke on how his unbelievable athleticism makes people “underestimate how hard he works.”
With the aggressiveness and hunger throughout the team, fans should be very excited to get the official season underway. That season is just around the corner as the team travels to Troy, New York, to face off against Purdue and Virginia for Journeyman Duels on November 9, and then the Journeyman Collegiate Classic on November 10.
