Arizona State University’s wrestling team concluded its season at the NCAA Championships on March 21, with Nicco Ruiz finishing fourth at 165 pounds and David Szuba placing seventh in the heavyweight division at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
The results highlight another strong showing for the Sun Devils, who finished 13th in the team standings with 36.5 points. Ruiz, a redshirt sophomore, secured his spot in the bronze-medal match after defeating Joey Blaze of Purdue by a narrow 2-1 decision in the consolation semifinals. This win marked Ruiz’s thirteenth victory over a ranked opponent this season. In his final match, Ruiz fell to Cesar Alvan of Columbia by a score of 7-2, earning him fourth place—the second-best finish for an Arizona State wrestler at this weight class since Steve Blackford’s third-place result in 2000.
Graduate student Szuba closed out his collegiate career by earning All-American status with a seventh-place finish after defeating Christian Carroll of Wyoming by a score of 6-0. His performance extends Arizona State’s streak to seven consecutive seasons with an All-American at heavyweight and marks the ninth time in ten years that the program has produced an All-American in that category.
Under head coach Zeke Jones, Arizona State has now placed among the top fifteen teams at the NCAA Championships nine times. The program continues to produce high-achieving athletes across multiple weight classes each year.
Looking ahead, Sun Devil Wrestling will continue to build on its tradition of success under Jones’ leadership as it prepares for future seasons.