"Zahid Valencia has been suspended indefinitely from the ASU men's wrestling team," according to the statement released by the athletic department.
There are no other details available at the time, but if true that he failed a drug test, Valencia would be done with this NCAA career and likely be ineligible to compete at the international level.
The news comes on the heels of United World Wrestling announcing the reallocation of three Olympic licenses from anti-doping violations at the 2019 Wrestling World Championships in Nur-Sultan. And while I'm personally hopeful that this is the last of the news, I'm certain that with so many big tournaments on the horizon this won't be the last batch of cases to hit the news.
Anti-doping is a vital part of ensuring a fair and competitive sports landscape. Rolling with jiu-jitsu against athletes on steroids is frustrating even for someone who does jiu-jitsu recreationally, I can only imagine the anger I'd feel if I were an Olympic wrestler and I knew my competitor was doped to the gills. But with money and the draw of an Olympic medal I suspect we will see more cases, not fewer.
Sad day.
To your questions …
Princeton after clinching the Ivy League title (Photo/Beverly Schaefer)Q: Princeton is ranked fourth in the tournament rankings and got a boost when Matthew Kolodzik returned. Do you think Princeton will win a team trophy in Minneapolis?
-- Mike C.
Foley: I don't want to become locker room fodder for a bunch of really smart kids who can also double leg me through the earth, but I am highly suspicious of their ability to turn in a flawless performance at the NCAA tournament.
But why must I start negative?! Look at that question … PRINCETON being discussed as potentially winning a team trophy at the NCAA Division I Championships in 2020? That's an unbelievable achievement in itself. Coach Ayers deserves a ton of credit for attracting alumni support, top recruits, and effective assistant coaches. He's also developed the talent pool with maximum efficacy and even picked an online fight with Coach Koll at Cornell.
Things are coming up Tigers every day, so ya' know what? Sure. Princeton will win a team trophy this year in Minneapolis.
Q: Where is the best place to bet on the NCAAs?
-- Ian F.
Foley: For many years, Sportsbook.com posted betting odds on the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The odds were pretty easy to exploit in the early days of NCAA wrestling betting. When J Jaggers won his first NCAA title in 2008, he had odds of 22-1 before the tournament. As the years went on, the betting odds became tighter and harder to exploit. However, last year, Sportsbook.com did not post odds for the first time in a long time. BetDSI entered the wrestling betting market in the spring of 2018, first posting odds on the U.S. Open and then Final X. Last season, BetDSI posted odds on dual meets and NCAAs. However, after last year's NCAAs, BetDSI stopped posting wrestling odds. There have no odds for dual meets this season, and I would be surprised if BetDSI posts lines for the NCAAs. Unless something has changed, this could be the first year in a long time that no offshore sportsbook offers betting on the NCAAs.
If anyone has any additional info on sites offering betting odds for this year's NCAAs, please share in the comments section.
Q: What did you think of Tom Brands' comments on Austin DeSanto?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Tom Brands gets it. He knows that there can't be exceptions for poor behavior, no matter the wrestler or the time of year. Brands also recognizes that as of now the incidents haven't cost Iowa anything major, but that will soon change.
"These guys know what is expected," he says early in the response. To me that signals that whatever he is sharing with the press the team is well aware of the same. Also, he's showing that there are clearly defined expectations and consequences for actions that are unbecoming a Hawkeye and/or those that cost the team points, or a chance at the NCAA title.
And still he has DeSanto's back. His admiration for him and his support is plain to anyone, even repeating the line from Terry that DeSanto "[is] not a circus act," which I think is important to remember both as a former wrestler and member of the media. DeSanto is stressed and he doesn't handle stress especially well. Mocking him or putting him on an island won't solve anyone's problems and will only exacerbate any underlying issues.
But I also like Coach Brands' last thoughts, where he explicitly reminds DeSanto publicly that "[the coaches] look bad because we can't get you under control." Which is just enough guilt to hopefully motivate DeSanto and remind the other guys on the team that its about buttoning up during the last month of the season. Don't make an unforced error, and when trouble is thrust on you, simply walk away.
Overall, the video reminded me how much I like Tom Brands.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Tom Brands on Austin DeSanto
Jacarra Winchester makes the cut to 53 kilograms and gives insight on the cut.
Link: China to compete at relocated Asian Olympic Qualifier
Q: How does Jacarra Winchester stack up against the world at 53 kilograms? Do you view her as a strong medal threat in Tokyo?
-- Mike C.
Foley: First of all, Jacarra needs to qualify the weight in Ottawa. If she does that then this discussion becomes more real and that Instagram post is going to start getting way more views from fans and media alike (Go get 'em, Jacarra).
Assuming she qualifies the weight and secures the spot, I'd expect her to fall behind Yong mi Pak (North Korea), Mayu Mukaida (Japan), and Vinesh (India). Those are very strong opponents who could almost finish with three of the four medals 95% of the time you run this tournament.
Quianyu Pang (China) is good, but I think Jacarra has way too much for her and can avoid big throws. The rest of the filed, truthfully, just isn't at her level. The Cuban and the Ecuadorian are very athletic and can cause Jacarra problems if she's not in good shape, but again her wrestling is much better than theirs as is her competitive on-the-mat strategies.
Let's see how Jacarra performs in Ottawa, but I like her chances to qualify the weight and medal in Tokyo.
Q: Nick Piccininni pinned Spencer Lee in the dual meet last year. Lee came back to beat him 11-4 at NCAAs. How do you see their match playing out Sunday night in Iowa City?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Spencer Lee by major decision. Think he's shown a separation in recent months and won't fall victim to the mental lapses like he did in last year's dual meet. Also, can I wish him to stay perfectly healthy? I like the idea of him wrestling for Team USA in Tokyo.
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