After defeating all Pac-10 foes this season en route to a perfect (6-0) conference record, the wrestling team is hoping to perform in similar fashion again this weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday, the No. 13 Sun Devils will compete in the annual Pac-10 tournament. Oregon State hosts this year's event at the Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore.
Much is on the line for all involved, including the right to be called a Pac-10 champion in each of the 10 weight classes. Perhaps even more important is the opportunity to compete in the NCAA championships from March 21-23 in Albany, New York. The top four finishers in each individual weight class from this weekend's tournament will be granted invitations to the nationals.
Also at stake is the conference team championship, which ASU has won three times in the last five years. In 2001, the Sun Devils came away with four individual champions, three of which are back in action this weekend including 133-pound senior David Douglas (26-3), 141-pound junior Eric Larkin (24-4) and junior heavyweight Kellan Fluckiger.
Even though the team possesses a sub-par (3-5) record against non-conference opponents, the team hasn't lost a dual meet to a Pac-10 opponent in 14 outings dating back to 1999, making the Sun Devils a favorite to retain their conference championship.
"I think we all know that we're going to win it," said Fluckiger. "We just expect to. Everybody's just going to have to come out and do everything they're capable of doing."
ASU dropped their final three dual meets of the season-all to ranked opponents. The team had several key holes in the lineup as freshman 125-pounder Mike Simpson (23-7) and senior 197-pounder Erik Gladish each missed the regular season home and road finales. Both are expected back in action this weekend, however.
"(We have to) perform, perform, perform. That's it," said Gladish. "We're all in top condition and we're all prepared mentally and physically. There's nothing to it but to do it.
"We're confident, but I don't think we're overconfident. We know it's never easy to win ... you've always got to spend a lot of energy. So we're not going in there thinking its going to be a walk in the park or put in cruise control because we know we have to fight in order to win."
Reach the reporter at christopher.drexel@asu.edu.
