Sun Devils set to battle No. 21 Lehigh in final roadtrip of season

(Photo By: Sun Devil Athletics) 

PHOENIX – After a disappointing senior day home finale, Arizona State wrestling hits the road for a pair of duels to conclude the regular season.  

Outside of wins by No. 1 junior 125-pounder Richard Figueroa and No. 5 senior heavy-weight Cohlton Schultz – his 100th career victory – the Sun Devils failed to win a duel vs No. 20 Oklahoma. ASU now faces No. 21 Lehigh and No. 24 West Virginia, hoping to end a seven-game losing skid. 

Friday night, ASU duels a Mountain Hawk team led by No. 1 junior 133-pounder Ryan Crookham, per InterMat Wrestling, who has yet to lose a duel this season (5-0). Crookham matches up vs. ASU senior Julian Chlebove (3-9) in the same weight class.

The supporting cast around Crookham further challenges the Sun Devils. 

Lehigh’s sophomore 184-pounder Caden Rodgers (11-5) took home EIWA Wrestler of the Week for the second time in as many weeks. Rodgers earned the honor last Thursday after defeating Penn’s No. 20 senior Maximus Hale (20-6). 

No. 5 senior 197-pounder Michael Beard (16-1) and No. 6 senior heavy-weight Owen Trephan (17-0) anchor a 6-4 Lehigh squad aiming for their fifth EIWA championship since 2018, including four straight from 2018-2021. 

Seven Lehigh wrestlers currently rank among InterMat, FloWrestling, and WrestleStats’ top NCAA wrestlers, while ASU ranks just four. 

The Mountain Hawks (6-4) enter Friday’s match off a 22-12 victory over Penn and winners of four of their last five duels. 

In Lehigh’s win over Penn, the Mountain Hawks won their first four duels, taking a 16-0 lead, which they comfortably held until the match’s conclusion. Conversely, the Sun Devils lost nine of their first 10 duels against the Sooners. 

Early momentum is a key for both Lehigh and ASU, as the Sun Devils have dug themselves holes early in their previous matchups. 

Here are Friday’s top projected duels:

125 | No. 1 Richard Figueroa (8-1) vs. No. 10 Sheldon Seymour (18-2)

184 | Shay Addison (10-6) vs. Caden Rodgers (5-0)

197 | Jacob Meissner (2-5) vs. No. 5 Michael Beard (16-1)

HWT | No. 5 Cohlton Schultz (18-3) vs. No. 6 Owen Trephan (17-0) 

Chances are wrestlers such as Figueroa and Schultz will rematch their opponents in the upcoming national championships. 

However, Friday’s duel means more than just wrestling. 

Friday night, Lehigh celebrates its senior day, honoring five soon-to-be graduates: Hines, Beard, Trephan, 174-pounder Thayne Lawrence and 149-pounder Drew Munch.

After Friday’s duel, the Sun Devils head to No. 24 West Virginia to wrap up a disappointing regular season. The Big 12 Championships begin March 8, with the NCAA Championships following a week later on the 20th.

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