Maroon & Gold Wrestle-Offs end with pin, gold victory

The 2010-11 Arizona State wrestling season started with the gold team rallying to defeat the maroon team, 18-15, on Friday night in the annual Maroon and Gold Wrestle-Off at the Riches Wrestling Complex in Tempe. Each team won four matches and recorded a pin, with the only difference being a major decision in the seventh bout by gold. The Sun Devils open collegiate matches next weekend.

ASU assistant coach Brian Stith and former ASU wrestler Pat Pitsch were the coaches for the gold side, while ASU assistant coach Travis Pascoe and former ASU wrestler Nick Frost were the maroon coaches. Anthony Robles, 2011 NCAA Champion at 125 pounds, is working as a volunteer coach for the Sun Devils and was on hand to witness the action, as well as give a few words of encouragement midway through the matches.

The first four matches went back and forth with each team taking two each to leave it tied at 6-6 heading into the second half of the dual. Gold trailed by three points with one match to play, but redshirt freshman Tommy Burriel recorded a pin at the 2:08 mark over redshirt freshman Bobby Bowman to give gold the win, 18-15.

Redshirt senior David Prado began the dual meet with an early takedown of redshirt senior Josh Sandoval and won an 11-8 decision to put maroon on the board first, 3-0. Redshirt sophomore Kalin Goodsite took the first points of his match with freshman Cameron Carlberg and never relinquished his lead, winning 6-1 to tie the meet at 3-3.

In a matchup of two freshmen, Preston McCalmon defeated classmate Alex Schmersahl 4-2 to give gold its first lead of the dual, 6-3. Redshirt freshman Nathan Hoffer was replaced by McCalmon because of illness.

Junior Victor De Jesus won a decision over redshirt freshman Joel Smith 7-4 and forced a tie, 6-6. Freshman Kory DeBerry won 8-2 over redshirt freshman Hans Rasmusson to give Maroon a 9-6 advantage.

Redshirt freshman Derek Felton pushed maroon's lead to nine, 15-6, after he recorded six points with the first pin of the night over redshirt senior Kyle DeBerry at the 2:19 mark. Senior Eric Starks collected a major decision, 9-2, against freshman Blake Stauffer to give his team six points and pull gold to within three, 12-15.

The heavyweight match between redshirt junior Levi Cooper and redshirt sophomore Michael Hawkins was not held because Hawkins was ill.

The season is set to officially begin the following weekend as the team will travel way north to Ypsilanti, Mich., on Nov. 5 to take part in the Eastern Michigan Open.

2011-12 Maroon & Gold Wrestler-Offs
Friday, Oct. 28 - Riches Wrestling Complex
123 - David Prado (M) dec. Josh Sandoval (G), 11-8 - Maroon leads, 3-0
133 - Kalin Goodsite (G) dec. Cameron Carlberg (M), 6-1 - Tied 3-3
141 - Preston McCalmon (G) dec. Alex Schmersahl (M), 4-2 - Gold leads, 6-3
149 - Victor De Jesus (M) dec. Joel Smith (G), 7-4 - Tied 6-6
157 - Kory DeBerry (M) dec. Hans Rasmusson (G), 8-2 - Maroon leads, 9-6
165 - Derek Felton (M) pinned Kyle DeBerry (G), - 2:19 - Maroon leads 15-6
174 - Eric Starks (G) major Blake Stauffer (M), 9-2 - Maroon leads 15-12
184/197 - Tommy Burriel (G) pinned Bobby Bowman (M), 2:08 - Gold wins 18-15