Tempe is buzzing with the celebration of a new national champion: ASU's own Richard Figueroa, who clinched the NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championship. Figueroa, marking himself as the 13th Sun Devil to snag an individual wrestling title, has the campus and fans alike reveling in the triumph. ABC15 caught the champ's celebrations and his determination to set new goals for the summer.
The 125-pound wrestler had a stellar run at the championships, battling through despite an earlier rough patch in his season where injury almost coerced him to throw in the towel. Richie Figueroa managed to bounce back, to wildly rack up ten straight wins, and what's more, his victory led Arizona State's wrestling team to a noteworthy sixth-place finish with a total of 64.5 points. This marks the fourth consecutive top-7 finish at nationals for ASU under Coach Zeke Jones, a testament to the program's enduring excellence.
Figueroa was joined by fellow teammate Jacori Teemer, who earned a valiant second place in the 157-pound weight class. However, the spotlight couldn't miss Figueroa's conquest, particularly his win against Iowa's No. 3 seed Drake Ayala, where he sharply claimed a 7-2 decision for the crown. His journey resonated with grit and regained vigor; an embattled athlete not only finding but vehemently reclaiming his mojo on the mat. In a candid reflection on his rough season and near exit from the sport, Figueroa told House of Sparky, "I hate saying it, but I was gonna [quit]. Just like losing just wasn’t for me...But if I was to quit, what am I going to tell kids later on?"
Penn State may have dominated the team scoreboard with an astounding 172.5 points, leaping 100 points ahead of second-place Cornell, but ASU also claimed their share of the spotlight. The performance of Figueroa and Teemer echoed a history made a decade prior when Anthony Robles and Bubba Jenkins, in the same weight classes, tackled opponents from the same schools—Iowa and Penn State. Sun Devils Kyle Parco and Cohlton Schultz also earned their All-American statuses, each contributing crucial points to ASU’s tally.
Before Figueroa firmly stood atop the wrestling echelon, the talented athlete nearly succumbed to setbacks after a perfect freshman-year run was overshadowed by injury woes. But the ranked No. 1 pound-for-pound recruit coming into ASU made sure to exemplify what it means to truly wrestle down one's demons, culminating in an epic climb to national championship glory.
