Feb. 26, 2013

Complete Release | Championship Program

STANFORD, Calif. - The Stanford wrestling team (6-16; 1-4 Pac-12) has completed the 2012-13 regular season and is ready for the year's ultimate showdown - the 2013 Pac-12 Championships. Ten wrestlers from each school will compete for conference titles and berths in next month's NCAA Championships. Arizona State plays host to the Pac-12 Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Wrestling gets underway at 9:30 a.m. PT on Saturday, March 2. The title winners will be determined by the end of the day.

THE FIELD: All six teams will be fighting for the conference crown Saturday. Oregon State, the reigning Pac-12 Champion, is the highest-ranked squad coming in at No. 8 in the latest InterMat poll. Boise State is also ranked in the top-25, coming in at No. 17. The Pac-12 boasts 15 individually ranked wrestlers.

WHAT'S AT STAKE: In addition to competing for team and individual conference titles, wrestlers will be looking to qualify for the 2013 NCAA Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, March 21-23.

CATCH THE CARDINAL: Saturday's championship round will be televised live by the Pac-12 Networks starting at 4 p.m. PT. Fans can also keep up with Stanford by liking the team on Facebook (Stanford Wrestling) or following them on Twitter (@CardWrestling) for updates and unique content. A live blog and updated brackets can be found on the wrestling page at www.TheSunDevils.com.

TICKETS TO THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Tickets to the championships start at $30 for general admission all-session passes. Seniors (60+), children (under 18), students (with valid ID) and groups of 15 or more are $15. Single session passes will be sold for $10. Tickets can be purchased at the door or by visiting the Sun Devil Ticket Office, loacated at the Carson Student-Athlete Center at the south end of Sun Devil Stadium. Fans can reach a representative of the ticket office by phone (480)727-0000 or via email at sundeviltickets@asu.edu.

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: Stanford's active wrestlers have made a combined 13 appearances at the conference championships, including eight in the Cardinal's probable lineup.

STANFORD AT THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS: Stanford has competed in NCAA wrestling since at least 1933, but has yet to win a conference championship. When the conference became the Pac-10 in 1980, the Cardinal's highest finish since then has been second, coming in 2008. Last season, Ryan Mango took home the 125-pound title to become the 14th Stanford wrestler to win a conference championship, while Nick Amuchastegui (174 pounds) became just the fourth two-time champion. The team finished third overall in 2012.

NCAA HOPES: Stanford has sent a program-high five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships three times. Last year, Nick Amuchastegui and Ryan Mango represented the Cardinal in St. Louis, Mo. Amuchastegui became the first Stanford wrestler to reach the NCAA finals on multiple occasions (2011 & 2012), finishing as the runner-up both times. His second-place finishes were the highest by a Cardinal wrestler since Matt Gentry won the program's only NCAA title in 2004 (157 pounds). He joined Tanner Gardner (`08) as the only three-time All-Americans in program history. Mango placed fifth at 125 pounds to become the fifth Cardinal to recieve multiple All-America honors.

FOR THE RECORD: Redshirt Freshman Evan Silver has racked up 24 wins so far this season. His 24 wins ties for the seventh-most wins by a rookie in school history with Zach Zimmerer (1996-97). He is one away from tying current Stanford senior Ryan Mango, who posted 25 wins as a freshman in 2009-10.

HEAD COACH Jason Borrelli: Stanford is under the guidance of a fifth-year head coach Jason Borrelli. During his time on The Farm, Borrelli has accrued a 42-52-3 record and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships a total of 12 times. Borrelli, a former Central Michigan standout, first came to The Farm as an assistant coach in 2007 and quickly helped guide the Cardinal to one of its most successful seasons in school history. Since then, Stanford has finished in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships the past two seasons, including a program-best 11th at the 2011 tournament in Philadelphia, Pa.