Arizona State wins second-consecutive Pac-12 team title with six champions

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Arizona State ran away with its second-consecutive Pac-12 team title and 18th overall, scoring 96 points and sending seven to the finals on Sunday night in Corvallis, Ore.

The Sun Devils went six-for-seven in the finals and were led by Anthony and Zahid Valencia, who both snagged their second conference championships.

In the 174-pound finals, 2017 All-American and top-ranked Zahid battled it out with No. 9 Keaton Subjeck of Stanford for two periods before wrapping up the match with a 15-7 major decision. Zahid sailed to the finals with a second-period pin in the semifinals.

Anthony, ranked No. 15 in the nation, took the crown at 165 pounds with a late pin at the 6:46 mark over Lorenzo De La Riva from CSU Bakersfield. It was his second fall of the day as he stuck Stanford’s Jared Hill in 1:04 in the semis.

Others winning titles for ASU were No. 19 Ali Naser (133), No. 12 Jason Tsirtsis (149), No. 5 Josh Shields (157) and Kordell Norfleet (184). The seventh finalist was No. 12 Ryan Milhoff at 125 pounds.

Ronnie Bresser of Oregon State won the crown at 125 pounds, defeating Milhoff, thanks to riding time advantage, 3-2. It was Bresser’s second Pac-12 title with his first coming in 2015.

In addition to Bresser, the Beavers had two other wrestlers win their second conference titles.

Corey Griego repeated his 2017 championship performance at 197 and Amar Dhesi, who won in 2016, returned to the conference tournament after a redshirt season to win the 285-pound bracket.

Griego, ranked No. 17 in the nation, defeated No. 19 Matt Williams of CSU Bakersfield handily with an 11-5 decision.

No. 6 Dhesi emerged victorious in a top-10 matchup against No. 7 Nathan Butler from Stanford with a dominant 11-2 major decision. It was Dhesi’s second win of the year over Butler.

The three Beaver champions led Oregon State to a runner-up finish, putting up 70 points.

The Cal Poly Mustangs claimed an individual title at 141 pounds, Colt Schilling dominated CSU Bakersfield’s Russell Rohlfing, 15-6.

All five schools earned NCAA automatic qualifiers. ASU leads the with eight, followed by Stanford with six, Oregon State with four and Cal Poly and CSU Bakersfield each earning two.  

PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS

at Oregon State (Corvallis, Ore.)

Team scores
1. Arizona State – 96
2.Oregon State – 70
3.CSU Bakersfield – 52.5
4. Stanford – 47.5
5. Cal Poly – 37

Finals results
125: No. 9 Ronnie Bresser (OSU) dec. No. 12 Ryan Milhoff (ASU), 3-2
133: No. 19 Ali Naser (ASU) dec. Mason Pengilly (Stanford), 8-3
141: Colt Schilling (CPU) MD Russell Rohlfing (CSUB), 15-6
149: No. 12 Jason Tsirtsis (ASU) dec. Joshua Cortez (CPU), 3-2
157: No. 5 Josh Shields (ASU) MD Hunter Willits (OSU), 10-2
165: No. 15 Anthony Valencia (ASU) fall Lorenzo De La Riva (CSUB), 6:46
174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (ASU) MD No. 9 Keaton Subjeck (STAN), 15-7
184: Kordell Norfleet (ASU) dec. Matt Wilhem (CPU), 10-4
197: No. 17 Corey Griego (OSU) dec. No. 19 Matt Williams (CSUB), 11-5
285: No. 6 Amar Dheesi (OSU) MD No. 7 Nathan Butler (STAN), 11-2

NCAA automatic qualifiers by school
Arizona State - 8
Cal Poly - 2
CSU Bakersfield - 2
Oregon State - 4
Stanford - 6