June 26, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State's wrestling program was recently selected by Amateur Wrestling News for a continuing series that looks at the top competitors in a selected programs' history. The J. Carl Guymon article and selections was published in the June/July issue of AWN with several current Sun Devils and sets of brothers headlining a star-studded list.
Wrestlers starting with the 1974-75 season through the present were eligible for the honor as selected by the writer and those close to the sport of wrestling and the Sun Devil program. ASU is the first western school examined by the publication and joins the likes of national powers Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Lehigh as the recently examined programs.
The mat team includes three teams (first, second and third) with each team containing one member in each of the 10 weight classes. The first team selections included Zeke Jones (118/125 pounds), Shawn Charles (126/133), Steve St. John (134/141), Eric Larkin (142/149), Eddie Urbano (150/157), Markus Mollica (158/165), Dan St. John (167/174), Aaron Simpson (177/184), Mike Davies (190/197) and Dan Severn (heavyweight).
Selections with current ties to the programs included Larkin, Simpson, Townsend Saunders and Thom Ortiz while the Severn (Dan, Rod and Dave) and St. John (Dan and Steve) families also were honored.
Among the first-team selections are four of ASU's six national champions including Larkin, the most recent of the group and the program's first Dan Hodge Award honoree, given annually to the top collegiate wrestler. The other champions include two-time winners Dan St. John (1989 and 1990) and Mollica (1993 and 1995) while single champions Larkin and Urbano (1985) complete the list. The lone champion to not make the list was ASU's first national champion Curley Culp, who secured his title in 1967.
In all, five Olympians were selected in Silver Medalists Saunders and Zeke Jones as well as Billy Rosado, Gary Bohay and Marco Sanchez. The group of 30 Sun Devil wrestlers combined to secure 68 All-America honors with seven individual national championships and one team title.
Amateur Wrestling News
Modern-Era Mat Team
118/125
Zeke Jones ('90) - First Team
Billy Rosado ('77) - Second Team
Danny Felix ('95) - Third Team
126/133
Shawn Charles ('93) - First Team
Gary Bohay ('83) - Second Team
Chip Park ('88) - Third Team
134/141
Steve St. John ('96) - First Team
Marco Sanchez ('92) - Second Team
Joe Romero ('79) - Third Team
142/149
Eric Larkin ('03) - First Team
Townsend Saunders ('90) - Second Team
Thom Ortiz ('90) - Third Team
150/157
Eddie Urbano ('85) - First Team
Roye Oliver ('79) - Second Team
Jeff Theiler ('95) - Third Team
158/165
Markus Mollica ('96) - First Team
Ray Miller ('93) - Second Team
Steve Blackford ('01) - Third Team
167/174
Dan St. John ('89) - First Team
Casey Strand ('98) - Second Team
Jim Gressley ('89) - Third Team
177/184
Aaron Simpson ('98) - First Team
Don Shuler ('78) - Second Team
Dave Severn ('80) - Third Team
190/197
Mike Davies ('88) - First Team
John Ginther ('89) - Second Team
Danny Faqir ('97) - Third Team
Heavyweight
Dan Severn ('81) - First Team
Rod Severn ('88) - Second Team
Mike Anderson ('91) - Third Team