Nov. 25, 2001
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 11th-ranked Arizona State wrestling squad won eight matches including pins by Erik Gladish, Kellan Fluckiger, and Evan and Eric Larkin, as the Sun Devils easily handled Cal State Fullerton, 40-6, in their 2001-02 home opener Sunday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.
First-year head coach Thom Ortiz picked up his first dual victory at ASU as the Sun Devils start the dual season 1-0 overall and 1-0 against Pac-10 opponents. The Titans (0-3 overall, 0-2 Pac-10) drop their third dual match of the season and second against conference foes. ASU has yet to surrender a match to Cal State Fullerton and now leads the all-time series 11-0.
ASU got off to a quick start, winning the first seven matches by bonus points including four pins, a technical fall and two major decisions.
The Sun Devils began the day with back-to-back pins by senior Erik Gladish and junior Kellan Fluckiger. At 197 pounds, Gladish pinned Shawn Henebry in 4:02 and at heavyweight, Fluckiger pinned Kenny Dickason in 2:54 to give ASU a 12-0 lead.
Freshman Mike Simpson dominated his opponent at 125 pounds, Robert Valenzuela, racking up five near-falls and two takedowns en route to a 17-0 technical fall decision at the second period buzzer. Freshman Evan Larkin followed Simpson at 133 pounds by pinning David Rodriguez in 4:53.
ASU widened its lead to 33-0 after senior All-American David Douglas earned a commanding 17-7 major decision over Juan Mora at 141 pounds and Eric Larkin, a two-time junior All-American, followed his brother's lead by pinning Jeff Silva in just 54 seconds at 149 pounds.
Like teammates Douglas and Larkin, Smart preserved his undefeated season record with a 14-2 major decision over Leonel Sanchez at 157 pounds.
Cal State Fullerton first got on the board in the 165 pound match when Chris Carlino pulled an upset of ASU sophomore Nick Frost, winning 8-7 with a takedown with one second remaining on the clock. The Titans added another three points when Zachary Elliot earned a 10-5 decision over sophomore Jason Conine in the 174 pound bout.
The Sun Devils locked down their 40-6 victory in the final match of the day, when freshman Will Carr earned a 10-3 decision over Bryan Webster at 184 pounds. ASU will next host a dual with Oregon State, Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. in Wells Fargo Arena, before immediately hitting the road for the Las Vegas Invitational Friday, Nov. 30, through Saturday, Dec. 1.
#11 ASU 40 (1-0, 1-0 Pac-10), Cal State Fullerton 6 (0-3, 0-2 Pac-10)
Sunday, November 25, 2001
Wells Fargo Arena, Tempe, Ariz.
197: #6 Erik Gladish (ASU) pinned Shawn Henebry (CSF), 4:02
HWT: #15 Kellan Fluckiger (ASU) pinned Kenny Dickason (CSF), 2:54
125: Mike Simpson (ASU) technical fall Robert Valenzuela (CSF), 17-0, 5:00
133: Evan Larkin (ASU) pinned David Rodriguez (CSF), 4:53
141: #3 David Douglas (ASU) major decision Juan Mora (CSF), 17-7
149: #1 Eric Larkin (ASU) pinned Jeff Silva (CSF), 0:54
157: #8 Rocky Smart (ASU) major decision Leonel Sanchez (CSF), 14-2
165: Chris Carlino (CSF) dec. #13 Nick Frost (ASU), 8-7
174: Zachary Elliot (CSF) dec. Jason Conine (ASU), 10-5
184: Will Carr (ASU) dec. Bryan Webster (CSF), 10-3
Attendance: 407
Individual rankings according to Amateur Wrestling News