Matches set for wrestling's annual Maroon and Gold Dual

October 27, 2009

The matches have been set for the Arizona State University wrestling program's annual Maroon and Gold Dual, Head Coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/charles_shawn00.html">… Charles</a> announced today. The event, which serves as the program's wrestle-offs for the starting positions in the upcoming dual season, will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night inside the Riches Wrestling Complex on campus.<separator></separator>Head Assistant Coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/snyder_bryan00.html">B… Snyder</a> will coach the gold team while Assistant Coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/stith_brian00.html">Br… Stith</a> will guide the maroon team in the annual competition. In all, 10 matches have been set which include nine wrestle-offs for the starting position and one featured match as well. That featured match will see <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/meredith_jake00.html">… Meredith</a> take on volunteer coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/jordan_raymond00.html"… Jordan</a> at 184 pounds.<separator></separator> Here is a look at the matches: 125: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/robles_anthony00.html"… Robles</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/ashmore_ben00.html">Ben Ashmore</a> - perhaps the most anticipated match of the dual will be the first on the mat as two highly skilled competitors face off for the starting job at 125. Robles is coming off a 29-8 season last year that saw him win titles at the Reno Tournament of Champions and Pac-10 Championships before earning his first All-America honor by finishing fourth at the NCAA Championships. Although redshirting during the season, Ashmore still found his way into several competitions as an unattached competitor and met up with Robles in the consolation quarterfinals of the Midlands Championships where Ashmore took a 3-2 decision before placing fifth and Robles seventh.<separator></separator> 133: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/prado_david00.html">Da… Prado</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/hannaford_jake00.html"… Hannaford</a> - Prado ended the season as the starter at 133 for the Sun Devils and placed eighth at the Pac-10 Championships while Hannaford is making his return to the roster after not being part of the program for three seasons.<separator></separator> 141: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/drouin_chris00.html">C… Drouin</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/jimenez_orlando00.html… Jimenez</a> - Drouin will look to retain his starting position for the third year in a row after posting a 29-9 record in 2009 that culminated with his first All-America honor by placing sixth at the NCAA Championships. A pre-season pick for the national Top 4, Drouin also won the Reno tournament last year and was runner-up in both the Las Vegas Invitational and Pac-10 Championships. Jimenez is making the move up to 141 this season after posting a 2-6 overall record last year at 133.<separator></separator> 149: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/ruiz_tony00.html">Tony Ruiz</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/varela_vicente00.html"… Varela</a> - Varela will look to remain the starter once again as the sophomore is coming off a rookie season that saw him finish 10-13 overall and placing seventh at the Pac-10 Championships to finish among the Top 8 first the first time in a collegiate tournament. Ruiz did not compete during last season after transferring in from Cerrittos College.<separator></separator> 157: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/mariacher_lucas00.html… Mariacher</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/edwards_te00.html">Te Edwards</a> - After initially opening his freshman season as a redshirt last year, Edwards earned a place in the starting line up and went on to finish fifth in the Pac-10 Championships to post a 4-8 overall record in limited action. Mariacher did not compete during the 2009 season.<separator></separator> 165: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/musto_sal00.html">Sal Musto</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/deberry_kyle00.html">K… DeBerry</a> - DeBerry will look to retain the starting nod after recording a 14-14 overall record last year as a redshirt freshman and placing fifth at the Pac-10 Championships. Musto competed in one match last year (also as a redshirt freshman) and dropped a tough 9-7 decision in overtime.<separator></separator> 174: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/starks_eric00.html">Er… Starks</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/veramontes_emilio00.ht… Veramontes</a> - Starks emerged as a strong competitor last year in his true freshman season and posted a 15-11 overall record while earning the No. 2 seed at the Pac-10 Championships and taking second in a 5-2 decision to No. 12 Nate Lee of Boise State. Veramontes did not compete last year as he redshirted his first season with the program.<separator></separator> 184: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/meredith_jake00.html">… Meredith</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/jordan_raymond00.html"… Jordan</a> - The featured match will see Meredith taking on a tough competitor in Jordan, who was a two-time All-American at Missouri with one each at 174 pounds and 184 pounds. Meredith, in his true freshman season last year, posted an 11-12 overall record and was 5-4 in duals before placing sixth overall at the Pac-10 Championships. Jordan, who went 123-29 in his collegiate career, recently placed fourth at the Sunkist Kids International Open at 185 pounds.<separator></separator> 197: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/pike_anthony00.html">A… Pike</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/hawkins_michael00.html… Hawkins</a> - The 197 match will see a pair of relative newcomers to the program square off for the starting job as Pike will look to make the varsity line up as a true freshman and Hawkins will try for the job after redshirting last season. Pike was a two-time state champion in Arizona, including last year at Sunnyside HS in Tucson, while Hawkins was a two-time state placer in Colorado after winning 94 career matches with 59 coming by fall.<separator></separator> 285: <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/nye_erik00.html">Erik Nye</a> vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/etukeren_imanibom00.ht… Etukeren</a> - The heavyweight match will feature the two starters from last year as Nye will look to reclaim the job that he held at the start of the year before being forced out of the line up. Nye was 3-2 in the first month of the season with both of his losses coming one-point decisions while Etukeren posted a 2-11 record and finished eighth in the Pac-10 Championships.<separator></separator>2009 Maroon and Gold Dual 125 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/robles_anthony00.html"… Robles</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/ashmore_ben00.html">Ben Ashmore</a> (G) 133 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/prado_david00.html">Da… Prado</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/hannaford_jake00.html"… Hannaford</a> (G) 141 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/drouin_chris00.html">C… Drouin</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/jimenez_orlando00.html… Jimenez</a> (G) 149 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/ruiz_tony00.html">Tony Ruiz</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/varela_vicente00.html"… Varela</a> (G) 157 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/mariacher_lucas00.html… Mariacher</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/edwards_te00.html">Te Edwards</a> (G) 165 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/musto_sal00.html">Sal Musto</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/deberry_kyle00.html">K… DeBerry</a> (G) 174 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/starks_eric00.html">Er… Starks</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/veramontes_emilio00.ht… Veramontes</a> (G) 184 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/meredith_jake00.html">… Meredith</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/jordan_raymond00.html"… Jordan</a> (G) 197 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/pike_anthony00.html">A… Pike</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/hawkins_michael00.html… Hawkins</a> (G) 285 - <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/nye_erik00.html">Erik Nye</a> (M) vs. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/mtt/etukeren_imanibom00.ht… Etukeren</a> (G)