Sun Devil Wrestling Heads East for High-Stakes Tri-Dual Clash with Cornell and Columbia
ITHACA, N.Y. - The Sun Devils are packing their bags and heading to upstate New York for their first tri-dual meet of the season, where they’ll take on a pair of Ivy League foes in Cornell and Columbia on Saturday at the Friedman Wrestling Center.
Arizona State opens the day against No. 18 Cornell at 1:00 p.m.
MST, followed by a showdown with Columbia at 3:00 p.m. MST.
Both duals will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Looking to Rebound After Northern Iowa
The Sun Devils are eager to bounce back after a tough outing against Northern Iowa, where they dropped the dual 27-11. But even in defeat, there were bright spots. Redshirt sophomore Pierson Manville (141 lbs), redshirt sophomore Kaleb Larkin (157 lbs), and graduate heavyweight David Szuba all came away with wins.
Manville notched his second major decision of the season, while Szuba continued his bonus-point tear with his fifth major decision-his 11th bonus-point win of the year, which now leads the team. Larkin, meanwhile, stayed perfect at 157 lbs, improving to 5-0 since moving up from 149.
Sun Devil Probables
Here’s how Arizona State is expected to line up:
- 125: An’ee Vigil (Jr., 9-6)
- 133: Carter Dibert (R-Jr., 0-4)
- 141: No. 26 Pierson Manville (R-Fr., 13-4)
- 149: Daniel Miranda (So., 1-3)
- 157: No.
2 Kaleb Larkin (R-So., 18-1)
- 165: No.
12 Nicco Ruiz (R-So., 16-3)
- 174: Cael Valencia (R-Sr., 11-6) or Leo Tukhlynovych (Jr., 7-7)
- 184: Aziz Fayzullaev (Sr., 3-5)
- 197: Colton Hawks (Gr., 1-4)
- HWT: No. 19 David Szuba (Gr., 15-8)
First Up: No. 18 Cornell
Cornell presents a serious test. The Big Red come into the weekend 5-4 overall and 2-0 in Ivy League competition. This will be just the fifth meeting all-time between Arizona State and Cornell, with Cornell holding a 3-1 edge and having taken the most recent matchup in 2025.
The Big Red are stacked with talent-eight ranked wrestlers, including four in the top five of their respective weight classes. One name that stands out?
No. 2 Jaxon Joy at 149 lbs-the same wrestler who handed Kaleb Larkin his only loss of the season back in December at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
Since then, Larkin has moved up to 157 and hasn’t looked back, going 5-0 in his new weight class.
Cornell Projected Lineup:
- 125: No. 26 Greg Diakomihalis or Joe Sciarrone
- 133: No. 17 Tyler Ferrara
- 141: No. 6 Vince Cornella
- 149: No. 2 Jaxon Joy or Ethan Fernandez
- 157: No. 7 Meyer Shapiro
- 165: Louie Cerchio or Kaleb Williams
- 174: No.
2 Simon Ruiz
- 184: No.
15 Christian Hansen or Matt Ferman
- 197: Aiden Hanning or Carson Crace
- HWT: No. 30 Ashton Davis, Cash Henderson, or Cy Kruse
Second Dual: First-Ever Matchup with Columbia
Later in the day, ASU will square off with Columbia for the first time in program history. The Lions are quietly putting together a strong season, entering the weekend with a 6-3 dual record and riding a four-match win streak.
Last weekend, Columbia took down Princeton and then pulled off an upset over No. 22 Penn. Senior Cesar Alvan was named Ivy League Wrestler of the Week after scoring two ranked wins during that stretch.
Columbia’s full probable lineup is still to be announced.
Numbers That Tell the Story
- Kaleb Larkin’s dominance: He’s been electric across two weight classes this season, going 8-1 in his last nine bouts-all against ranked opponents. That includes wins over No.
1 Ty Watters (West Virginia) and No. 3 Vinny Zerban (Iowa State).
He’s also taken down No. 2 Lachlan McNeil (Michigan) at 149 lbs earlier in the year.
Larkin is 18-1 overall and No. 2 in the country at 157.
- Kyler Larkin’s consistency: Though not wrestling this weekend, Kyler Larkin has been a rock at 133 lbs, leading the nation in RPI with a 0.7124 rating. He’s beaten five top-30 opponents this season and currently sits at No. 5 in the national rankings.
- Bonus point machine: David Szuba leads the team with 11 bonus-point wins this season, including five major decisions, four falls, and two tech falls. He also owns the team’s fastest fall of the year-a 29-second pin against DJ Spring of Davidson, which ranks as the third-fastest of his career.
- Nicco Ruiz’s quiet rise: Ruiz has quietly built an impressive season at 165 lbs. He’s now ranked No. 12 nationally and has set a new personal best with three major decision wins this year.
- The Larkin Brothers’ perfect dual record: Kaleb and Kyler have combined to go 16-0 in duals this season. They’re the only Sun Devils still unbeaten in that format.
What’s at Stake
Saturday’s tri-dual isn’t just a road trip-it’s a proving ground. Cornell brings high-end talent and a recent history of success.
Columbia is surging and looking to make a statement. For Arizona State, this is a chance to sharpen its edge before the postseason grind begins.
With ranked matchups across multiple weights and potential revenge opportunities on the table, expect intensity from the opening whistle. The Sun Devils have the firepower to make noise-now it’s about execution.