TEMPE, Ariz. – In the final meet of the dual season, No. 15 Lehigh saw its seven-match winning streak come to an end as No. 19 Arizona State won several key bouts early to claim a 24-14 win over the Mountain Hawks Saturday night at Mullett Arena. The Sun Devils won the first seven bouts early on, including matchups of ranked wrestlers at 125, 141 and 157.
 
The Mountain Hawks got some late life from a third-period comeback from sophomore Jack Wilt at 184 and junior Michael Beard's NCAA-leading 15th technical fall of the season, but it was too little, too late as Lehigh ends the dual season at 7-4.
 
"Starting off the effort was good but we just didn't create any opportunities," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. "The hand-fight was not good but the effort was good. We were just off tonight. I have no idea why. We were a step behind all night.  We didn't get any takedowns until the end and that's not our team.
 
"We had a blip and we have to make sure it's a one-time thing. We didn't create opportunities and if you don't create opportunities, you're not going to score takedowns."
 
The dual began at 125 where Arizona State's Richard Figueroa handed first-year Luke Stanich just his second loss of the season, 5-3. Figueroa scored an early takedown, which stood up, while Stanich mustered two escapes and a stalling point, but was unable to nab the go-ahead takedown.
 
While top-ranked first-year Ryan Crookham returned to action with a win at the F&M Scramble earlier Saturday, sophomore Sheldon Seymour battled Julian Chlebove at 133 with the Sun Devil claiming 9-2 decision. Chlebove scored just one takedown but added four near fall in the first period for the only offensive points of the bout.
 
Arizona State's Jesse Vasquez scored a takedown 28 seconds into sudden victory to defeat junior Malyke Hines 5-2 at 141. Hines reversed Vasquez to open the third period and after an escape, couldn't convert a takedown in a scramble late in regulation.
 
Top-five ranked Kyle Parco won a 15-0 technical fall over junior Drew Munch in 3:14 at 149 and then No. 3 Jacori Teemer won a 7-2 decision over junior Max Brignola to give the Sun Devils a 17-0 lead at intermission.
 
Coming out of the break Arizona State nabbed two more wins, with Chance McLane defeating senior Jake Logan 8-1 at 165 and Cael Valencia grabbing a bonus point with an 8-0 major decision over Connor Herceg at 174.
 
The Sun Devils (7-5) looked for an eighth straight win as Tony Negron took a 4-0 lead and riding time advantage into the third period against Wilt, but Wilt responded with a low double leg for Lehigh's first takedown of the night, then added a second score late, bringing Negron to his back for four near fall points, while negating the riding time advantage and keeping Negron down to win 10-5, putting the Mountain Hawks on the board.
 
Beard then followed with a seven-takedown first period to earn the 21-6 technical fall over Damion Schunke at 197.
 
Arizona State forfeited to sophomore Nathan Taylor at 285, giving Lehigh the final three bouts of the evening.
 
Despite the 7-3 bout split, takedowns only favored the hosts by a 12-9 margin, with Beard securing seven of Lehigh's nine.
 
"Tonight was disappointing," Santoro said. "Probably our worst showing of the year. Hats off to Arizona State who came ready to wrestle, so it wasn't a good combination of them wrestling well and us being a little flat."
 
Next up for the Mountain Hawks will be the 120th EIWA Championships, hosted by Bucknell, March 8-9 at Sojka Pavilion in Lewisburg, Pa.
 
The 2023-24 Lehigh wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem.
 
No. 19 Arizona State 24, No. 15 Lehigh 14 
125 – Richard Figueroa (ASU) dec. Luke Stanich (Lehigh) 5-3
133 – Julian Chlebove (ASU) dec. Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) 9-2
141 – Jesse Vasquez (ASU) dec. Malyke Hines (Lehigh) 5-2, sv
149 – Kyle Parco (ASU) tech fall Drew Munch (Lehigh) 15-0, 3:14
157 – Jacori Teemer (ASU) dec. Max Brignola (Lehigh) 7-2
165 – Chance McLane (ASU) dec. Jake Logan (Lehigh) 8-1
174 – Cael Valencia (ASU) major dec. Connor Herceg (Lehigh) 8-0
184 – Jack Wilt (Lehigh) dec. Tony Negron (ASU) 10-5
197 – Michael Beard (Lehigh) tech fall Damion Schunke (ASU) 21-6, 2:53
285 – Nathan Taylor (Lehigh) won by forfeit
 
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