(Photo: Courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics)
TEMPE – It’s a well-known story that people go through a rough patch during the winter, and the Arizona State Wrestling team is no exception. Between fresh faces on the mat and slow starts, the Sun Devils were unable to secure their first win of the season against No. 3 Iowa State.
ASU would only see three victories throughout the night; two of them coming from 133lb freshman Kyler Larkin and 165lb redshirt sophomore Nicco Ruiz. The Sun Devils’ third and final victory would come from redshirt sophomore Kaleb Larkins’ debut in the 157 weight class.
“Obviously, Kaleb’s world-class,” Head Coach Zeke Jones said. “We all know it, the rest of the country and the world’s learning that. I fully expected that to happen.”
The mat saw some new players come out to fight, including 141lb senior Benji Alanis, who stepped out in maroon and gold for the first time last night. While he put up a good fight, he was unable to defeat No. 4 senior Anthony Echemendina.
Coach Jones is already looking ahead to next year in terms of building up players and recruits, and tonight was only the first step in his plan.
The fact that some of the team’s star wrestlers are underclassmen will give ASU a huge advantage in years to come. In between duals, the team recognized all three U20 Pan-Am champions on the roster, who are all underclassmen.
“We had a large recruiting class this year, a large one next year,” Jones said. “We’re going to be in the mix next year, but we don’t want to wait until next year.”
Tonight’s match makes the Sun Devils 0-6, which is an unfamiliar feeling for the team. While they are succeeding in tournaments, they are struggling to perform well directly against other schools.
The light at the end of the tunnel for ASU is the NCAA championships in March, as the Sun Devils look at their futures, rather than the next match ahead.
“They’re being positive and encouraging the kids that are struggling, fighting their butts off because they know there’s something bigger than themselves, and their effort is excellent,” Jones said.
