TEMPE, Ariz. -- After notching the program's first shutout since 2012 and finishing Pac-12 competition undefeated (5-0), the No. 4 Sun Devil wrestling team will finish out its regular season on the east coast when the team faces Lehigh on Friday (5 p.m. MST) and North Carolina on Sunday (Noon MST).
Friday night's matchup in Bethlehem can be streamed live on the Patriot League Network while fans can watch Sunday's match on ACC Network Extra.
ASU will look to continue what has been one of the most successful seasons under sixth-year head coach Zeke Jones in the final weekend of regular-season action. Last time out, the Devils increased their win total to 14 on the season while the team ended the west coast road trip 2-0 with conference victories over Cal Poly (43-0) and Cal State Bakersfield (31-10). ASU swept the Mustangs for the first time in series history with six bonus-point wins on the night. Austin Clayton (184) and Kordell Norfleet (197) led the way with Clayton earning his first career pin and Norfleet notching his third top-15 ranked win of the season over Cal Poly's Tom Lane. On Sunday, ASU put up another dominant showing over the Roadrunners to secure an undefeated record (5-0) in Pac-12 competition for the first time since 2017-18.
"In the three keys to our Cal Poly match, one of them was to wrestle a complete dual and I think we finally did that - up and down the lineup," head coach Zeke Jones said. "We go where 133, 141 and 149 go and they stepped up. I was really happy about that. We are making real gains as we get down to the last 30 days of the season."
In the final week of the regular season, the Devils have numerous wrestlers not only in the top-25 but also within the top-10 in the Trackwrestling rankings – Brandon Courtney (No. 8), Jacori Teemer (No. 12), Josh Shields (No.6), Anthony Valencia (No. 9), Zahid Valencia (No. 1), Norfleet (No. 11) and Tanner Hall (No. 4).
One of the bigger performances from last weekend came from A. Valencia as he fired off the two fastest pins from an ASU wrestler this season in 31 and 41 seconds. He rides a hot streak into Friday's match, winning his last nine bouts with eight of the nine coming by way of bonus points. In that time, he is outscoring his opponents 70-21 (+49) while averaging 14 points per match in the five non-pin bouts. A big test against Lehigh's Jordan Kutler is on the horizon as the match will be a top-10 matchup at 174.
"He (Anthony Valencia) is doing what we thought he would do according to plan," said Jones. "He came back from the Olympic Trials and needed to put some size back on. Now, he is stronger. His endurance is excellent and he is creating a lot of power. I also think his technique is getting better too. He is wrestling a complete match in all three positions. He is getting out of the gate fast and he is going for the pin fast, but when the match goes longer he is in great shape and no one can hold him down. That is what wins."
Lehigh, led by 12th-year head coach Pat Santoro, find themselves 10-3 coming into the last week of dual-action, with ranked wins over No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 15 Minnesota, No. 19 Missouri and No. 19 Cornell. Ranked No. 11 by the NWCA Coches Poll, the Mountain Hawks include six wrestlers in Trackwrestling's rankings - Brandon Paetzell (No. 5), Josh Humphreys (No. 9), Jordan Kutler (No. 3), Chris Weiler (No. 17), Jake Jakobsen (No. 24), Jordan Wood (No. 8).
"They are a tremendous team in college wrestling with a great amount of history and tradition that comes out of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh program," said Jones. "It is exciting to see progress we have made last year to this year. They are solid team up and down the lineup. Grace Hall is a tremendous atmosphere to wrestle in. It will be fun for our two teams to meet and compete against each other."
Overall, the Sun Devils are 2-6 against the defending EIWA Champion, dating back to the first-ever matchup against the two programs in 1998. On Friday, ASU will have the chance to earn its first win over Lehigh since 2002 and notch its first win at Leeman-Turner Arena.
The No. 8 Tar Heels carry a 13-2 record into the final weekend of the regular season under fifth-year head coach Coleman Scott, with quality wins over Princeton (25-11), Virginia Tech (23-10), Pittsburgh (22-14) and Cornell (21-13). Austin O'Connor is rated No. 5 at 149, the highest ranked UNC wrestler. Zachary Sherman (No. 16), Austin Headlee (No. 24) and Kennedy Monday (No. 14) also find themselves in the top-25 of most national ranking systems.
"They are a team that has made a tremendous amount of improvement in a short amount of time, similar to the timeline we have been on," said Jones. "They have recruited well and they have had a great season so far. This is a good test for us this weekend in North Carolina, as they present some great matchups. They are solid from 141 to 165. It will be good for us to see how we match up with them in those weight categories. It is going to be fun to wrestle there."
The Sun Devils are 5-1-1 all-time against the Tar Heels, taking two straight matchups over UNC in Chapel Hill. Sunday's match will be a chance for ASU to avenge last season's loss, where UNC earned a 20-15 win in Tempe.
Remember to follow everything Sun Devil wrestling on social media at @ASUWrestling on Twitter and @sundevilwrestling1962 on Instagram.
Following the east coast road trip, the team will take a week off before heading to Palo Alto, California to compete in the Pac-12 Championships on Saturday, March 7. Earlier rounds will be live-streamed, while the final round will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network. For ticket information, visit https://gostanford.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?prc=P12W&caller=PR&linkID=stanford&RDAT=&RSRC
Arizona State Probable Lineup
125 – #8 Brandon Courtney (22-4)
133 – Josh Kramer (9-11)
141 – Navonte Demison (3-12) or Cory Crooks (3-5)
149 – Josh Maruca (8-10) or Dillon Ulrey (4-3)
157 – #12 Jacori Teemer (13-5)
165 – #6 Josh Shields (19-4)
174 – #9 Anthony Valencia (19-5)
184 – Cade Belshay (3-5) or Austin Clayton (5-2)
197 – #9 Kordell Norfleet (10-3)
285 – #4 Tanner Hall (19-3)
Lehigh Probable Lineup
125 No. 5 Brandon Paetzell (14-2)
133 No. 20 Nick Farro (8-7) or Jaret Lane (15-6)
141 No. 33 Ryan Pomrinca (7-6) or Dan Moran (12-3)
149 No. 24 Jimmy Hoffman (14-3)
157 No. 8 Josh Humphreys (14-4)
165 Brian Meyer (8-14)
174 No. 3 Jordan Kutler (15-1)
184 No. 16 Chris Weiler (12-6)
197 No. 23 Jake Jakobsen (12-6)
285 No. 8 Jordan Wood (12-4)
North Carolina Probable Lineup
125: Joey Melendez
133: Jaime Hernandez
141: Zach Sherman
149: Austin O'Connor
157: A.C. Headlee or Josh McClure
165: Kennedy Monday or Sawyer Davidson
174: Clay Lautt
184: Joey Mazzara
197: Brandon Whitman
285: Andrew Gunning or Keaton Kluever
PERFECT IN THE PAC
ASU recorded victories in eight of 10 matches, including four bonus-point wins to end Pac-12 competition 5-0 and extend the team's match win-streak to nine. Anthony Valencia also pushed his match win-streak to nine while earning one of the fasted pins by a Sun Devil wrestler this season over Albert Urias in 41 seconds. The perfect record in conference action is the first time since 2017-18.
SUN DEVILS EARN FIRST SHUTOUT SINCE 2012
ASU swept the Mustangs for the first time in series history while securing the program's first shutout since 2012. Six bonus-point wins highlighted the effort while redshirt sophomore Austin Clayton notched his first career pin and first dual victory as a SunDevil. The best bout came at 197, as Kordell Norfleet powered his way past No. 12 ranked Tom Lane, 8-5 to earn Norfleet's third top-15 win of the season.
CENTURY MARK
Tanner Hall joined teammates Zahid Valencia and Josh Shields as the third member apart of the 2015 recruiting class to reach 100 wins in their Sun Devil careers. Hall joined the club in a victory over Jacob Bohlken as he helped surge the Sun Devils to their 12th win of the season versus No. 20 Missouri.
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.
Friday night's matchup in Bethlehem can be streamed live on the Patriot League Network while fans can watch Sunday's match on ACC Network Extra.
ASU will look to continue what has been one of the most successful seasons under sixth-year head coach Zeke Jones in the final weekend of regular-season action. Last time out, the Devils increased their win total to 14 on the season while the team ended the west coast road trip 2-0 with conference victories over Cal Poly (43-0) and Cal State Bakersfield (31-10). ASU swept the Mustangs for the first time in series history with six bonus-point wins on the night. Austin Clayton (184) and Kordell Norfleet (197) led the way with Clayton earning his first career pin and Norfleet notching his third top-15 ranked win of the season over Cal Poly's Tom Lane. On Sunday, ASU put up another dominant showing over the Roadrunners to secure an undefeated record (5-0) in Pac-12 competition for the first time since 2017-18.
"In the three keys to our Cal Poly match, one of them was to wrestle a complete dual and I think we finally did that - up and down the lineup," head coach Zeke Jones said. "We go where 133, 141 and 149 go and they stepped up. I was really happy about that. We are making real gains as we get down to the last 30 days of the season."
In the final week of the regular season, the Devils have numerous wrestlers not only in the top-25 but also within the top-10 in the Trackwrestling rankings – Brandon Courtney (No. 8), Jacori Teemer (No. 12), Josh Shields (No.6), Anthony Valencia (No. 9), Zahid Valencia (No. 1), Norfleet (No. 11) and Tanner Hall (No. 4).
One of the bigger performances from last weekend came from A. Valencia as he fired off the two fastest pins from an ASU wrestler this season in 31 and 41 seconds. He rides a hot streak into Friday's match, winning his last nine bouts with eight of the nine coming by way of bonus points. In that time, he is outscoring his opponents 70-21 (+49) while averaging 14 points per match in the five non-pin bouts. A big test against Lehigh's Jordan Kutler is on the horizon as the match will be a top-10 matchup at 174.
"He (Anthony Valencia) is doing what we thought he would do according to plan," said Jones. "He came back from the Olympic Trials and needed to put some size back on. Now, he is stronger. His endurance is excellent and he is creating a lot of power. I also think his technique is getting better too. He is wrestling a complete match in all three positions. He is getting out of the gate fast and he is going for the pin fast, but when the match goes longer he is in great shape and no one can hold him down. That is what wins."
Lehigh, led by 12th-year head coach Pat Santoro, find themselves 10-3 coming into the last week of dual-action, with ranked wins over No. 4 Oklahoma State, No. 15 Minnesota, No. 19 Missouri and No. 19 Cornell. Ranked No. 11 by the NWCA Coches Poll, the Mountain Hawks include six wrestlers in Trackwrestling's rankings - Brandon Paetzell (No. 5), Josh Humphreys (No. 9), Jordan Kutler (No. 3), Chris Weiler (No. 17), Jake Jakobsen (No. 24), Jordan Wood (No. 8).
"They are a tremendous team in college wrestling with a great amount of history and tradition that comes out of the Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh program," said Jones. "It is exciting to see progress we have made last year to this year. They are solid team up and down the lineup. Grace Hall is a tremendous atmosphere to wrestle in. It will be fun for our two teams to meet and compete against each other."
Overall, the Sun Devils are 2-6 against the defending EIWA Champion, dating back to the first-ever matchup against the two programs in 1998. On Friday, ASU will have the chance to earn its first win over Lehigh since 2002 and notch its first win at Leeman-Turner Arena.
The No. 8 Tar Heels carry a 13-2 record into the final weekend of the regular season under fifth-year head coach Coleman Scott, with quality wins over Princeton (25-11), Virginia Tech (23-10), Pittsburgh (22-14) and Cornell (21-13). Austin O'Connor is rated No. 5 at 149, the highest ranked UNC wrestler. Zachary Sherman (No. 16), Austin Headlee (No. 24) and Kennedy Monday (No. 14) also find themselves in the top-25 of most national ranking systems.
"They are a team that has made a tremendous amount of improvement in a short amount of time, similar to the timeline we have been on," said Jones. "They have recruited well and they have had a great season so far. This is a good test for us this weekend in North Carolina, as they present some great matchups. They are solid from 141 to 165. It will be good for us to see how we match up with them in those weight categories. It is going to be fun to wrestle there."
The Sun Devils are 5-1-1 all-time against the Tar Heels, taking two straight matchups over UNC in Chapel Hill. Sunday's match will be a chance for ASU to avenge last season's loss, where UNC earned a 20-15 win in Tempe.
Remember to follow everything Sun Devil wrestling on social media at @ASUWrestling on Twitter and @sundevilwrestling1962 on Instagram.
Following the east coast road trip, the team will take a week off before heading to Palo Alto, California to compete in the Pac-12 Championships on Saturday, March 7. Earlier rounds will be live-streamed, while the final round will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Network. For ticket information, visit https://gostanford.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?prc=P12W&caller=PR&linkID=stanford&RDAT=&RSRC
Arizona State Probable Lineup
125 – #8 Brandon Courtney (22-4)
133 – Josh Kramer (9-11)
141 – Navonte Demison (3-12) or Cory Crooks (3-5)
149 – Josh Maruca (8-10) or Dillon Ulrey (4-3)
157 – #12 Jacori Teemer (13-5)
165 – #6 Josh Shields (19-4)
174 – #9 Anthony Valencia (19-5)
184 – Cade Belshay (3-5) or Austin Clayton (5-2)
197 – #9 Kordell Norfleet (10-3)
285 – #4 Tanner Hall (19-3)
Lehigh Probable Lineup
125 No. 5 Brandon Paetzell (14-2)
133 No. 20 Nick Farro (8-7) or Jaret Lane (15-6)
141 No. 33 Ryan Pomrinca (7-6) or Dan Moran (12-3)
149 No. 24 Jimmy Hoffman (14-3)
157 No. 8 Josh Humphreys (14-4)
165 Brian Meyer (8-14)
174 No. 3 Jordan Kutler (15-1)
184 No. 16 Chris Weiler (12-6)
197 No. 23 Jake Jakobsen (12-6)
285 No. 8 Jordan Wood (12-4)
North Carolina Probable Lineup
125: Joey Melendez
133: Jaime Hernandez
141: Zach Sherman
149: Austin O'Connor
157: A.C. Headlee or Josh McClure
165: Kennedy Monday or Sawyer Davidson
174: Clay Lautt
184: Joey Mazzara
197: Brandon Whitman
285: Andrew Gunning or Keaton Kluever
PERFECT IN THE PAC
ASU recorded victories in eight of 10 matches, including four bonus-point wins to end Pac-12 competition 5-0 and extend the team's match win-streak to nine. Anthony Valencia also pushed his match win-streak to nine while earning one of the fasted pins by a Sun Devil wrestler this season over Albert Urias in 41 seconds. The perfect record in conference action is the first time since 2017-18.
SUN DEVILS EARN FIRST SHUTOUT SINCE 2012
ASU swept the Mustangs for the first time in series history while securing the program's first shutout since 2012. Six bonus-point wins highlighted the effort while redshirt sophomore Austin Clayton notched his first career pin and first dual victory as a SunDevil. The best bout came at 197, as Kordell Norfleet powered his way past No. 12 ranked Tom Lane, 8-5 to earn Norfleet's third top-15 win of the season.
CENTURY MARK
Tanner Hall joined teammates Zahid Valencia and Josh Shields as the third member apart of the 2015 recruiting class to reach 100 wins in their Sun Devil careers. Hall joined the club in a victory over Jacob Bohlken as he helped surge the Sun Devils to their 12th win of the season versus No. 20 Missouri.
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.