The 125-pound mass of college wrestling muscle won ASU's first individual national championship in five years and the 11th individual title in team history in March. It came after a stellar season that earned him 2024 Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year honors. The redshirt junior from California is quickly becoming a wrestling legend for his work on the mat. Watching this fierce competitor take down opponent after opponent is made better when he flexes those biceps in victory. Nabbing the national championship brought more honors for him, including Tempe Mayor Corey Woods declaring that March 23, 2024, would be known as Richard Figueroa Day and getting to throw the first pitch on ASU Night at an Arizona Diamondbacks game in August. Even better is that he returns to the mat when wrestling season opens in November to defend his championship.