(Photo: Reece Andrews/WCSN)
ASU looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season with vengeance over the dominant Big Ten.
On Dec. 21, the Sun Devils fell to the No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions 29-10. On Monday, they face the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines, which will be the second consecutive match against the best conference in the nation for ASU.
“Everyone sees this as a chance to bounce back and beat a top team to get us back on track for what we want to do in March,” freshman heavyweight Cohlton Schultz said.
Each match will be tough, and each raised hand for the Sun Devils will be well-earned against the Wolverines.
“Which Arizona State team is going to show up?” coach Zeke Jones said. “The one that really wrestles tough or the one when it gets tough, are we willing to step up and fight for scores? We learned the best teams are going to fight you back and you have to be ready to embrace that fight.”
The Wolverines have five wrestlers in the top 10 in their respective weight classes: 133-pound Dylan Ragusin, 141-pound Stevan Micic, 174-pound Logan Massa, 184-pound Myles Amine, and heavyweight Mason Parris.
125-pound junior Brandon Courtney defeated Michigan’s Jack Medley back in 2017, 11-6. More recently, each wrestled the national champion at 125 pounds, Spencer Lee. Courtney lost 7-0 in the national championship, and Medley lost 8-1 and by tech fall back in 2020.
The 133-pound bout might be the most closely contested match of the day. #7 Michael McGee is 4-4 and #9 Dylan Ragusin is 3-3 against common opponents. Both fell to Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young by decision in 2021. McGee did beat OU’s Anthony Madrigal by major decision, while Ragusin lost 4-3.
Freshman Jesse Vasquez is facing the toughest stretch of his collegiate career. Against Penn State, he wrestled #1 Nick Lee and lost 14-3. Tomorrow, he wrestles the #3 wrestler in the nation at 141 pounds.
If ASU wants a shot to win this match, the 149-pound, 157-pound, and 165-pound weight classes are must-wins. #13 Kyle Parco wrestles #50 Cole Mattin, and #4 Jacori Teemer wrestles #11 Will Lewan. #9 Anthony Valencia wrestles #12 Cameron Amine. Valencia is 2-2 and Amine is 1-3 against common opponents.
174 and 184-pound weight classes will be tough matchups for the Sun Devils, as the Wolverines have #7 Logan Massa wrestling at 174 pounds and #1 Myles Amine at 184 pounds.
Schultz is set to wrestle #2 Mason Parris.
“Coming into this dual, I have nothing but excitement,” Schultz said. “I’m looking forward to taking down a dude with this much skill. I respect Mason a whole lot for his accomplishments, but I know if I wrestle my best, I can beat him.”
Most analysts have Michigan favored to win the match, but Jones has used that as motivation for his squad.
“I believe Michigan is the favorite if you look at it on paper,” Jones said. “That is what we relish — being the underdog and being the team that can knock off a team ahead of us. All the rankings are just numbers. On paper, we are the underdog but our guys believe they can win.”
It certainly won’t be easy, but if Jones’ squad can win a few bouts at the beginning and end of the match, another Big Ten upset could bounce in ASU’s favor.
