Cooper takes sixth in Las Vegas
Levi Cooper finishes sixth overall as the Arizona State University wrestling team finished up competition at the 30th Annual Cliff Keen Invitational on Saturday in Las Vegas.
In the semifinal matchup to start the day, Cooper – ranked No. 6 nationally and the top seed in the tournament - squared off against Ohio State’s Peter Capone, the No. 12 seed. Tied at one after three periods, Cooper entered his first overtime period of the year. After going scoreless through the first minute-long overtime, Capone scored a reversal in the first of two thirty-second periods to go up 3-1.
Cooper escaped quickly though to bring the score within 3-2 but couldn’t find a way to escape in the second thirty-second overtime and Capone scored a two-point near fall to put the match away 5-2 and drop Cooper to the consolation bracket.
Against No. 9 Tucker Lane in the consolation semifinals – the tournament 3-seed – Cooper went down early with a groin injury but tried to fight through it. He was unable to recover, though, and lost by fall at 1:35. Cooper was unable to compete in the fifth-place matchup due to the injury and would settle for sixth overall.
In the consolation quarterfinals, redshirt freshman Kevin Radford dropped a decision to West Virginia’s Matt Ryan and did not make it to a shot at placing.
The Sun Devils will return to action at the Reno Tournament of Champions as they return to Nevada two weeks from now on Dec. 18.