The No. 16 ASU wrestling team opened its season with a pair of victories on Saturday, defeating Grand Canyon 29-8 before traveling to Prescott to knock off Embry-Riddle 41-6.
“It’s the first big match of the season, it’s the first time making weight, and it’s the first time guys get to go out under the lights and wrestle,” ASU coach Shawn Charles said after the first meet of the day. “I think they wrestled hard.”
ASU came into both matches as the heavy favorite. In front of over 1,000 fans at Antelope Gymnasium in Phoenix on Saturday afternoon, redshirt senior Anthony Robles got the Sun Devils going right off the bat with his pin at 1:49 in the first round.
“There’s still room for improvement,” Robles said. “It’s a good opener for us; it’s a win, so we have a lot to build off of. We’ll correct some stuff.”
ASU took a 6-0 lead from the get-go and never relinquished it. After a loss in the 133-pound weight class, the Sun Devils won the next four matches and grabbed the momentum for good. Redshirt freshman Kalin Goodsite (141), junior Luke Ashmore (149), redshirt senior Bubba Jenkins (in his ASU debut and ranked No. 3 at 157), junior Te Edwards (ranked No. 15 at 165), junior Jake Meredith (184), redshirt freshman Luke Macchiaroli (197), and redshirt sophomore Levi Cooper (285) were also winners against the Antelopes.
“I felt good,” said Meredith, who had a convincing 9-1 major victory over GCU All-American Ryan Becerra. “I think our team looked a little tired. I mean, it’s the first match of the year, so I guess it’s good to get it out of the way.”
Meredith also felt ASU could have been more aggressive.
“I think we need to push the pace a little more,” Meredith said.
The Sun Devils did just that in Prescott later that night, as ASU easily won its second road dual of the day, 41-6, against No. 10 (NAIA) Embry-Riddle. ASU earned five wins totaling six team points each as well as two other bonus point victories.
“Conditioning is an important part of winning and losing, so I have to make sure our guys understand that,” Charles said of the impact of wrestling two duals in one day. “[That way], they push themselves harder in the wrestling room so they can push themselves harder during the match.
Despite upsets by the Eagles at the 149 and 157 weight classes, ASU rolled through the rest of the night’s matches with ease. Robles at 125, redshirt junior David Prado at 133, Goodsite, Edwards at 165, junior Eric Starks at 174, Meredith, Macchiaroli, and Cooper were all winners for the Sun Devils.
Although ASU is satisfied with two season-opening victories, Robles, who had two pins, each coming in under 1:50 on the day, continued to stress that “all that matters is nationals.”
ASU’s next competition is Thursday inside Wells Fargo Arena against No. 8 Oklahoma.
Reach the reporter at kyle.j.newman@asu.edu
