The No. 22 ASU wrestling team will head to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 3 and 4, where the Sun Devils will face off against top competition from around the nation.
The tournament, which will showcase a dozen teams currently ranked in the nation’s Top 25, will have wrestlers compete in an individually bracketed format.
“It’s an individual tournament, so we've got to step up individually in every weight [class],” redshirt senior Anthony Robles, who is ranked No. 3 in the nation at 125 pounds, said. “I’m feeling pretty good about our chances out there.”
Robles was a runner up at the Vegas Invitational last season. The last Sun Devil to claim an individual crown came in 2006 when current ASU assistant coach Brian Stith captured the title at 157 pounds.
This will be ASU’s 26th showing at the tournament.
“My expectation is for us to have a better showing than the last time we wrestled,” ASU coach Shawn Charles said. “[I want to] see improvement from each and every one of my guys, as far as their overall approach to wrestling and just buying into our system and our process. [We need to] let the winning and losing take care of itself.”
The Sun Devils (3-1, 1-0 Pac-10) feel like they are finally getting their sea legs under them, as they have been putting in the necessary work at practice in preparation for the tough competition in Vegas.
“We’ve been doing a lot of live wrestling,” Robles said. “It gets pretty intense; it’s just 30, 40 minute goes of live wrestling. It’s pretty tough, and it beats you up, but it’s what we need. It’s good for our conditioning and it’s good prep.”
ASU has also upped its attention to technique in practice, and hopes that the extra efforts enable the Sun Devils to carry the current momentum into Nevada this weekend.
“I think we’re all very anxious and very excited to get started,” junior Eric Starks said. “We wrestled well at the Fullerton tournament, so I feel like the Vegas tournament is just [another opportunity] to keep it rolling.”
Starks (174) is coming off his first title at the Fullerton Open on Nov. 20.
ASU will face off against the likes of top-ranked Cornell, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 6 Boise State, No. 8 Oklahoma, No. 9 Illinois and No. 10 Virginia Tech.
Despite the number of high-ranking foes at the event, the Sun Devils remain focused on what they need to do to win.
“I know there’s going to be some tough guys, especially in my weight class,” Robles said. “But like I said, I’m trying to go for a national championship, so it really doesn’t matter who’s going to be there and who’s not. They’re all going to stand in my way at the national tournament.”
Starks echoed this same sentiment of confidence, regardless of who he has to face out on the mat.
“As long as I wrestle well, I feel like I can win in Vegas,” Starks said.
ASU will be one of six Pac-10 teams competing in the tournament.
“It’s good for us,” Charles said. “It’s one of those tournaments where if guys are placing in that, [then they] definitely are capable of placing in the NCAA tournament.”
Following the Las Vegas Invitational, ASU will take a few weeks off for finals before returning to Nevada for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 19th.
Reach the reporter at kyle.j.newman@asu.edu
