Sun Devil Wrestling Set for Big 12 Clash with Northern Iowa After Strong Weekend Split
TEMPE - Arizona State Wrestling is rolling into Thursday’s dual against Northern Iowa with momentum on both sides of its split-squad roster. After a productive weekend that saw the Sun Devils notch a dual win over Northern Colorado and several standout performances at the Cyclone Open, ASU is looking to carry that energy into a tough road test against a red-hot Panthers squad.
The Sun Devils and Panthers will square off Thursday, Jan. 22 at 5:30 p.m. MST at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The match will stream live on Flo.TV for subscribers.
ASU Riding High After Weekend Success
Arizona State’s weekend was a tale of two paths - but both ended in success. In Greeley, a group of 10 Sun Devils took care of business in a 26-17 win over Northern Colorado.
The highlight came at 157 pounds, where redshirt sophomore Kaleb Larkin wasted no time, pinning his opponent in just 2:05. It was Larkin’s first fall win of the season, and it set the tone for the afternoon.
Also grabbing wins in the dual were redshirt freshman Pierson Manville (141 lbs), sophomore Daniel Miranda (149 lbs), redshirt sophomore Nicco Ruiz (165 lbs), and freshman heavyweight Ben Szuba. Ruiz continued his technical fall tear, picking up his sixth of the season, while Szuba made a strong first impression with a major decision in his dual debut.
Meanwhile, over in Ames, the Sun Devils were making noise at the Cyclone Open. Senior 184-pounder Azizbek Fayzullaev lived up to his top-seed billing, cruising through the bracket and sealing the title with a pin in the championship round.
Graduate student Cael Valencia, seeded fourth at 174 lbs, also claimed gold with a perfect 3-0 run that included two technical falls. Valencia now has two tournament wins on the season - Cyclone Open and Reno TOC - to go with a runner-up finish at the Michigan State Open.
Next Up: A Surging Northern Iowa Squad
Thursday’s opponent, Northern Iowa, enters the dual on a five-match win streak and is riding high after a dominant stretch that includes a 44-0 shutout over Iowa and wins over No. 8 South Dakota State and No.
17 Missouri. The Panthers dropped their Jan. 6 matchup against No.
6 Nebraska but have looked sharp since.
Seven UNI wrestlers are currently ranked, including No. 6 Ryder Downey at 165 lbs - a potential marquee matchup against ASU’s No.
13 Nicco Ruiz. Downey is off to a 13-2 start this season, while Ruiz has won 11 of his last 12 and is coming off six straight victories, three of them via technical fall.
Here’s a look at Northern Iowa’s projected lineup:
Northern Iowa Probables
125: Trever Anderson (9-6)
133: Julian Farber (11-4)
141: Connor Thorpe (7-3) or Max Brady (17-6)
149: Caleb Rathjen (3-3) or Ethan Basile (11-5)
157: Cael Rahnavardi (6-6) or RJ Weston (9-6)
165: Ryder Downey (13-2) or Jack Thomsen (9-6)
174: Jared Simma (9-3)
184: Nick Fox (4-1) or CJ Walrath (4-3)
197: John Gunderson (5-6) or Carson Babcock (2-2)
HWT: Adam Ahrendsen (6-5) or Grant Stromberg (9-7)
Sun Devils Look to Flip the Script
Arizona State currently holds a slim 3-2 edge in the all-time series against Northern Iowa, but the Panthers got the upper hand in their last meeting, a 33-10 win in Tempe on Jan. 17, 2025. ASU’s last road win over UNI came way back in 1979 - a gritty 18-13 win that marked the program’s 50th all-time road dual victory.
This time around, the Sun Devils are bringing a lineup that blends ranked talent with emerging names:
Arizona State Probables
125: An’ee Vigil (Jr., 9-5)
133: Carter Dibert (R-Jr., 0-3)
141: No.
26 Pierson Manville (R-Fr., 12-4)
149: Daniel Miranda (So., 1-3) or Benji Alanis (Sr., 0-1)
157: No. 2 Kaleb Larkin (R-So., 17-1)
165: No. 13 Nicco Ruiz (R-So., 15-3)
174: Cael Valencia (R-Sr., 11-5)
184: Azizbek Fayzullaev (Sr., 3-5)
197: Colton Hawks (Gr., 1-3)
HWT: No.
19 David Szuba (Gr., 14-8)
Sun Devils by the Numbers
There’s a lot to like about this ASU squad, especially when you look at the numbers behind their top performers:
- Kaleb Larkin is ranked No. 2 nationally at 157 lbs and has already taken down three top-three opponents this season - including a 4-2 decision over No. 1 Ty Watters (West Virginia).
He’s 7-1 in his last eight bouts, all against top-25 competition.
- Nicco Ruiz has notched a career-high three major decision wins this season and leads the team with 10 bonus-point victories, tied with Larkin.
He’s won 11 of his last 12 matches.
- Kyler Larkin, ranked No. 5 at 133 lbs, has five wins over top-30 opponents this season and boasts a 0.7028 RPI through 14 matches.
- David Szuba recorded the team’s fastest fall of the season - a 29-second pin over Davidson’s DJ Spring - the third quickest of his career.
- The Larkin brothers (Kaleb and Kyler) have combined to go 15-0 in duals this season, the only undefeated Sun Devils in dual competition.
- ASU has five wrestlers ranked in the latest FloWrestling and InterMat rankings: 133 | Kyler Larkin (No.
- 141 | Pierson Manville (No.
- 157 | Kaleb Larkin (No.
- 165 | Nicco Ruiz (No.
- HWT | David Szuba (No.
What to Watch Thursday
The 165-pound bout between Ruiz and Downey could be the headliner - two ranked wrestlers with aggressive styles and a knack for bonus points. At 157, Kaleb Larkin will look to continue his dominance, while Pierson Manville and Cael Valencia have a chance to build on strong weekends.
Arizona State is still finding its groove in some weight classes, but the top-end talent is undeniable. If the Sun Devils can capitalize on their ranked matchups and get bonus points from their stars, they’ll be in a strong position to hand Northern Iowa its first loss since early January.
It’s a midweek dual with major implications - and a measuring stick moment for a Sun Devil team that’s trending upward.