ASU Wrestling: No. 18 Sun Devils fall to No. 7 Nebraska in regular-season finale

(Photo: Reece Andrews/WCSN)

No. 18 Arizona State’s fast start was not enough to steal a win in Lincoln Sunday afternoon, as it fell to No. 7 Nebraska by a 25-15 final.

The lightweights were again a positive for the Sun Devils as ASU secured wins at 133, 141 pounds and 149 pounds.

ASU 133-pound senior Michael McGee quickly ended his match against Nebraska senior Boo Dryden with a first-period pin. 

At 141 pounds, Sun Devils freshman Emilio Ysaguirre got his second straight start in place of sophomore Jesse Vasquez and had a standout performance. Ysaguirre got out to an early 7-3 lead against Cornhuskers No. 4 sophomore Brock Hardy courtesy of an early takedown and back points in the first period. The true freshman never lost that lead, closing the upset by a 10-4 decision. 

No. 4 149-pound sophomore Kyle Parco picked up another win for ASU to improve to 20-4 on the season. It wasn’t Parco’s normal high-scoring bout but it was a win nonetheless, as the sophomore took down Nebraska senior Dayne Morton in a 5-2 decision. 

It was after Parco’s win when the wheels started to trail off the tracks for the Sun Devils, who lost their next five matches and were unable to put their No. 5 sophomore heavyweight, Cohlton Schultz, in a position to steal the dual win. 

ASU 157-pound freshman Max Wilner lost to Nebraska No. 1 junior Peyton Robb by a 17-1 technical-fall victory and Sun Devils 165-pound junior Tony Negron lost to Cornhuskers sophomore Bubba Wilson in a 3-1 decision.

At 174 pounds, redshirt freshman Cael Valencia failed to regain ASU’s momentum, dropping a 9-6 decision to Nebraska No. 2 senior Mikey Labriola in an ultra-competitive contest. 

Cornhuskers No. 15 184-pound redshirt freshman Lenny Pinto pinned junior Anthony Montalvo before No. 10 197-pound sophomore Silas Allred then silenced the Sun Devils by dominating sophomore Josh Nummer in a technical-fall win. 

Schultz won a 6-0 decision over heavyweight junior Austin Emerson in the afternoon’s final match.

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