ASU wrestling places three on Academic All-Pac-10 Lists

April 07, 2009

<span style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px" class="Apple-style-span">Three members of the Arizona State University wrestling program have garnered academic honors from the Pac-10 Conference, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced Tuesday, with the Sun Devils placing one wrestler on each of the three teams. Leading the way for ASU was redshirt sophomore <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/etukeren_imanibom00.ht…; style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: #444444; text-decoration: underline">Imanibom Etukeren</a>, who was selected to the Academic All-Pac-10 First Team.<separator></separator>Etukeren (heavyweight), who sports a 3.74 grade-point average in biochemistry, held the third-highest GPA of all wrestlers selected for the award. His selection to the first team, which also is his first career academic honor, marked the fourth year in a row the Sun Devils have had at least one first team selection after <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/trulson_jason00.html&q…; style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: #444444; text-decoration: underline">Jason Trulson</a> was honored each of the last three years (2006, 2007, 2008). In all, Etukeren is the 15th different Sun Devil to earn first team honors.<separator></separator>After earning his first career All-America honors by placing sixth at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/drouin_chris00.html&qu…; style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: #444444; text-decoration: underline">Chris Drouin</a> (141 pounds) was selected to the Academic All-Pac-10 Second Team for the second time in his career and also made him the 12th different Sun Devil to garner multiple academic honors from the Pac-10. Drouin was one of the top wrestlers in the nation all year as the sophomore finished the season with a 29-9 overall record. The Pac-10 runner-up for the second year in a row, Drouin won his first three matches at the NCAA Championships to not only advance to the national semifinal, but also become the 64th Sun Devil to attain All-America honors.<separator></separator>The final Sun Devil honored for his academic success was redshirt freshman <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/varela_vicente00.html&…; style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: #444444; text-decoration: underline">Vicente Varela</a>(149). Varela, one of four selected for Academic All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention status, earned the starting role for the Sun Devils this season and posted a 10-13 overall record while placing seventh in his first Pac-10 Championships.<separator></separator>