Wrestling eliminated from Virginia Duals

The No. 25 Arizona State University wrestling team won four matches, including three with bonus points, but it was not enough to overcome six bonus-point producing wins by Virginia as the Cavaliers won a 29-18 dual to knock the Sun Devils out of the 31st Virginia Duals in a consolation elimination contest Saturday morning at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Va. The Sun Devils slipped to 4-4 on the year while the Cavaliers improved to 10-3 this season.

The Sun Devils picked up wins at 125 from Anthony Robles, at 157 from Bubba Jenkins, at 197 from Luke Macchiaroli and at heavyweight from Levi Cooper. Robles won by technical fall to collect five team points while both Jenkins and Cooper won by major decision. Macchiaroli added a decision win as well.

Robles started off the match with a hard-fought takedown before turning Matt Snyder for two near-fall points and then added another pair of turns, each for three near-fall points, to take a 10-0 lead through the first period. The Sun Devil senior went down to begin the second and reversed Snyder before he escaped to make it 12-1. Robles scored another takedown and turned Snyder for two more points to make it 16-1 for Robles’ 11th technical fall win of the year and a 5-0 ASU lead.

Josh Sandoval saw his first action of the weekend with the Sun Devils at 133 pounds and fell behind early as Joe Spisak took him down and turned him for three with a cradle that Sandoval fought out of to force a restart. Spisak added two more points on a near-fall count before Sandoval escaped to make it 7-1. In the second, Sandoval chose neutral to open the period, but Spisak took him down and turned him for three more points to build a 12-1 lead. Spisak added two more near-fall points and then a second turn for three to end the match with a 17-1 technical fall, tying the team score at 5-5.

At 141, Virginia’s Gus Sako took down Kalin Goodsite and added three near-fall points and took a 5-0 lead into the second period. Sako chose down to open the second where he eventually reversed Goodsite for a 7-0 lead heading into the final stanza. In the third, Goodsite chose neutral, but was taken down again and turned for two points to make it 11-0. Sako added three more near-fall points (14-0) and earned the technical fall by adding the riding time bonus for the 15-0 win. With the score, the Cavaliers took their first lead in the team scoring, 10-5.

In the 149 match, Derek Valenti took a 2-0 lead into the second against ASU’s Tai Fukumoto before staring down to open the second. After escaping Fukumoto for a 3-0 lead, Valenti scored on a takedown and added two near-fall points to take a 7-0 lead. Fukumoto chose neutral to start the third, but was taken down and turned for three points and then another two. The riding time bonus made it 15-0 and the fourth technical fall of the match in four matches, pushing the Cavaliers ahead, 15-5.

Jenkins opened his second day back in his hometown area with a takedown and then released Nicky Gordon before pouncing for two more and slick duck under to make it 4-1. After another Gordon escape, Jenkins scored another takedown with 20 seconds remaining and rode his opponent out of the period for a 6-2 lead. Gordon chose down to open the second and escaped quickly before Jenkins was once again in on a leg and stepped behind for two more before Gordon escaped. Jenkins blasted through a double-leg for a takedown to extend his lead to 10-4 through two. The final stanza started with Jenkins taking down and escaping and then adding another takedown. Jenkins scored on another takedown and then turned Gordon to his back to stick him in 6:01 for six team points, making it 15-11. ASU forfeited 165 again, making the score 21-11 for Virginia.

At 174, Eric Starks took on No. 3 Chris Henrich and fell behind early on a takedown by Henrich to trail 2-0 heading into the second period. Henrich chose down and escaped Starks’ hold to open the second before Henrich scored on a takedown to push the lead to 5-0. In the third period, Starks chose bottom and escaped with just over one minute remaining. The Sun Devil then shot in, but Henrich countered the attack and turned it into two points on the takedown before Starks escaped once again. Henrich added a takedown to make it 9-2 and added one more on the riding time bonus for a 10-2 major decision and four team points, extending the UVA lead to 25-11.

In the second match in a row pitting a Sun Devil against a nationally ranked foe, Jake Meredith took on No. 16 Joe Fausey at 184 pounds. Meredith shot in low and secured the leg in a frantic scramble, nearly tipping Fausey to his back, but neither wrestler gained the advantage and sent them back to their feet. Meredith continued to press the action in the period, but Fausey scored first on a step behind takedown and then turned Meredith over for three near-fall points and a 5-0 lead through one. Meredith chose down to start the second period and nearly reversed Fausey early in the period before escaping on a restart to make it 5-1 heading into the final period. In the third, Fausey chose down to start the third and reversed Meredith for two points and added three on near-fall points and added the riding time for an 11-1 major decision.

At 197, Luke Macchiaroli scored first on a takedown and carried a 2-0 lead into the second period where his opponent, Stephen Doty, chose down. Doty escaped to open the period and that was all the scoring that took place. In the third, Macchiaroli chose down and quickly escaped to make it 3-1 before quickly scooping up Doty’s left leg and dropping him for two on the takedown. Doty escaped to make it 5-2 before Doty took down the Sun Devil and let him up for a 5-4 score. Macchiaroli then scored his own takedown and Doty escaped to make it 7-5 with 10 seconds remaining and eventually the final score.

In the final match of the day, Levi Cooper and Jack Danikowicz met up in the heavyweight contest where Cooper scored the opening takedown and added three near-fall points as he took Danikowicz to his back in one move. Danikowicz chose down to open the second with Cooper leading, 5-0, and then adding two more points as he turned Danikowicz to his back before the Cavalier escaped. Cooper opened the third selecting down and then escaped midway through the final period before adding another takedown. Danikowicz escaped with Cooper leading, 10-2, and the Sun Devil big man added the riding time bonus for an 11-2 major decision. The final score stands, 29-18.

With the loss, the Sun Devils have been eliminated from the Virginia Duals. The next action for the Sun Devils will take place next Saturday when they travel to Grand Prairie, Texas, for the 2011 Lone Star Duals. ASU will take on Northern Colorado (10 a.m.), Air Force (noon), No. 22 American (4 p.m.) and Central Oklahoma (6 p.m.) on the same day.

Virginia def. #25 Arizona State, 29-18
Virginia Duals - Consolation Elimination Round
Saturday, January 8, 2011 • Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, Va.)
125 - #2 Anthony Robles (AS) tech fall #18 Matt Snyder, 16-1
133 - Joe Spisak (V) tech fall Josh Sandoval, 17-1
141 - Gus Sako (V) tech fall Kalin Goodsite, 15-0
149 - Derek Valenti (V) tech fall Tai Fukumoto, 15-0
157 - #4 Bubba Jenkins (AS) pinned Nicky Gordon, 6:01
165 - Conner Miller (V) won by forfeit
174 - #3 Chris Henrich (V) major Eric Starks, 10-2
184 - #16 Joe Fausey (V) major Jake Meredith, 11-1
197 - Luke Macchiaroli (AS) dec. Stephen Doty, 7-5
285 - Levi Cooper (AS) major Jack Danilkowicz, 11-2
ASU eliminated from competition