Baby Blues

Arizona State’s wrestling team hasn’t had the best year, but at least they can chalk up their losing record to growing pains. The Sun Devils graduated several key contributors last season (including national champ Anthony Robles), and it’s clear that head coach Shawn Charles has elected to take his lumps...

By Ed Kummerer

February 2, 2012

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Arizona State’s wrestling team hasn’t had the best year, but at least they can chalk up their losing record to growing pains. The Sun Devils graduated several key contributors last season (including national champ Anthony Robles), and it’s clear that head coach Shawn Charles has elected to take his lumps this season in order to develop the young talent on his roster. Earlier this month, Charles started seven freshmen in a meet against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. While the Sun Devils lost that meet, Charles’ decision to put faith in his freshmen did bear some fruit: those seven freshmen scored the bulk of ASU’s points in the matchup.

The Devils’ youth movement will face another stiff test when they take on the nation’s top-ranked 174 pounder Nick Amustachui and his Stanford Cardinal at Wells Fargo Arena.

Sun., Feb. 5, 2 p.m., 2012

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