North Carolina State University Athletics
@PackWrestle Looks to Add to Season Success at NCAA Championships
3/15/2016 8:54:00 AM | Wrestling
NC State Notes Packet | Media Availability: Gantt and Gwiazdowski | ESPN Coverage
RALEIGH, N.C. - With the second-most seeded wrestlers in school history, NC State will be looking for its first top-10 finish since 1993 at the 2016 NCAA Championships. The Wolfpack has six seeded wrestlers, four in the top-five, and will have a school-record eight overall competing for NCAA gold in New York.
For the second straight year, two-time defending NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski enters as the top-seed at 285 pounds. He becomes the first wrestler in school history to earn a top seed in back-to-back NCAA Championships.
Fellow ACC Champions Kevin Jack (No. 3 seed at 141 pounds), Tommy Gantt (No. 2 seed at 157 pounds), and Max Rohskopf (No. 5 seed at 165 pounds) also were awarded top-five seeds. All three will be competing in their second NCAA Championships.
The other two seeded Wolfpack wrestlers are Pete Renda, seeded No. 13 at 184 pounds and sophomore Michael Boykin, seeded No. 12 at 197 pounds. Redshirt freshmen Sean Fausz (125) and Jamal Morris (133) will each be making their first NCAA trip.
Reaching New Heights Entering NCAAs
NC State's six seeded wrestlers are the second-most in school history, only behind seven in 1982. This season also marks the only season in school history NC State will have four wrestlers seeded fifth or better.
The last season NC State had multiple seeded wrestlers at the NCAA Championships was in 1993 (with three), and the six this season equals the total amount of NC State seeded wrestlers from 2009-15.
The eight NCAA qualifiers this season ties the school record, also reached in 1996. In head coach Pat Popolizio's first four seasons at NC State he has had 21 NCAA qualifiers, the most in a four-year span at NC State since also having 21 from 1998-01.
NC State NCAA Championship Tradition
NC State wrestling has a rich tradition of performing well at the NCAA Championships. NC State has finished in the top 10 nationally three times, including a seventh-place finish in 1993, the best-ever showing at nationals. The Wolfpack has finished in the national top 25 in 16 of the last 36 seasons as well, including back-to-back top-20 finishes.
Six individuals have claimed national titles. Matt Reiss at 177 pounds in 1980, Tab Thacker at heavyweight in 1984, Scott Turner at 150 pounds in 1988, Sylvester Terkay at heavyweight in 1993, and Darrion Caldwell in 2009 at 149 pounds. Nick Gwiazdowski is going for his third title, as he has won at heavyweight each of the last two years.
NC State has also had two runner-ups (Michael Stokes-126 in 1989 and Terkay-Hwt in 1992.) In all, 19 NC State wrestlers have earned 30 All-America honors.
Gwiazdowski Earns Top Seed, Looks for Third Straight Title
From Delanson, N.Y., Nick Gwiazdowski will be looking to cement his legacy as one of the top wrestlers ever with his final collegiate tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Gwiazdowski enters the 2016 NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed at 285 pounds for the second straight year. With an NCAA-best 84-match winning streak, he is a perfect 29-0 this season. He is 13-0 against the 2016 NCAA field as well.
He is already the first wrestler in NC State history with a pair of NCAA titles - having won in 2014 and 2015. He is now attempting to become the second ACC wrestler with three straight and the fourth heavyweight in NCAA history with three in a row.
Gantt Closing Out His Career in Style
Along with fellow redshirt senior Nick Gwiazdowski, Tommy Gantt is one of just nine undefeated D1 wrestlers entering the NCAA Championships, and will be looking to close out his Wolfpack career with his first trip to the podium at the NCAAs.
It has been a long journey for Gantt at NC State. They only leftover from the previous coaching staff, Gantt went 12-13 as a freshman in 2012. Improvement was shown as a sophomore going 16-9, but it wasn't until his junior season he made noise nationally.
Gantt went 35-10 as a junior in 2014, and was one win away from All-American honors. The coaching staff decided to redshirt him last season, and the benefits paid off as he won his first ACC Championship and is currently 24-0 and earned the No. 2 seed at 157.
Jack Looking for All-American Honors Once Again
It is a tale of two seasons for sophomore Kevin Jack. Last year he entered unseeded at 141 pounds after coming out of his redshirt in February, but posted multiple upsets and brought home a fifth place finish at the NCAAs and All-American honors as a freshman.
This season, Jack has been ranked in the top-five all season, and enters as the No. 3 seed at 141 with a 23-3 record. Jack has won his last 17 matches, is 13-3 against the 2016 NCAA Field this year, and recently won his first ACC Championship.
Jack is trying to become the eighth NCSU wrestler to be a back-to-back All-American.
Pair of Juniors Back at NCAA Championships
Juniors Max Rohskopf (165 pounds) and Pete Renda (184) will both be making return trips to the NCAA Championships, where they have both posted previous victories.
Rohskopf is making a second consecutive trip to the NCAAs, as he upset the No. 16 seed in the first round last season. This year, Rohskopf has been ranked in the top-10 all season, and is the No. 5 seed at 165 pounds.
Renda will be making his third straight trip to the NCAAs, after he qualified in each of his first two seasons at 174 pounds. This year, Renda finished second at the ACC Championships and is 21-7 overall. He is 7-7 versus ranked foes this year, after going just 2-19 against ranked foes in his first two seasons.
Pack Rookies at the NCAA Championships
Three NC State wrestlers will be making their first trips to the NCAAs - sophomore Michael Boykin (No. 12 seed at 197 pounds), and redshirt-freshmen Sean Fausz (125) and Jamal Morris (133) both earned automatic NCAA bids in their first seasons as starters with the Pack.
During his four-year career, head coach Pat Popolizio has now had at least one freshman each season advance to the NCAAs, and a total of five overall.
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Top-10 Starters Leading the Way
Four of NC State's 10 starters were ranked in the top-10 in every poll during the season. They have combined to go 91-5 (.948) thus far, including 62-4 in dual action (.939), and all four won an ACC Championship and received a top-five seed for the NCAAs.
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A Look at the 2015-16 Season
Coming off back-to-back top-20 NCAA finishes, this year's Wolfpack set some high goals. The impressive 2015-16 campaign could go down as the best in school history.
• NC State won its first ACC Championship since 2007. The four individual champions are also the most since 2007.
• NC State finished the season #2 in the final NWCA/USA Today Wrestling Coaches poll, its highest ranking in school history for any poll. The Pack spent the final 10 polls ranked among the top-four, including eight straight polls at #3 (Dec. 15-Feb. 9).
• NC State finished 23-1 in duals, setting a new school record for most wins in a single season. The 23 wins led the NCAA, and also set a new ACC record.
• NC State was 9-1 vs. ranked teams this season - outscoring those teams 239-122 (avg. 23.9-12.2) and winning 63 of the 100 individual matches with 26 bonus point wins.
• 3-0 vs. top-five foes - wins at #2 Iowa and #4 Oklahoma St, and vs. #5 Missouri. NC State is the first program in NCAA history to win at Iowa and OK State in the same year.
• 6 of NC State's 10 starters are ranked in the top-20 nationally in every major poll (a 7th is ranked in some). Four starters are ranked in the top-10 overall.
• NC State signed the #2 recruiting class nationally in the fall signing period.
Wolfpack Finishes Regular Season Ranked No. 2
Thanks to a 23-1 overall record, including 9-1 against ranked foes, NC State finished the regular season ranked No. 2 nationally in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll, its highest ranking in school history. NC State also finished #2 according to FloWrestling, InterMat and WIN Magazine.
NC State spent the final 10 Coaches' Polls ranked fourth or better, including eight straight polls at No. 3. Previously, the highest ranking at any point in a season for NC State was No. 7 in 1992.
Nation's Longest Win Streak Belongs to Gwiazdowski
Two-time defending national champion Nick Gwiazdowski has won an NCAA-best 84 straight matches dating back to Jan. 2014. He finished last year with a new school record 55 straight wins, and has increased that mark in his final season. During his streak, he has won all 48 dual matchups, and 58 of the 84 wins were for bonus points and 31 came against ranked foes.
NC State Streaks
Of the nine remaining D1 wrestlers without a loss this season, two wrestle for NC State. Tommy Gantt is 24-0 and Nick Gwiazdowski is 29-0 in their redshirt senior seasons. NC State is one of just three schools nationally with at least two wrestlers still undefeated, and Gantt and Gwiazdowski are the only undefeated wrestlers left in the ACC.
Kevin Jack has won 17 straight himself, dating back to Dec. 29.
Gwiazdowski Dominating as Usual
Nick Gwiazdowski has been dominant since he joined the Wolfpack for the 2013-14 season. He currently holds an NCAA-best 84 match-winning streak, with his last loss coming in Jan. 2014. He has also won his last 31 matches vs. ranked foes.
He is 29-0 this year, following up a perfect 35-0 campaign in 2014-15 and 42-2 in his first season in 2013-14. In his three-year NC State career, Gwiazdowski is 106-2, including a perfect 55-0 in duals. In just three seasons, his 106 wins are third most at NC State.
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RALEIGH, N.C. - With the second-most seeded wrestlers in school history, NC State will be looking for its first top-10 finish since 1993 at the 2016 NCAA Championships. The Wolfpack has six seeded wrestlers, four in the top-five, and will have a school-record eight overall competing for NCAA gold in New York.
For the second straight year, two-time defending NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski enters as the top-seed at 285 pounds. He becomes the first wrestler in school history to earn a top seed in back-to-back NCAA Championships.
Fellow ACC Champions Kevin Jack (No. 3 seed at 141 pounds), Tommy Gantt (No. 2 seed at 157 pounds), and Max Rohskopf (No. 5 seed at 165 pounds) also were awarded top-five seeds. All three will be competing in their second NCAA Championships.
The other two seeded Wolfpack wrestlers are Pete Renda, seeded No. 13 at 184 pounds and sophomore Michael Boykin, seeded No. 12 at 197 pounds. Redshirt freshmen Sean Fausz (125) and Jamal Morris (133) will each be making their first NCAA trip.
Reaching New Heights Entering NCAAs
NC State's six seeded wrestlers are the second-most in school history, only behind seven in 1982. This season also marks the only season in school history NC State will have four wrestlers seeded fifth or better.
The last season NC State had multiple seeded wrestlers at the NCAA Championships was in 1993 (with three), and the six this season equals the total amount of NC State seeded wrestlers from 2009-15.
The eight NCAA qualifiers this season ties the school record, also reached in 1996. In head coach Pat Popolizio's first four seasons at NC State he has had 21 NCAA qualifiers, the most in a four-year span at NC State since also having 21 from 1998-01.
NC State NCAA Championship Tradition
NC State wrestling has a rich tradition of performing well at the NCAA Championships. NC State has finished in the top 10 nationally three times, including a seventh-place finish in 1993, the best-ever showing at nationals. The Wolfpack has finished in the national top 25 in 16 of the last 36 seasons as well, including back-to-back top-20 finishes.
Six individuals have claimed national titles. Matt Reiss at 177 pounds in 1980, Tab Thacker at heavyweight in 1984, Scott Turner at 150 pounds in 1988, Sylvester Terkay at heavyweight in 1993, and Darrion Caldwell in 2009 at 149 pounds. Nick Gwiazdowski is going for his third title, as he has won at heavyweight each of the last two years.
NC State has also had two runner-ups (Michael Stokes-126 in 1989 and Terkay-Hwt in 1992.) In all, 19 NC State wrestlers have earned 30 All-America honors.
Gwiazdowski Earns Top Seed, Looks for Third Straight Title
From Delanson, N.Y., Nick Gwiazdowski will be looking to cement his legacy as one of the top wrestlers ever with his final collegiate tournament at Madison Square Garden.
Gwiazdowski enters the 2016 NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed at 285 pounds for the second straight year. With an NCAA-best 84-match winning streak, he is a perfect 29-0 this season. He is 13-0 against the 2016 NCAA field as well.
He is already the first wrestler in NC State history with a pair of NCAA titles - having won in 2014 and 2015. He is now attempting to become the second ACC wrestler with three straight and the fourth heavyweight in NCAA history with three in a row.
Gantt Closing Out His Career in Style
Along with fellow redshirt senior Nick Gwiazdowski, Tommy Gantt is one of just nine undefeated D1 wrestlers entering the NCAA Championships, and will be looking to close out his Wolfpack career with his first trip to the podium at the NCAAs.
It has been a long journey for Gantt at NC State. They only leftover from the previous coaching staff, Gantt went 12-13 as a freshman in 2012. Improvement was shown as a sophomore going 16-9, but it wasn't until his junior season he made noise nationally.
Gantt went 35-10 as a junior in 2014, and was one win away from All-American honors. The coaching staff decided to redshirt him last season, and the benefits paid off as he won his first ACC Championship and is currently 24-0 and earned the No. 2 seed at 157.
Jack Looking for All-American Honors Once Again
It is a tale of two seasons for sophomore Kevin Jack. Last year he entered unseeded at 141 pounds after coming out of his redshirt in February, but posted multiple upsets and brought home a fifth place finish at the NCAAs and All-American honors as a freshman.
This season, Jack has been ranked in the top-five all season, and enters as the No. 3 seed at 141 with a 23-3 record. Jack has won his last 17 matches, is 13-3 against the 2016 NCAA Field this year, and recently won his first ACC Championship.
Jack is trying to become the eighth NCSU wrestler to be a back-to-back All-American.
Pair of Juniors Back at NCAA Championships
Juniors Max Rohskopf (165 pounds) and Pete Renda (184) will both be making return trips to the NCAA Championships, where they have both posted previous victories.
Rohskopf is making a second consecutive trip to the NCAAs, as he upset the No. 16 seed in the first round last season. This year, Rohskopf has been ranked in the top-10 all season, and is the No. 5 seed at 165 pounds.
Renda will be making his third straight trip to the NCAAs, after he qualified in each of his first two seasons at 174 pounds. This year, Renda finished second at the ACC Championships and is 21-7 overall. He is 7-7 versus ranked foes this year, after going just 2-19 against ranked foes in his first two seasons.
Pack Rookies at the NCAA Championships
Three NC State wrestlers will be making their first trips to the NCAAs - sophomore Michael Boykin (No. 12 seed at 197 pounds), and redshirt-freshmen Sean Fausz (125) and Jamal Morris (133) both earned automatic NCAA bids in their first seasons as starters with the Pack.
During his four-year career, head coach Pat Popolizio has now had at least one freshman each season advance to the NCAAs, and a total of five overall.
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| Wrestler | Weight | Record | Dual | ACC Finish |
| R-Fr. Sean Fausz | 125 | 19-9 | 9-7 | 2nd |
| R-Fr. Jamal Morris | 133 | 14-8 | 12-7 | 3rd |
| So. Michael Boykin | 197 | 17-9 | 7-6 | 3rd |
Top-10 Starters Leading the Way
Four of NC State's 10 starters were ranked in the top-10 in every poll during the season. They have combined to go 91-5 (.948) thus far, including 62-4 in dual action (.939), and all four won an ACC Championship and received a top-five seed for the NCAAs.
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| Wt. | Wrestler | Record | Dual | vs. Rk | Bonus | Streak |
| 141 | No. 3 seed Kevin Jack | 23-3 | 15-2 | 9-3 | 7 | 17 |
| 157 | No. 2 seed Tommy Gantt | 24-0 | 16-0 | 10-0 | 13 | 24 |
| 165 | No. 5 seed Max Rohskopf | 15-2 | 13-2 | 7-2 | 5 | 3 |
| 285 | No. 1 seed Nick Gwiazdowski | 29-0 | 17-0 | 12-0 | 23 | 84 |
| Totals | 91-5 | 62-4 | 38-5 | 48 | ||
| .948 | .939 | .884 | .500 |
A Look at the 2015-16 Season
Coming off back-to-back top-20 NCAA finishes, this year's Wolfpack set some high goals. The impressive 2015-16 campaign could go down as the best in school history.
• NC State won its first ACC Championship since 2007. The four individual champions are also the most since 2007.
• NC State finished the season #2 in the final NWCA/USA Today Wrestling Coaches poll, its highest ranking in school history for any poll. The Pack spent the final 10 polls ranked among the top-four, including eight straight polls at #3 (Dec. 15-Feb. 9).
• NC State finished 23-1 in duals, setting a new school record for most wins in a single season. The 23 wins led the NCAA, and also set a new ACC record.
• NC State was 9-1 vs. ranked teams this season - outscoring those teams 239-122 (avg. 23.9-12.2) and winning 63 of the 100 individual matches with 26 bonus point wins.
• 3-0 vs. top-five foes - wins at #2 Iowa and #4 Oklahoma St, and vs. #5 Missouri. NC State is the first program in NCAA history to win at Iowa and OK State in the same year.
• 6 of NC State's 10 starters are ranked in the top-20 nationally in every major poll (a 7th is ranked in some). Four starters are ranked in the top-10 overall.
• NC State signed the #2 recruiting class nationally in the fall signing period.
Wolfpack Finishes Regular Season Ranked No. 2
Thanks to a 23-1 overall record, including 9-1 against ranked foes, NC State finished the regular season ranked No. 2 nationally in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll, its highest ranking in school history. NC State also finished #2 according to FloWrestling, InterMat and WIN Magazine.
NC State spent the final 10 Coaches' Polls ranked fourth or better, including eight straight polls at No. 3. Previously, the highest ranking at any point in a season for NC State was No. 7 in 1992.
Nation's Longest Win Streak Belongs to Gwiazdowski
Two-time defending national champion Nick Gwiazdowski has won an NCAA-best 84 straight matches dating back to Jan. 2014. He finished last year with a new school record 55 straight wins, and has increased that mark in his final season. During his streak, he has won all 48 dual matchups, and 58 of the 84 wins were for bonus points and 31 came against ranked foes.
NC State Streaks
Of the nine remaining D1 wrestlers without a loss this season, two wrestle for NC State. Tommy Gantt is 24-0 and Nick Gwiazdowski is 29-0 in their redshirt senior seasons. NC State is one of just three schools nationally with at least two wrestlers still undefeated, and Gantt and Gwiazdowski are the only undefeated wrestlers left in the ACC.
Kevin Jack has won 17 straight himself, dating back to Dec. 29.
Gwiazdowski Dominating as Usual
Nick Gwiazdowski has been dominant since he joined the Wolfpack for the 2013-14 season. He currently holds an NCAA-best 84 match-winning streak, with his last loss coming in Jan. 2014. He has also won his last 31 matches vs. ranked foes.
He is 29-0 this year, following up a perfect 35-0 campaign in 2014-15 and 42-2 in his first season in 2013-14. In his three-year NC State career, Gwiazdowski is 106-2, including a perfect 55-0 in duals. In just three seasons, his 106 wins are third most at NC State.
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