For No. 5 Arizona State wrestling’s home-opening showdown with No. 3 Missouri in Mullett Arena, 2,947 fans were in attendance — the second most in a dual meet in program history.
The Sun Devils (2-0) pulled out a narrow 19-17 win over the Tigers (1-1) in what appeared to be a tone-setting matchup for both squads, which boast a combined 10 NCAA All-Americans, including a 2021 NCAA Champion and 2021 NCAA runner-up.
“We won because of the people in those stands tonight,” Jones said. “They were rocking.”
With ASU trailing 17-15 entering the evening’s final match between its No. 1 heavyweight sophomore Cohlton Schultz and No. 7 heavyweight junior Zach Elam, Schultz’s 12-4 majority decision put his team on top for good.
Schultz, a Greco-Roman wrestler, performed two upper-body takedowns in the first period before putting the match away in the third.
“Being a career heavyweight, a two-point dual coming into the final match, that’s what we live for,” Schultz said. “Those are the best moments. As soon as I stepped onto the mat, I had overwhelming confidence in my preparation and the work we put in as a team.”
The Sun Devils opened strong, notching victories in the first four weight classes that competed to hold an early 12-0 lead — and one was stolen late, which prompted Jones to celebrate in unison with the home crowd.
In the 141-pound division, No. 24 sophomore Jesse Vasquez upset No. 6 senior Allan Hart in a 3-2 decision fueled by a last-second takedown that gave Vasquez the necessary points to overcome an advantage Hart upheld for most of the match.
“When Jesse got that win, that was a new breath of life,” Jones said of Vasquez’s important upset. “We needed to steal a match somewhere, and that was the one.”
To open the early wins, redshirt freshman Richard Figueroa wasn’t taken down once in his 6-4 decision over No. 14 sophomore Noah Surtin that featured two takedowns and a reversal.
It was Figueroa’s fourth victory against a top-20 ranked opponent this season.
The 133- and 149-pound classes were the other weight classes instrumental to the Sun Devils’ opening advantage.
No. 4 133-pound senior Michael McGee recovered from a 1-0 deficit after two periods to best senior Connor Brown in a 5-4 decision that included a reversal and takedown before riding time gave him the win.
No. 3 149-pounder sophomore Kyle Parco broke a tie late in the third period on an escape to earn a 3-2 decision over No. 8 junior Brock Mauller.
But it would be ASU’s last win for a while, as the Tigers took the next three by a pair of technical falls and another by major decision to boast a 14-12 lead.
Up against the reigning 165-pound NCAA Champion, No. 1 sophomore Keegan O’Toole, Sun Devils No. 20 junior Tony Negron was dominated in an 18-1 technical-fault loss.
Jones said the loss will allow Negron to improve.
“[O’Toole] is a national champion and a junior world champion,” Jones said. “That guy is the best on the planet. Tony got to feel what that means.
“If Tony figures out how to finish and stay out of the cradle, he can change that match.”
Who really seemed to change the momentum of this match was No. 20 184-pound junior Anthony Montalvo, whose 4-2 win put ASU back in front with a narrow 15-14 lead and two matches remaining.
“I got to have my teammates’ back the way they have mine,” Montalvo said of his crucial victory. “Tony, tough loss for him. [Winning is] the best way I can get his back.”
And with every point, takedown and win, Montalvo and his teammates felt the palpable support of ASU fans.
“Seeing the crowd like this, this is what I live for,” Figueroa said. “This is why I came here. I love that crowd, I love that hype. It’s been great to see crowds like that get you pumped up.”
