Sun Devil Wrestling Drops Dual to Wisconsin, But Key Performances Shine Bright
MADISON, Wis. - Arizona State Wrestling wrapped up its 2025 calendar with a tough road test in Big Ten country, falling 26-15 to Wisconsin at the historic Wisconsin Field House on Saturday afternoon. While the dual didn’t swing the Sun Devils’ way, there were several standout performances that speak volumes about the depth and potential of this squad heading into the new year.
Let’s start with redshirt freshman Pierson Manville, who continues to turn heads at 141 pounds. Ranked No. 25 nationally, Manville added yet another exclamation point to his breakout season.
He dismantled Wisconsin’s Brock Bobzien with a technical fall victory (21-5 in just 4:12) - his fifth tech fall of the season, a team-best. His pace, control, and ability to rack up points in bunches have made him one of the most exciting young wrestlers to watch in the lineup.
At 157 pounds, Chance McLane showed why experience still matters. The graduate student, ranked No. 16, leaned on his savvy and mat awareness to grind out a 7-2 decision win over No.
29 Luke Mechler. That win marked McLane’s 10th of the season and the 60th of his college career, which spans his time at both Oklahoma State and Arizona State.
He’s a steadying presence in the middle of the lineup - a guy who knows how to win tight matches and lead by example.
Another ranked Sun Devil, Nicco Ruiz, continued to build momentum at 165 pounds. The redshirt sophomore and No. 16 in the country earned his third major decision of the season, an 11-2 win over Wisconsin’s No.
27 Cody Goebel. Ruiz’s ability to control tempo and push the pace late in matches is becoming a real weapon for ASU, especially in dual settings where bonus points are gold.
At 184 pounds, Shay Addison showed grit in a razor-thin 10-9 decision win over Cale Anderson. The redshirt junior, now 5-5 on the season, battled through scrambles and late pressure to secure the win. It wasn’t the cleanest match, but it was a gutsy one - and sometimes, that’s exactly what a team needs in the middle of a tough road dual.
Despite those individual highlights, Wisconsin’s depth and firepower proved too much overall. The Badgers took seven of the ten bouts, including two pins and a pair of technical falls.
At 197 pounds, No. 26 Tyler Ingham pinned Aidan Ysaguirre in under three minutes, and at 133, **No.
9 Zan Fugitt** followed suit with a fall over Carter Dibert at 4:46. Those bonus-point wins were crucial in building a lead Wisconsin never relinquished.
Heavyweight Braxton Amos, ranked No. 17, edged out No. 19 David Szuba in a low-scoring 2-0 decision, while **No.
13 Nicolar Rivera** outpaced Damian Moreno 11-4 at 125 pounds. Wisconsin’s Joseph Zargo, the No. 17 wrestler at 149, also delivered a tech fall (21-5 in 4:07) over Jamar Dixon, keeping the pressure on ASU throughout the afternoon.
ASU’s Leo Tukhlynovych dropped his bout at 174 pounds, 8-1 to Wisconsin’s Luke Condon, in another match where the Badgers controlled the pace and positioning.
The final score may not have gone ASU’s way, but there’s no denying the individual progress and toughness on display. Manville’s scoring ability, McLane’s veteran presence, Ruiz’s consistency, and Addison’s resilience all stood out. As the Sun Devils head into the heart of their season, these are the building blocks that could pay dividends in Pac-12 matchups and beyond.
The dual meet season is a grind, especially when you’re going toe-to-toe with Big Ten programs on the road. But performances like these - even in a team loss - show that ASU has the talent and mindset to make noise when it matters most.