In celebration of Arizona's centennial, the Star will feature our picks for the 100 best athletes, moments and teams.
Throughout the summer, we will showcase our list - with the first 90 in no particular order. In August, columnist Greg Hansen will choose his top 10, with a column on each.
Anthony Robles
Achievement
Born without a right leg, Robles was a three-time All-American and NCAA champion wrestler at Arizona State.
He won the NCAA championship at 125 pounds in March in Philadelphia. As the top seed, Robles defeated defending champion Matt McDonough of Iowa 7-1, giving ASU its first individual wrestling champion since 2003.
With the victory, Robles finished his senior season 36-0 and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. He finished his college career with a record of 122-23.
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Before capturing the national title, Robles finished fourth at the NCAAs as a sophomore and was seventh as a junior. He was also a three-time Pac-10 champion and won two state titles at Mesa High School.
Robles, who was also born without a right hip bone, walks with crutches rather than using a prosthetic leg. During workouts, he ran up hills with his ASU teammates.
His strong grip led to his dominance in wrestling. The 5-foot-8-inch Robles has tremendous upper-body strength and can bench-press over 300 pounds. While wrestling, he pushes off his left knee and stays low to the mat, using his upper-body strength to his advantage.
After winning the NCAA title, Robles retired from wrestling and entered a career as a motivational speaker, saying he wants to help others. He has worked with Joel Weldon, who is in the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame. Robles will also help coach wrestlers at ASU.
Hometown; current age
Mesa; 22
He said it
"It's about overcoming obstacles," he told The Arizona Republic in March. "Everybody has their own unique circumstances and obstacles they have to deal with. It's all about rising above that and going after your goal. It can be done."
Sarah Trotto
