TEMPE – The No. 5 Sun Devil wrestling team will host No. 1 ranked Penn State in a top-five showdown, Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. MST. The bout will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network Arizona, while also streamed live on Pac-12.com.
The Sun Devils will enter Friday's match with a 4-0 record to their credit after defeating Augustana (35-6) and McKendree (38-3) last weekend. Nine of the 10 weight classes finished 2-0 in the home-opening duals.
Coming into the match, ASU has six wrestlers ranked in national polls. Josh Kramer (133 lbs) has been sensational in his senior season, holding a 7-1 record, while taking down four ranked opponents in the process. Josh Maruca (149 lbs) is looking to build off of a successful outing this past weekend, finishing with two major decision victories. Josh Shields (165) is 6-1 through seven matches so far with four bonus point wins.
Anthony Valencia moved up three spots to No. 8 at 174 this week, while also pushing his record to 6-1 over the weekend. Valencia is back in the lineup after taking a redshirt last season, as he looks to pursue his first career All-American award in 2020. No. 1 ranked Zahid Valencia is a perfect 7-0 with six bonus point wins to start his senior campaign. Zahid has his eyes on a third-straight national title, which would make him the first Sun Devil in program history to do so. Tanner Hall also returns for his final season with ASU, looking to bolster the heavyweight class. Hall is ranked No. 5 at 285 and supplies a 6-1 mark to this point in season.
Penn State, ranked No. 1 nationally, visits Tempe for the first time in series history on Friday. The Nittany Lions return seven All-Americans this season - Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141), Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174), Shakur Rasheed (184), Kyle Conel (197), Anthony Cassar (HWT).
As we get closer to Friday night's match, here are five things to know:
1. Arizona State head coach Zeke Jones and Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson both competed collegiately under former ASU hall of fame coach Bobby Douglas. Jones (1988-91) was a member of Douglas's squad all four seasons he wrestled for the Maroon and Gold, becoming ASU's 10th three-time All-American while also being a part of the program's first national championship team in 1988. Sanderson (1999-02) was also coached by Douglas in his time at Iowa State, finishing up his career as a four-time national champion and three-time Dan Hodge
Award winner. Between the two programs, Douglas racked up 424 dual victories, becoming just the fourth coach in college wrestling history to win at least 400 matches.
2. The Zahid Valencia/Mark Hall saga may be over after Valencia moved up a weight class to 184 lbs., but there is still a projected 1/2 matchup with Penn State's Shakur Rasheed set to wrestle Valencia this time around. The potential meeting will be the first for the wrestlers. Valencia is 45-2 in his collegiate dual career with his only two losses coming from then #2 Mark Hall and #4 Daniel Lewis. Valencia will enter Friday's match with a 15 match win-streak on the line. Rasheed, an All-American in 2017, carries a 21-4 dual career record into his final year of eligibility
3. The Nittany Lions will be making their first ever appearance in Tempe this Friday. Last year's dual in State College, Pennsylvania, was the first non-tournament dual in series history.
Dual History (Sun Devils 3-4-1 all-time vs. Nittany Lions)
Jan. 7, 1989 – Arizona State 19, Penn State 19 (National Duals – Virginia)
Jan. 12, 1990 – Arizona State 25, Penn State 12 (National Duals – Virginia)
Jan. 11, 1991 – Penn State 25, Arizona State 11 (National Duals – Virginia)
Jan. 27, 1991 – Arizona State 21, Penn State 20 (Norman, Okla.)
Jan. 23, 1993 – Penn State 20, Arizona State 15 (National Duals – Nebraska)
Jan. 16, 1999 – Arizona State 23, Penn State 13 (National Duals – Iowa)
Jan. 21, 2001 – Penn State 19, Arizona State 16 (National Duals – State College, Pa.)
Dec. 14, 2018 – Penn State 41, Arizona State 3 (State College, Pa.)
4. The top-ranked Nittany Lions enter Friday's contest with a 60 match win-streak – 9 shy of tying the modern era record of 69 consecutive matches set by Iowa. The Oklahoma State Cowboys own the all-time record with 76. Their last loss came at Oklahoma State back on Feb. 15, 2015. Penn State has transformed into one of the most dominant programs in college wrestling history over the past nine years, winning eight of the last nine National Championships. During that span, the Nittany Lions have totaled 55 All-American award winners.
5. Friday night's match will include five top-10 and top-25 matchups, with top-5 headliners at 165, 184 and 285. Below are projected matches for Friday:
133: #11 Josh Kramer (ASU) vs. #3 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU)
165: #5 Josh Shields (ASU) vs. #1 Vincenzo Joseph (PSU)
174: #8 Anthony Valencia (ASU) vs. #1 Mark Hall (PSU)
184: #1 Zahid Valencia (ASU) vs. #2 Shakur Rasheed (PSU)
HWT: #5 Tanner Hall (ASU) vs. #1 Anthony Cassar (PSU)
Penn State will also have projected top-10 starters in #3 Nick Lee, #5 Brady Verge and #7 Kyle Conel while the Sun Devils will have a top-25 starter in #21 Josh Maruca at 149 lbs.
Flowrestling/Intermat rankings are represented.
TICKET INFORMATION
A big crowd is expected to be in attendance on Friday night, with the potential of breaking the all-time attendance record of 5,497 set on Jan. 18, 1990 against Oklahoma State. Make sure to get your match tickets today by clicking this link.
UP NEXT
ASU will take a week off before traveling to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Invitational, Dec. 6-7 for a two day open tournament.
THE BIG THREE
The 2019-20 season will bring a familiar face back to the lineup for the Sun Devils, as heavyweight Tanner Hall returns to the squad after redshirting in the 2018-19 season. Hall rejoins fellow teammates Zahid Valencia and Josh Shields in their final year together. The three All-Americans have been exceptional in their career at ASU and have proved to be important cogs when all three are featured in the starting lineup. The team has gone on to go 22-5 in the 27 duals where Hall, Shields and Z. Valencia wrestled in the lineup. Individually, Valencia was a perfect 27-0, while Shields won 25 of his 27 matches and Hall only had four losses in 27 bouts. The trio has combined for 307 victories while surrendering just 48 losses in their three seasons at ASU.
HOME SCHEDULE FEATURES #1 PENN STATE
ASU will get set for a highly anticipated matchup against nine-time National Champion and preseason No. 1 Penn State on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. The historic bout against the Nittany Lions will take place on the Pac-12 Network. The dual will be the last part of home-and-home series between the two programs, as the Sun Devils visited State College, Pennsylvania, last season. ASU holds 3-4-1 record against the Nittany Lions and welcomes the defending champs to Tempe for the first time in the series.
ASU WRESTLING GARNERS #2 RECRUITING CLASS
After landing the No.1 pound-for-pound recruit in heavyweight Cohlton Schultz, Arizona State moved up to the second-best recruiting class in the nation behind No. 1 Ohio State, according to intermatwrestlecom. The 2019 class also featured three-time Pennsylvania state champion Julian Chlebove, Orange Country wrestler of the year Trey Munoz and New Jersey state champion Nick Raimo.
TOWNSEND SAUNDERS INDUCTED INTO NWHOF
Former Sun Devil wrestler Townsend Saunders was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and incoming freshman Cohlton Schultz received the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award at the NWHOF's 43rd annual Honors Weekend in Stillwater.
Saunders was a two-time Pac-10 Champion and two-time NCAA Division I All-American during his time as a Sun Devil, finishing second in the nation at 142 lbs. in 1989 and third at the 150 lbs. weight class in 1990. He holds a career mark of 77-9 while competing for ASU, a .895 win percentage that places him at fourth all-time in the program. He is also tied for fourth in dual victories in a season with 20 wins in 1989-90 and is tied for seventh on the Sun Devils' single-season overall victories list with 40 wins in 1988-89.
Saunders was an assistant coach at Arizona State from 2001-03 while also serving as executive director and coach for the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club. He coached the United States women's team to seven medals in seven weights, winning a gold medal, four silver medals and two bronze medals, at the World Championships in 2003. Saunders was named USA Wrestling's Coach of the Year in 2004 after being coach of the United States women's wrestling team the first time that women's wrestling competed in the Olympics in 2004. He was inducted into the Arizona State University Hall of Fame in 2011 and the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013.
ASU WRESTLING ON NATIONAL BROADCASTS
The No. 4 Sun Devil Wrestling team will make multiple appearances on national TV during the 2019-20 campaign, including a top-five matchup against reigning national champion Penn State in Desert Financial Arena (Nov. 22 at 7 pm MST) and a senior night dual against Pac-12 foe Stanford (Jan. 31 at 6 pm MST). A bout hosted by national runner up from a year ago, Ohio State will also be broadcast live on FS1, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m. MST.
Sun Devil Wrestling's final national broadcast exposure will conclude at the Pac-12 Championships on March 7 in Palo Alto, California. Earlier rounds will be live
streamed, while the final round will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network.
THREE SUN DEVILS CROWNED CHAMPIONS AT JOURNEYMEN
On Nov. 10, the Sun Devils opened up the new season with a trip to Troy, New York, 10 of 13 student athletes placed while three were crowned tournament champions at their respective weight class - No. 24 Brandon Courtney (125), No. 10 Anthony Valencia (174) and No 1 Zahid Valencia (184). Josh Kramer (133) was also a bright spot for the Sun Devils, finishing with a runner-up finish. Kramer ran through arguably the toughest stretch to get to the championship, defeating #12 Anthony Madrigal (Oklahoma), #15 Nick Farro (Lehigh) and #10 DJ Fehlman (Lock Haven).
THE STAFF
Joining head coach Zeke Jones on the 2018-19 coaching staff are eighth-year assistant coach Lee Pritts, sixth-year assistant coach Chris Pendleton, and second-year volunteer assistant Jamill Kelly.
Pritts, considered one of the top recruiters in the country, previously worked at North Carolina State, Old Dominion, and Missouri. He was an All-American at Eastern Michigan and qualified for the 2000 Olympic trials. This summer, he was a coach for USA Wrestling at the Cadet Freestyle World Championships.
Pendleton previously served as an assistant coach at Wyoming for four seasons, and specialized in training the team's upper weight classes. Pendleton was a two-time NCAA Champion and three-time All-American at Oklahoma State. In summer 2017, he served as an assistant coach for the USA Wrestling Junior World Freestyle Team in Finland where Zahid Valencia won a silver medal.
Kelly, a 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist in Athens, Greece, is a two-time World Team member, and four-time US National Team member. A US Open Champion, he is also a two-time Pan Am Games silver medalist, competing for Oklahoma State from 1997-2000.
JOIN THE INNER CIRCLE
Sun Devil Wrestling is just one part of a very successful wrestling community in the Valley of the Sun and is happy to open its doors for the Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions. During a Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Reception say hello to former NCAA National Champions and Olympic Medalists, have a conversation with wrestling coaches on the national stage, interact with former Sun Devil wrestlers along with friends and families of the program, and listen to a pre-match analysis from a current Sun Devil Wrestling coach.
While in the Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Reception, enjoy beverages while having a light snack prior to heading to your seats to watch the Sun Devils in action. The Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions are located in Room 116 inside Wells Fargo Arena. Doors open one hour prior to each Sun Devil Wrestling home contest.
Admission for two (2) is provide to Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions for wrestling supporters who donate $200 or more to Sun Devil Wrestling. Your donation will be used to continue the tradition of Sun Devil Wrestling and build a successful future.
Join here: https://www.sundevilclub.com/wrestling-inner-circle.
The Sun Devils will enter Friday's match with a 4-0 record to their credit after defeating Augustana (35-6) and McKendree (38-3) last weekend. Nine of the 10 weight classes finished 2-0 in the home-opening duals.
Coming into the match, ASU has six wrestlers ranked in national polls. Josh Kramer (133 lbs) has been sensational in his senior season, holding a 7-1 record, while taking down four ranked opponents in the process. Josh Maruca (149 lbs) is looking to build off of a successful outing this past weekend, finishing with two major decision victories. Josh Shields (165) is 6-1 through seven matches so far with four bonus point wins.
Anthony Valencia moved up three spots to No. 8 at 174 this week, while also pushing his record to 6-1 over the weekend. Valencia is back in the lineup after taking a redshirt last season, as he looks to pursue his first career All-American award in 2020. No. 1 ranked Zahid Valencia is a perfect 7-0 with six bonus point wins to start his senior campaign. Zahid has his eyes on a third-straight national title, which would make him the first Sun Devil in program history to do so. Tanner Hall also returns for his final season with ASU, looking to bolster the heavyweight class. Hall is ranked No. 5 at 285 and supplies a 6-1 mark to this point in season.
Penn State, ranked No. 1 nationally, visits Tempe for the first time in series history on Friday. The Nittany Lions return seven All-Americans this season - Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141), Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174), Shakur Rasheed (184), Kyle Conel (197), Anthony Cassar (HWT).
As we get closer to Friday night's match, here are five things to know:
1. Arizona State head coach Zeke Jones and Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson both competed collegiately under former ASU hall of fame coach Bobby Douglas. Jones (1988-91) was a member of Douglas's squad all four seasons he wrestled for the Maroon and Gold, becoming ASU's 10th three-time All-American while also being a part of the program's first national championship team in 1988. Sanderson (1999-02) was also coached by Douglas in his time at Iowa State, finishing up his career as a four-time national champion and three-time Dan Hodge
Award winner. Between the two programs, Douglas racked up 424 dual victories, becoming just the fourth coach in college wrestling history to win at least 400 matches.
2. The Zahid Valencia/Mark Hall saga may be over after Valencia moved up a weight class to 184 lbs., but there is still a projected 1/2 matchup with Penn State's Shakur Rasheed set to wrestle Valencia this time around. The potential meeting will be the first for the wrestlers. Valencia is 45-2 in his collegiate dual career with his only two losses coming from then #2 Mark Hall and #4 Daniel Lewis. Valencia will enter Friday's match with a 15 match win-streak on the line. Rasheed, an All-American in 2017, carries a 21-4 dual career record into his final year of eligibility
3. The Nittany Lions will be making their first ever appearance in Tempe this Friday. Last year's dual in State College, Pennsylvania, was the first non-tournament dual in series history.
Dual History (Sun Devils 3-4-1 all-time vs. Nittany Lions)
Jan. 7, 1989 – Arizona State 19, Penn State 19 (National Duals – Virginia)
Jan. 12, 1990 – Arizona State 25, Penn State 12 (National Duals – Virginia)
Jan. 11, 1991 – Penn State 25, Arizona State 11 (National Duals – Virginia)
Jan. 27, 1991 – Arizona State 21, Penn State 20 (Norman, Okla.)
Jan. 23, 1993 – Penn State 20, Arizona State 15 (National Duals – Nebraska)
Jan. 16, 1999 – Arizona State 23, Penn State 13 (National Duals – Iowa)
Jan. 21, 2001 – Penn State 19, Arizona State 16 (National Duals – State College, Pa.)
Dec. 14, 2018 – Penn State 41, Arizona State 3 (State College, Pa.)
4. The top-ranked Nittany Lions enter Friday's contest with a 60 match win-streak – 9 shy of tying the modern era record of 69 consecutive matches set by Iowa. The Oklahoma State Cowboys own the all-time record with 76. Their last loss came at Oklahoma State back on Feb. 15, 2015. Penn State has transformed into one of the most dominant programs in college wrestling history over the past nine years, winning eight of the last nine National Championships. During that span, the Nittany Lions have totaled 55 All-American award winners.
5. Friday night's match will include five top-10 and top-25 matchups, with top-5 headliners at 165, 184 and 285. Below are projected matches for Friday:
133: #11 Josh Kramer (ASU) vs. #3 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU)
165: #5 Josh Shields (ASU) vs. #1 Vincenzo Joseph (PSU)
174: #8 Anthony Valencia (ASU) vs. #1 Mark Hall (PSU)
184: #1 Zahid Valencia (ASU) vs. #2 Shakur Rasheed (PSU)
HWT: #5 Tanner Hall (ASU) vs. #1 Anthony Cassar (PSU)
Penn State will also have projected top-10 starters in #3 Nick Lee, #5 Brady Verge and #7 Kyle Conel while the Sun Devils will have a top-25 starter in #21 Josh Maruca at 149 lbs.
Flowrestling/Intermat rankings are represented.
TICKET INFORMATION
A big crowd is expected to be in attendance on Friday night, with the potential of breaking the all-time attendance record of 5,497 set on Jan. 18, 1990 against Oklahoma State. Make sure to get your match tickets today by clicking this link.
UP NEXT
ASU will take a week off before traveling to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Invitational, Dec. 6-7 for a two day open tournament.
THE BIG THREE
The 2019-20 season will bring a familiar face back to the lineup for the Sun Devils, as heavyweight Tanner Hall returns to the squad after redshirting in the 2018-19 season. Hall rejoins fellow teammates Zahid Valencia and Josh Shields in their final year together. The three All-Americans have been exceptional in their career at ASU and have proved to be important cogs when all three are featured in the starting lineup. The team has gone on to go 22-5 in the 27 duals where Hall, Shields and Z. Valencia wrestled in the lineup. Individually, Valencia was a perfect 27-0, while Shields won 25 of his 27 matches and Hall only had four losses in 27 bouts. The trio has combined for 307 victories while surrendering just 48 losses in their three seasons at ASU.
HOME SCHEDULE FEATURES #1 PENN STATE
ASU will get set for a highly anticipated matchup against nine-time National Champion and preseason No. 1 Penn State on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. The historic bout against the Nittany Lions will take place on the Pac-12 Network. The dual will be the last part of home-and-home series between the two programs, as the Sun Devils visited State College, Pennsylvania, last season. ASU holds 3-4-1 record against the Nittany Lions and welcomes the defending champs to Tempe for the first time in the series.
ASU WRESTLING GARNERS #2 RECRUITING CLASS
After landing the No.1 pound-for-pound recruit in heavyweight Cohlton Schultz, Arizona State moved up to the second-best recruiting class in the nation behind No. 1 Ohio State, according to intermatwrestlecom. The 2019 class also featured three-time Pennsylvania state champion Julian Chlebove, Orange Country wrestler of the year Trey Munoz and New Jersey state champion Nick Raimo.
TOWNSEND SAUNDERS INDUCTED INTO NWHOF
Former Sun Devil wrestler Townsend Saunders was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and incoming freshman Cohlton Schultz received the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award at the NWHOF's 43rd annual Honors Weekend in Stillwater.
Saunders was a two-time Pac-10 Champion and two-time NCAA Division I All-American during his time as a Sun Devil, finishing second in the nation at 142 lbs. in 1989 and third at the 150 lbs. weight class in 1990. He holds a career mark of 77-9 while competing for ASU, a .895 win percentage that places him at fourth all-time in the program. He is also tied for fourth in dual victories in a season with 20 wins in 1989-90 and is tied for seventh on the Sun Devils' single-season overall victories list with 40 wins in 1988-89.
Saunders was an assistant coach at Arizona State from 2001-03 while also serving as executive director and coach for the Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club. He coached the United States women's team to seven medals in seven weights, winning a gold medal, four silver medals and two bronze medals, at the World Championships in 2003. Saunders was named USA Wrestling's Coach of the Year in 2004 after being coach of the United States women's wrestling team the first time that women's wrestling competed in the Olympics in 2004. He was inducted into the Arizona State University Hall of Fame in 2011 and the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013.
ASU WRESTLING ON NATIONAL BROADCASTS
The No. 4 Sun Devil Wrestling team will make multiple appearances on national TV during the 2019-20 campaign, including a top-five matchup against reigning national champion Penn State in Desert Financial Arena (Nov. 22 at 7 pm MST) and a senior night dual against Pac-12 foe Stanford (Jan. 31 at 6 pm MST). A bout hosted by national runner up from a year ago, Ohio State will also be broadcast live on FS1, Jan. 6 at 5 p.m. MST.
Sun Devil Wrestling's final national broadcast exposure will conclude at the Pac-12 Championships on March 7 in Palo Alto, California. Earlier rounds will be live
streamed, while the final round will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network.
THREE SUN DEVILS CROWNED CHAMPIONS AT JOURNEYMEN
On Nov. 10, the Sun Devils opened up the new season with a trip to Troy, New York, 10 of 13 student athletes placed while three were crowned tournament champions at their respective weight class - No. 24 Brandon Courtney (125), No. 10 Anthony Valencia (174) and No 1 Zahid Valencia (184). Josh Kramer (133) was also a bright spot for the Sun Devils, finishing with a runner-up finish. Kramer ran through arguably the toughest stretch to get to the championship, defeating #12 Anthony Madrigal (Oklahoma), #15 Nick Farro (Lehigh) and #10 DJ Fehlman (Lock Haven).
THE STAFF
Joining head coach Zeke Jones on the 2018-19 coaching staff are eighth-year assistant coach Lee Pritts, sixth-year assistant coach Chris Pendleton, and second-year volunteer assistant Jamill Kelly.
Pritts, considered one of the top recruiters in the country, previously worked at North Carolina State, Old Dominion, and Missouri. He was an All-American at Eastern Michigan and qualified for the 2000 Olympic trials. This summer, he was a coach for USA Wrestling at the Cadet Freestyle World Championships.
Pendleton previously served as an assistant coach at Wyoming for four seasons, and specialized in training the team's upper weight classes. Pendleton was a two-time NCAA Champion and three-time All-American at Oklahoma State. In summer 2017, he served as an assistant coach for the USA Wrestling Junior World Freestyle Team in Finland where Zahid Valencia won a silver medal.
Kelly, a 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist in Athens, Greece, is a two-time World Team member, and four-time US National Team member. A US Open Champion, he is also a two-time Pan Am Games silver medalist, competing for Oklahoma State from 1997-2000.
JOIN THE INNER CIRCLE
Sun Devil Wrestling is just one part of a very successful wrestling community in the Valley of the Sun and is happy to open its doors for the Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions. During a Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Reception say hello to former NCAA National Champions and Olympic Medalists, have a conversation with wrestling coaches on the national stage, interact with former Sun Devil wrestlers along with friends and families of the program, and listen to a pre-match analysis from a current Sun Devil Wrestling coach.
While in the Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Reception, enjoy beverages while having a light snack prior to heading to your seats to watch the Sun Devils in action. The Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions are located in Room 116 inside Wells Fargo Arena. Doors open one hour prior to each Sun Devil Wrestling home contest.
Admission for two (2) is provide to Sun Devil Wrestling Inner Circle Receptions for wrestling supporters who donate $200 or more to Sun Devil Wrestling. Your donation will be used to continue the tradition of Sun Devil Wrestling and build a successful future.
Join here: https://www.sundevilclub.com/wrestling-inner-circle.