Wrestling

Win once again evades Sun Devils despite strong second half

TEMPE– Coming out of halftime, Arizona State Wrestling needed a sparkplug. Down by double digits, heavyweight had to be a win for ASU. David Szuba was up to the challenge to bring back life back to Desert Financial Arena.

“Yeah David turned the tide right there,” Head Coach Zeke Jones said. “That guy got in on his leg deep and almost took him down two, three times but he fought back”.

Szuba would win a long scramble in the first, which had both wrestlers in danger multiple times, lighting the crowd on fire once again. Szuba would survive a last-minute takedown attempt from Stoner to begin the second up 3-1.

“You know he’s a fifth year, maybe sixth year, and he’s been down this road before, and you make a decision, am I gonna fight back or am I gonna lay down?” Jones said.

Stoner would get an escape in the second, but at the beginning of the third, Szuba would fight back and get another takedown to go up 6-3 entering the last 30 seconds. This would be enough as Szuba would win and get ASU back on track and start the climb out of the hole.

This hole was not how the meet started. It actually started with Sun Devil Success. ASU would start off strong with No. 13-ranked 165 redshirt sophomore Nicco Ruiz, who went up 7-0, including an escape into a river with two minutes of riding time going into the third period. Despite an escape from James Conway, Ruiz would secure a eight to one win and a three-point lead for ASU.

Missouri’s No. 11-ranked Cam Steed would silence the crowd as he landed a headlock takedown in the first period that would turn into a pin and start a string of dominant Missouri victories. No. 2-ranked Aedon Sinclair would also pin his opponent, ASU’s Shay Addiosn.

This gave Missouri a commanding 12-3 lead and would put the Sun Devils in a deep hole in their search for victory. Graduate Colton Hawks would try to start a turnaround against No. 16 Evan Bates.

“Yeah Colton Hawks every match he comes out and gets significantly better,” Jones said, “and that one was personal, because he came from Missouri.”

While the former Missouri wrestler would try to win multiple scramble drills in the first, he would go down 3-0 in the first. In the third, Hawks would get a reversal and tie it up with 58 seconds of riding time in his favor. However, Bates would get a takedown and would silence the crowd.

125-pound Junior Daminen Moreno would escape a scary situation in the first to keep the momentum rolling for the Sun Devils, but at the last second, No. 25 Maack Mauger would get a takedown to put him up 3-0 going into the second.

Moreno would secure a gusty escape and bring the lead down to one going into another pivotal third period. Despite a close attempt and a stall call, Mauger would secure the win and would extend Missouri’s lead to 18-6.

Freshman Kyler Larkin would reignite the Sun Devils as the number five-ranked wrestler at 133 would escape early in the second to take a 1-0 lead over Missouri’s Gage Walker and then get a takedown and a stalling call to go up 5-1 entering the third. The stalling calls and takedowns would keep stacking as Larkin would win 9-3.

This would put ASU only down nine with three matches remaining. Redshirt freshman Pierson Manville almost shrunk that lead to three with a headlock, but Zeke Seltzer landed out of bounds.

“I live and die by the sword by throwing someone,” Manville said. “I try to throw someone at least one time in a match and if I don’t get the throw, I go back to basics”.

Maville would go back to basics and get a takedown seconds later to go up 3-0. He would land another one later in the first to go up 6-1 heading into the second. Manville would continue to dominate and teach Selter with a score of 21-5, giving the crowd a show for the ages and bringing ASU within 4 points.

“Like try and try to have fun. It’s the most important thing,” Manville said.

149 sophomore Daniel Mirandia would give ASU his all, including some very close calls to pinning No. 18 Josh Emmet. However, a last-second nearfall at the end of the first would put Miranda down 7-0 and zap the life out of Desert Financial Arena. Miranda couldn’t get anything going, and Emmet would secure the match, and the meet win with a major decision. The Sun Devils would fall to the Tigers 22-17, but Coach Zeke Jones had a positive outlook.

“Yeah there’s no doubt we’re wrestling the best teams in the country week in, week out,” Jones said. “But I tell you it’s great for the kids, particularly these young kids”.