After helping the Sun Devils overcome Virginia and Purdue on one night, Zahid Valencia, the country’s No. 2 pound-for-pound wrestler, came back the next day for the Journeymen Collegiate Classic and went down to the wire in the final.

The 184-pounder left himself vulnerable at the beginning of his match and paid the price. But instead of succumbing to a loss, he stormed back. Zahid said he remembered his training and stayed focused. He piled his years of work and took his mentality and tactics to Sunday.

Zahid sat on top of the throne looking down after beating Rutgers’ Billy Janzer and Utah Valley’s Tanner Orndoff. Going into the finals, he faced No. 8 Taylor Venz from Nebraska.

Off the whistle, Zahid attempted a double leg and gave up the takedown. Head coach Zeke Jones was not pleased with the moment, but the boss turned it into a learning lesson after the match for his star wrestler.

“We call it shot on the whistle. It’s a tactic when the whistle blows, shoot,” Jones said. “[Taylor Venz] telegraphed it. Zahid did the same thing the match before and the match before, and the guy was ready for it and analyzed him for it. [Zahid] got exposed, and (the) great thing is he gets to go correct that now, and he is good at that stuff.”

Going down 2-0 early and fighting back the whole match was a nail-biter for the crowd. 

“The crowd loved it,” said Cade Belshay, ASU’s 197-pounder. “By this point, everyone is rooting against Zahid if you’re not Arizona State because you always want to see that Goliath fall. I didn’t think for even a millisecond that he would lose this match.”

Goliath did not fall, as Zahid stole the grueling match 8-7. Valencia fought every second on the mat. He proved to Jones his toughness after the match.

“He’s a competitor,” Jones said. “He’s good in the sport, and he’s mentally tough.”

After finishing with a hammer, Valencia looks ahead to competing at the Olympic Trials. Since he’s in his final collegiate season and sits near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, many believe he can do it.

“He has a shot,” Anthony Valencia said. “It is not going to be easy, though. He has to get his weight up, but he is getting there. Zahid has a chance for sure.”

Weight is one factor of many if Zahid wants to make the push for an Olympic spot. Jones and Zahid said that the next preparation deals with more freestyle tournaments, conditioning, and lifting weights.

Although the Olympics is the toughest aspect for most sports, Belshay sees the potential of Zahid cracking the lineup, too.

“I wouldn’t doubt anything against him that he wins through the Olympic Trials and gets his spot on the Olympic team,” Belshay said. “Coming out of the U.S., if you make it on the team, I think 100 percent you have a chance at making gold. The biggest obstacle for Olympic athletes in America is getting on the team first, then the easier route is now it’s time to medal.”

Even though the Olympics is months away, Zahid eyes the medals in the back of his mind.

“If I make the Olympic team, I’m trying to bring back the gold medal for the U.S.,” Valencia said.

Nick Zeller-Singh is a student at Arizona State studying Sports Journalism. In addition to writing for FloWrestling, he appears on his college radio station, does play-by-play, and covers a variety of sports as a beat writer. Follow him on Twitter.