(Photo: Travis David V Whittaker/WCSN)
With a week off after upsetting the previous No. 1 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, ASU wrestling will get another chance to impress the wrestling world.
This weekend it’s wheels up to Las Vegas for the team as they head to Sin City for the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Tournament on Friday and Saturday.
When the Devils hit the mat Friday, it will be their first action since their historic defeat over then No. 1 Penn State. Now, the No. 6 ranked ASU squad will look to continue its strong start to the season in Vegas.
ASU last attended the Cliff Keen Invite back in the 2017-2018 season where they finished in third place in the team standings.
Although their last appearance was two years ago, the Devils feature much of the same cast as it did back in 2017. Seniors, 149-lb. Josh Maruca, 165-lb. Josh Shields 174-lb. Anthony Valencia 184-lb. Zahid Valencia HWT Tanner Hall all placed during ASU’s last visit. This time around, those names are figured to be centerpieces once again.
Coming off standout performances in the victory over Penn State, the impressive trio consisting of 125-lb. Brandon Courtney, Jacori Teemer 157-lb. and 197-lb. Kordell Norfleet are poised to take home hardware back to Tempe.
Each of the aforementioned Sun Devil wrestlers were rewarded with a spike in their respective weight class rankings, and will be faced with the task of proving their worth this weekend and beyond.
As for opponents, ASU will face a myriad of opponents over the two day tournament. Many top-25 programs will be therea in attendence and will no doubt be gunning for the Sun Devils following their most recent victory, and the national spectacle it caused.
Two notable participants that will be seen later in the season in dual meet fashion in No. 3 Ohio State and No. 9 Iowa State.
The Cliff Keen will likely be an opportunity for teams like those to size up the ASU squad, and vice versa. Big-10 powers No.17 Purdue who the Sun Devils have already seen once this season last month at the Journeymen duals, No. 21 Michigan, and No. 7 Nebraska will also be showcased in Vegas.
In a tournament that has proven to be a litmus test for many eventual champions in years past, Coach Zeke Jones and his staff surely hope their wrestlers will handle their belle of the ball status well, and if the season’s first five duals are any indication, the Devils will be just fine.
Wrestling starts early Friday morning and the championship and placement matches will take place Saturday night.
This will be the last time ASU will wrestle in the month of December, before they head to Ohio State on Jan. 6 to open the 2020 calender year.
