(Photo: Travis David V Whittaker/WCSN)
The Arizona State Men’s Wrestling Team traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational on Dec. 6 and 7. The Sun Devils finished in third Place with 103 team points out of 32 schools who competed, including 14 top-25 ranked teams in the country.
The third place finish marks the highest finish for ASU in 19 years at the CKLV Invitational.
Only Ohio State (109.5) and Nebraska (118) finished higher.
The Sun Devils upper-weight classes continued to show out, which has been a common theme throughout the season, while the lower-weight classes struggled as the team had no representatives in the 133-lb. 141-1lb. and 149-lb. weight classes qualify for the quarterfinals.
The team was led by No. 1 ranked pound for pound wrestler in the 184 lb. weight class, Zahid Valencia. Valencia was the 184-lb. champion after defeating No. 2 Trent Hidlay from North Carolina State. Zahid was dominant all tournament long. In five matches, Zahid won by fall twice, technical-fall once and two Maj. Dec in the semis and final rounds of the tournament.
With the win Valencia claiming his third individual title at the CKLV Invitational and winning the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Josh Shields 165-lb. and Tanner Hall HWT claimed second place finishes, Anthony Valencia finished in fifth pace after falling in the semis, Brandon Courtney claiming sixth place, and Jacori Teemer finished in 8th place.
Navonte Demison went 0-2, Josh Kramer lost in the first round and medically defaulted from the tournament. Josh Maruca fell by a 4-9 Dec. to Brayton Lee of Minnesota in the round of 16, but Maruca battled his way back in the consolation ladder but fell in the consolation round of eight by a narrow 11-12 Dec. to the No. 7 seed Collin Purinton of Nebraska.
The Sun Devils now take a long break as they don’t compete until Jan. 6, 2020 as they travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the Buckeyes of Ohio State in a clash between two top-10 teams that should feature several top-tier matchups in the dual.
