(Photo: Travis David V Whittaker/WCSN)
After a month off from competition, the No.4 Arizona State wrestling team (5-0) is set for another top-10 matchup as they take on the No. 7 Ohio State Buckeyes (3-1) in Columbus, Ohio on Monday.
With all the time off from competition in December as a team, ASU wrestling coach Zeke Jones designed it to be that way this season.
“It was a month off from competition but it was a chance to get a lot of two-a-days in,” Jones said. “Although we haven’t competed in a while with the whole team we have done a lot of training so I’d like to think we put some good minutes in.”
Usually, ASU will wrestle in Las Vegas and then the Midlands, but with an opportunity to have some wrestlers on the current roster to qualify for Senior Olympic Trials, the Sun Devils took advantage of the time off this year.
“Only us and Penn State qualified three athletes on our current roster that are in the Olympic Trials,” said Jones. “Everyone else has two or less”
Zahid Valencia won at 86 kg. and Anthony Valencia placed fifth at 74 kg. Both qualified in Freestyle. Freshman HWT, Cohlton Schultz qualified in Greco-Roman at 130 kg., winning his bracket.
All three wrestlers will have a chance to officially qualify for the 2020 Olympics at Penn State in April.
The last time the ASU matmen saw action as a team was in Las Vegas, where the team finished third in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite.
Ohio State also competed in the Vegas Invite and had 6.5 more team points in the tournament than the Sun Devils.
After wrestling top-ranked schools such as Penn State, Virginia and Purdue in the first semester of the season, the second semester will be ramped up even almost as much if not more as the team heads into conference meets and Nationals loom around the corner.
“The first semester is really designed to see where you’re at what you need to get better at,” said Jones. “Second semester is who improves the fastest wins in March,” Jones said.
With ASU opening up 2020 with Ohio State it will be a great test to see exactly where they are as a team.
“It’s going to be great to see where the team is at,” Zahid Valencia said. “We have been working hard and staying consistent.”
Ohio State may not be as deep as they have been in the past but they still are a formidable opponent that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
“Were excited,” Jones said. “National TV, FS1 is covering it nationally. Monday night. Ohio State has been a targeted dual meet for us for many years. Now we are in a position to compete in their gym. For the first time, we might be considered the favorites. I don’t look at it that way because we haven’t beat them yet.”
Ohio State features top-ranked guys at two different weight classes. Luke Pletcher at 141-lb. and Kollin Moore at 197-lb.
Zahid Valencia is still ranked No. 1 at 184-lb. and still has depth in the lineup with wrestlers ranked inside the top-20.
If ASU is victorious once again, the Sun Devils will need to win key swing matches and limit bonus point losses against the Buckeyes just like they did against Penn State back in November.
“I believe every wrestler should focus on their match,” Anthony Valencia said. “That’s what I’m doing.”
The dual meet will be televised on FS1 and will start at 5:00 p.m. MST.
