TEMPE, Ariz. - As two late challenges left the crowd on the edge of their seats, No. 12 165-pound sophomore wrestler Nicco Ruiz provided more than enough evidence to overturn the initial ruling on the mat. 

Before the ruling on the mat, Ruiz and No.9 165-pound senior wrestler Max Bringnola engaged in a nail biting affair. 

Head coach Zeke Jones provided his thoughts on the late challenge leading to Ruiz’s victory over ninth-ranked Bringnola. 

“I felt confident (regarding the overtime challenge),” Jones said. “I think that it was not a makeup call but that first one was so close in regulation when they challenged.” 

Arizona State (5-11, 1-7 in Big 12) avenged their early season loss on Dec. 15, 2025, against No. 22 Lehigh (11-7, 5-0 EIWA), en route to a 24-11 win at Desert Financial Arena on Feb. 21. Ruiz set the tone for senior night with his match-winning takedown during overtime. 

“I was quite calm, surprisingly; we went over a lot of overtime because we watched the Penn State match,” Ruiz said. “This is my match read and I think I’m gonna win and I ended up winning. 

In contrast, No. 5 133-pound freshman wrestler Kyler Larkin looked to close out the night on a strong note, however his opponent across from him forfeited the match.

Coach Jones mentioned his disappointment on how things turned out for Larkin tonight. 

“It was very disappointing; they have a 125 pounder wrestler going up to 133 to wrestle Kyler, but they forfeited,” Jones said, “Kyler didn’t get to wrestle but it does send a message to the country saying that if you wrestle Kyler, you’re in for a long night.” 

On the other hand, every single senior wrestler who entered the mat tonight won their matchup. This included 149-pound senior wrestler Benji Alanis, 174-pound senior wrestler Cael Valencia, 197-pound graduate student Colton Hawks and No. 18 heavyweight graduate student David Szuba.  

Similarly to Ruiz, Valencia provided fans with an exciting back-and-forth matchup with both wrestlers taking moments from each other. Valencia secured a late third period takedown with 50 seconds left to win his final match in Tempe. 

“”It’s been a journey, it goes by quickly and I just appreciate all the coaches for what they’ve done for me,” Valencia said. “ASU’s a very supportive place and getting that win for my last duel was special.” 

“I was happy how I ended up just getting to keep the ride at the end. To be able to win my last duel match at home was very exciting.” 

Additionally, Hawks and Szuba also ended their Sun Devil careers on a high note. Szuba was especially successful on Saturday, defeating No. 5 heavyweight senior wrestler Nathan Taylor. 

“That kid was top-five in the country, so another match that will impact the seeds,” Jones said, “That is what we are trying to do; we're trying to get wins at home.” 

While Addison entered his duel as the underdog, he shocked  No. 20 184-pound senior wrestler Rylan Rodgers 9-6. An early takedown and near-fall kept Addison in the driver's seat for the whole match. 

In addition to senior night, former ASU wrestling alumni returned to the mat for a quick moment. Coach Jones provided analysis on how important the presence of the alumni was for the special night. 

“This was a really special night seeing the seniors wrestle for the last time and seeing guys like Tom Daniels,” Jones said. “The 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, every decade was here.” 

Despite starting the season off slow, the Sun Devils gained momentum towards the end of the season and look to carry it into tournament play. 

“If you look back at the NCAA Tournament, we’ve always over performed our seeds,” Jones said, “I think we’re doing that right now because we’re wrestling at our best now.”