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The top 10 ASU athletes you need to know

Here's a look at the Sun Devils who will make an impact this season

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"Who are the top 10 players at ASU to pay attention to?" Illustration published on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. 


Football

John Humphrey

This receiver from Oklahoma has already made his mark on the Sun Devils this season, but to understand the impact he’s going to have moving forward, one should account for his speed. At the University of Oklahoma, Humphrey was recorded at a 4.34 40 time, only .03 seconds away from the fastest 40 time in the 2016 NFL Combine, done only by Georgia running back Keith Marshall. Humphrey’s explosiveness makes him a game changer for the Sun Devils. This was seen in the season opener against New Mexico State, where he notched in 123 yards on seven catches. The redshirt sophomore’s speed and ability makes him a difficult match for any defense the Sun Devils will face this year.

Hockey

Gvido Jansons

Freshman defenseman Gvido Jansons comes to the Sun Devils after competing in the 2016 World Junior Championships for Team Latvia. He is one of two Latvian-born players on the ASU squad and competed in a total 101 games in the North American Hockey League. In those 101 games, Jansons scored a whopping 26 goals from 2015 to 2017. During that time period, he more than doubled his point production for the Aston Rebels of Philadelphia, going from 20 points in 2016 to 46 in 2017. Jansons was able to finish third among defensemen in the NAHL in 2017 and will present not only a physical threat for opposing teams, but also his production on the offensive end will be just as dominant. 

Volleyball 

Griere Hughes

Freshman outside hitter Griere Hughes has already made a contribution to volleyball’s young roster. Hughes arrived at ASU from Fishers, Indiana where she recorded a total 830 kills from sophomore to senior year at Cardinal Ritter High School. She helped lead her team to a state ranking of No. 6 her junior year and in the year prior, logged a .256 hitting percentage. Hughes made her collegiate debut in the Sun Devil Classic this fall where she recorded 12 kills along with two blocks, but that would not be her only contribution. Hughes recorded a season and career high kills against Portland State early in September and notched a .647 attack percentage in a win against Utah State. 

Soccer 

Angela Boyle

This powerful centerback comes with a wealth of knowledge to the Sun Devil soccer squad. Boyle, a transfer from the University of Oklahoma, spent the past two seasons showing remarkable growth. Boyle started in 18 games in her second year as a Sooner, and despite scoring only one goal over her career, showed incredible effort, with 23 shots during the 2016-17 season. Prior to the Sooners, Boyle competed at Boulder Creek High School in Arizona, where she earned a number of accolades including 2013 Player of the Year and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. As a junior defender for the Sun Devils, Boyle has contributed two goals, one against Florida Gulf Coast and the other against Weber State University.  

Golf

Raquel Olmos Ros

This freshman golfer hails from Murcia, Spain where she was a member of the Spanish National Team. Olmos Ros was named 2015-16 Player of the Year of Nationals School by the Royal Spanish Golf Federation and received a bronze medal at the European Girls’ Team Championship at the Spanish U18 National Championship. As a Sun Devil, she has only competed in the Mason Rudolph Women’s Championship thus far, where she averaged 72.33 strokes over the course of three rounds. 

Tennis 

Nicole Fossa Huergo

This Italian senior began her career at Armstrong State University in Georgia, where she compiled an overall record of 16-1 in singles and 25-2 in doubles during her freshman year. As a Pirate, she teamed up with Carolina Prats-Millan in doubles to defeat No. 4 Linda Fritschken and Emma Onila 8-4 in the NCAA Championship. In the following season, she would improve to an impressive 13-3 against top 50 opponents. Fossa Huergo went on to win a second-straight NCAA Division II National Championship, before moving out west to be a Sun Devil. In her first season at ASU, she finished with an 18-11 record in singles and 17-12 in doubles. With her success, Fossa Huergo was placed at 49 in the final ITA Doubles rankings.

Wrestling 

Jason Tsirtsis

After being dismissed from Northwestern University, Tsirtsis chose to transfer to ASU. The 2014 NCAA Champion competed for three years for the Wildcats. In his three seasons, he earned numerous accolades on top of his championship title. In 2014, Tsirtsis was elected Big Ten Champion, Midlands Champion, InterMat Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Following the 2015-16 season in which he finished with a 15-9 record, Tsirtsis transferred to ASU and was granted an additional year of eligibility. With a new team and a new season under his belt, the redshirt senior is likely to be a big component in the wrestling team's attempts to repeat last year's success.

Swim & Dive

Christian Lorenz

This senior swimmer is not a stranger to success. In his opening season as a Sun Devil, the swimmer placed eighth during the 2014 Men's Pac-12 Championship in the 100-yard breaststroke. Following this success, the following year, he swam in the 2016 US Olympic Trials and finished 22nd in the 200-meter breaststroke. Lorenz started off his sophomore season winning five of the first seven events in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke. After a successful junior season, Lorenz received honorable mention All-American honors in the 200-meter and 400-meter medley relay. His best event of the year was the 100-yard breaststroke in the 2017 Arizona LCM State Championship, where he placed first. Following a season in which he and his teammates were named the Most Improved Team in the nation, he is sure to make a splash in his final year.

Men’s Basketball

Romello White

Following the 2016 season, where the redshirt freshman forward was deemed ineligible due to NCAA academic requirements, White came into a team that went through enough trials due to injuries. White, who was a four-star and ESPN Top 100 prospect, is expected to make a huge impact come late October. White provides great instincts and length for the Sun Devils and head coach Bobby Hurley noted during Media Day that he believes White will shock a lot of people this year. 

Women’s Basketball

Sophia Elenga

With a young roster this season, junior transfer forward Sophia Elenga is set to make her mark as a Sun Devil. Elenga averaged 12.4 points and 8.3 rebounds for Cochise College and was able to help her team win the conference and district titles to qualify for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Nationals. Elenga provides a dominant force on the perimeter and inside the court for ASU, and her length allows her to defend well and spread the floor. Elenga was also ranked among the top 20 junior college players in Dan Olson’s Collegiate Girls’ Basketball Report. Joining a team made up of two freshman, five sophomores and four other juniors, Elenga is sure to make an impact.


Reach the reporter at klbroder@asu.edu or follow @KellyB1459 on Twitter.

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