ASU Wrestling: Sun Devils competitive in intra-squad scrimmage

Arizona State Wrestling opened its 2022-23 season with the program’s annual Maroon and Gold inter-squad scrimmage Friday night at Desert Financial Arena, where Team Gold defeated Team Maroon in a narrow 21-18 decision.

With much promise displayed on both sides, Sun Devils head coach Zeke Jones said the team’s tune-up competition before the onset of his ninth regular-season slate in Tempe showed solid performances across the board.

“Overall, I was impressed with all of them,” Jones said. “Our conditioning is good, which is good to see.”

133-pound senior Michael McGee and Penn State 165-pound junior transfer Tony Negron were among Team Gold’s headline performers, with crucial five- and six-points wins that lifted their group to the favorable outcome.

“It was great to wrestle in front of fans, and I loved how aggressive I was,” Negron said. “I do think going forward that there are some spots I need to capitalize on when we are wrestling those top guys in the nation.”

To potentially move the group closer to its next-level aim after winning Pac-12 titles in five of the last six years, Negron, who said he’s settled in under Jones’ guidance, arrived as a potential impact addition.

“I love ASU,” Negron said. “The system here is really structured and Coach Zeke does a great job of making sure each practice has a purpose.”

McGee, the reigning Pac-12 Champion in his weight class, is widely perceived as key to ASU’s national championship aspirations after he and his teammates fell short of the accomplishment in a fourth-place finish last season.

“We have a lot of depth this year and we are battle tested every day at practice,” McGee said. “If we come out here and keep wrestling hard, I think everything will take care of itself.”

Though part of Team Maroon’s losing effort, freshman Richard Figueroa, who earned high praise from Jones, was a notable bright spot in his dominant 14-1 victory over sophomore Tristan Mascarenas.

While the win may have boosted his chances at securing the Sun Devils’ 125-pound roster spot, Figueroa said he’s determined to avoid complacency and to build off his early momentum.

“[I’ve got to] work hard every day in the wrestling room, on and off the mat,” Figueroa said.

As the leader for a team ranked third in the FloWrestling preseason poll, Jones downplayed any potential pressure his wrestlers may face to maintain and advance ASU’s past success on the mat.

It’s about channeling such high expectations into consistent focus, he said.

“I don’t know if it’s so much pressure, but it is a privilege to have those feelings and competition,” Jones said. “We need to make sure that we turn those feelings into positive energy on the mat.”