Also faring well for the Sun Devils were seniors Dana Holland (Glendale Heights, Ill.) at 141 and Kellan Fluckiger (Preston, Idaho) at heavyweight, both semifinalists. Holland went 3-0 on his way towards the finals while Fluckiger compiled at 4-0 mark.
Five other ASU grapplers also remain in the tournament and are in search of a third-place finish. Curtis Owen (Coeur D'Alene, Idaho) nearly joined the trio of Sun Devils in the semifinals, falling in double-overtime, 5-4, No. 1 Greg Jones of West Virginia. Owen had the defending national champion on the ropes, but was unable to hold his opponent to the mat in the final 30 second extra session to earn the win. Nick Frost (Tucson, Ariz.), at 165, and Mike Simpson (Anaheim, Calif.), at 133, both fell in the quarterfinals and now must battle through the consolation bracket to place in the tournament.
Patrick Williams (Homestead, Fla.), at 157, and Ryan Bader (Verdi, Nev.), at 197, round out the Sun Devils remaining in the tournament. Jeremy Mendoza (Temecula, Calif.), at 125, and Ron Renzi (Burke, Va.), at 197, both were eliminated from the event in the early stages of the day.
The invitational concludes Saturday with a 9 a.m. start for consolation wrestlers and a 10 a.m. start for the semifinalists.