(Photo: Sun Devil Athletics)
TEMPE, Ariz. – Despite the Oklahoma Sooners spoiling the senior day festivities, senior heavyweight Colhton Schultz cemented himself in Arizona State Wrestling history Sunday afternoon.
In front of a packed Mullett Arena, Schultz achieved his 100th individual duel victory after a back-and-forth double overtime slugfest with the Sooners’ No. 25 junior Juan Mora.
“It was fun, and I live for those moments,” Schultz said on his double overtime victory.
Schultz credited his effort to the, “Let’s Go Colhton” chants that rained down from the Sun Devil Effort.
“[My] Last time getting to compete in front of this crowd, it was a blast,” Schultz said of his loyal crowd.
The senior, who began his prestigious Sun Devil career way back in 2019, hopes to leave a lasting impact on the storied wrestling program.
“Everyday, every opportunity, I’ve just brought the best effort I possibly could, and I hope that lives on,” Schultz said when asked about his legacy.
The heavy-weight values his effort, and it was on full display in his final home dual Sunday.
However, Schultz has yet to accomplish the ultimate goal: winning a national title.
“I haven’t done everything I wanted to yet,” Schultz said on remaining hungry through a challenging team season.
As for the Sun Devil team, the No. 20 Sooners proved quite the challenge. Oklahoma dominasted ASU in all aspects, winning 32-6 in blowout fashion.
Outside of No. 2 125-pounder Richard Figueroa lead-off victory over No. 28 Antonio Lorenzo and Schultz’s double overtime victory, the Sun Devil team lost every match in between.
However, the story of the day remained celebrating the careers of the four graduating seniors: 133-pounder Julian Chlebove, 149-pounder Mykey Ramos, 174-pounder Max Wilner and heavy-weight Colhton Schultz.
The four soon-to-be graduates were honored before Sunday’s duel alongside their parents, a special moment they’ll never forget.
Chlebove, Ramos and Wilner did not wrestle in Sunday’s duel vs Oklahoma. Chlerbove was scheduled to duel against fellow senior, No. 22 133-pounder Cleveland Belton.
Despite the seniors not dueling in the home finale, their leadership guided a young ASU squad through a challenging 4-9 season.
“I’ve been called to since day one,” Schultz said; yet, stepping into a leadership role took Schultz some time.
“It took a few years, but this year I finally feel I’m really stepping into a leadership role… I was always scared stepping into it, but it’s been fun this year,” Schultz said of becoming a mentor for the young wrestlers who hope to become the dominant wrestler Schultz currently is.
With Sunday’s home loss to Oklahoma, the Sun Devils have now lost seven consecutive duels, including their last four at home.
ASU hits the road for the remainder of the regular season. The Sun Devils take on Lehigh next Friday, Feb. 21, and West Virginia on Feb. 23.
From there it’s on to the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments, where Schultz and Figueroa look toward national titles in their respective weight classes.
For a regular season full of challenges, the efforts by Figueroa and Schultz could redeem the program in 2025.
