LITTLE ROCK - The Little Rock wrestling team concludes its final homestand of the inaugural season this Friday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Join the Trojans in their first-ever conference dual action against #5 Arizona State as they close out a historic year at the Jack Stephen Center.
LIVE TWITTER UPDATES | LIVE VIDEO | TICKETS | RSVP
"This is our toughest test yet, and it'll be a great one for us going into our conference schedule." said head coach Neil Erisman. The Trojans, in their first season as the first Division I team in the state of Arkansas, have arguably one of the most difficult schedules for not just a first-year program but also for one that is well-established. "I'll be looking for that same fight and mental toughness that we had in some of our previous matches. If we have that fight a lot of guys will realize we are not as far off."
The #5 Arizona State Sun Devils (10-1, 2-0 PAC-12) are a powerhouse in the both the conference and the nation, with their only loss on the season coming to previously #3 ranked Ohio State by just one team point. Arizona State took down both PAC-12 members Oregon State and Stanford most recently and looks to take the conference title next month after finishing second last year and 12th as a team at the NCAA Championships.
FloWrestling ranks six Sun Devils individually in the top 25 this week, with seven in the rankings the week prior. Out of the projected starters for Arizona State, all have been ranked at some point in the season with the exception of their probables at 141. This means that Conner Ward's bout may be the most exciting of the night for the Trojans, while Little Rock fans should also keep an eye on Jayden Carson and Paul Bianchi, each of which have won half of their dual matches or more. View the starting lineups below.
Little Rock Probables
125 - Jayden Carson
133 - Paul Bianchi
141 - Conner Ward
149 - Tyler Brennan
157 - Jose Champagne OR Tommy Lisher
165 - Will Edgar
174 - Tristan Tadeo
184 - Matthew Muller
197 - Dylan Johnson
HWT - Drake Barbee
Arizona State Probables
125 - #7 Brandon Courtney
133 - Josh Kramer
141 - Navonte Demison OR Cory Crooks
149 - Josh Maruca OR Dillon Ulrey
157 - Jacori Teemer
165 - #6 Josh Shields
174 - #9 Anthony Valencia
184 - #1 Zahid Valencia
197 - #11 Kordell Norfleet
285 - #6 Tanner Hall
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
#LittleRocksTeam
