For the third straight season under head coach Zeke Jones, the Sun Devils open the dual season with a win.
"Overall it was good to get our hand raised as a team," said Jones. "We got hit in the mouth, so to speak, in the first half of the dual and the upper weights had to rally back. A lot of our wrestlers put the Sun Devil singlet on for the first time in the lineup, so it was mixed on how they responded."
The Bears won three of the first four matches (125, 141, 149) but Ali Naser captured ASU's first points of the match, defeating Rico Montoya by a 5-3 decision at 133 lbs.
Josh Shields started the Sun Devil comeback at 157 lbs. win a takedown in each of the first and second periods, followed by one escape in the first and two more in the second. Shields finished the third period with three escapes and two takedowns, leading to a 10-5 decision. Petersen followed suit with a 5-3 decision at 174 lbs.
In the Valencia brothers' much-anticipated first time in ASU singlets, Anthony Valencia pinned UNC's Keilan Torres (4:33) at 165 lbs. before Zahid Valencia defeated Dylan Gabel by tech fall, 20-3.
The match tied, 15-all heading into the 184 lbs. match, Zahid's victory would make the difference, giving ASU the lead for good.
Northern Colorado's Jacob Seeley picked up the Bears' final points on a 9-1 major decision before Tanner Hall sealed the ASU victory at heavyweight, winning a 15-4 major decision.
"We had to make a last minute change and bump the upper weights up to give us a chance to win and despite that, we rallied. I think overall, it was a good effort. For the first dual of the year, we'll take it."
ASU closes their opening weekend at South Dakota State's Daktronics Open on Sunday, Nov. 6 in Brookings, SD.
Results:
125 – Trey Andrews (UNC) def. Josh Kramer (ASU), 17-5
133 – Ali Naser (ASU) def. Rico Montoya (UNC), 5-3
141 – Timmy Box (UNC) def. Tyler Sage (ASU), 15-0
149 – Ben Polkowske (UNC) def. Robbie Mathers (ASU), pin fall (1:53)
157 – Josh Shields (ASU) def. Jimmy Fate (UNC), 10-5
165 – Anthony Valencia (ASU) def. Keilan Torres (UNC), pin fall (4:55)
174 – Jacen Petersen (ASU) def. Tanner Davis (UNC), 5-3
184 – Zahid Valencia (ASU) def. Dylan Gabel (UNC), 20-3
197 – Jacob Seely (UNC) def. Conner Small (ASU), 9-1
HWT – Tanner Hall (ASU) def. Jack Kuck (UNC), 15-4
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