North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Wrestling Travels To No. 4 Iowa State
1/24/2002 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 24, 2002
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State wrestling team will take on fourth-ranked Iowa State this weekend in Ames, Iowa. The match will begin at 7:30 CST.
The Cyclones are the second top 10 opponent for the Wolfpack this month. The Pack dropped a 40-7 decision at seventh-ranked Oklahoma on January 3. All 10 Iowa State starters were ranked in their respective weight classes in the January 22 Intermat Wrestling poll, including a pair of wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the country.
Iowa State is led by undefeated 197-pounder Cael Sanderson, who is 25-0 on the season and 144-0 for his career. At 165 pounds, Joe Heskett also is ranked No. 1 in the country and sports a 26-0 record this season. He is 130-8 for his career. Also ranked in the top 10 nationally for Iowa State are No. 9 Zach Robertson at 133 pounds, No. 5 Aaron Hoelker at 141, and No. 6 Billy Maldonado at 149.
The Wolfpack, 5-5 on the season, is led by senior 165-pounder Pierre Pryor, 17-5 on the season and a two-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion at 157 pounds. Pryor has won his last four matches in a row and eight of his last nine. Sophomore 174-pounder Dustin Kawa is 12-6 on the season, and senior heavyweight Ngozi Collins is 12-5.
* NC State vs. Iowa State: The Wolfpack and Cyclones have wrestled six times in the Bob Guzzo era, with Iowa State winning all six. The most recent was a 31-6 ISU victory at Ames in 1990-91. The closest NC State came to beating the Cyclones was a 20-19 loss in Raleigh in 1985-96, and a pair of close losses in 1987-88, 23-20 in Raleigh and 18-14 at the 1988 Virginia Duals.
* Pryor Climbing NC State All-Time Rankings: In the midst of yet another outstanding season, senior 165-pounder Pierre Pryor is now among the all-time NC State leaders in wins and pins. At 17-5 wit htwo pins this season, Pryor heads into action this weekend at Iowa State with a 79-29 career record and 21 career pins. He ranks eighth all-time in school history in victories, and seventh in wins by fall. Pryor needs 11 more wins to become just the fifth NC State wrestler ever to win 90 matches in a career.
* Lineup Changes: Following a 21-9 loss at North Carolina on January 16, the Wolfpack's fourth dual-match loss in a row, NC State coach Bob Guzzo decided to shuffle the lower end of his lineup. Sophomore Ryan McCallum has moved up from 133 pounds to 141 and will compete with sophomore Jonathan Williams for the starting nod there, while sophomore Jake Giamoni has moved up from 141 to 149. Sophomore Clarence Davis has moved into the lineup at 133.
* NC States Probable Starters
125 George Cintron, Jr, Wellington, Fla.
133 Clarence Davis, Jr., Rock Hill, S.C.
141 Ryan McCallum, So., Reading, Pa.
or Jonathan Williams, R-So., Brentwood, Tenn.
149 Jake Giamoni, So, Easton, Pa.
157 Kevin Gabrielson, Fr., Chesapeake Beach, Md.
165 Pierre Pryor, Sr. Virginia Beach, Va.
174 Dustin Kawa, So., Lithonia, Ga.
184 Jon Godwin, So., Oveido, Fla.
197 Jason Gore, Sr. Cary, N.C.
Hwt Ngozi Collins, Sr. Lithonia, Ga.
* NC State Sports A Youthful Look: Although NC State is the defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions, the Wolfpack has a decidedly young look this season. With 23 freshmen or sophomores on the 32-man roster, the Pack has just three senior starters (Pierre Pryor at 165, Jason Gore at 197, and Ngozi Collins at heavyweight), one junior (George Cintron at 125), five sophomores (Clarence Davis at 133, Ryan McCallum or Jonathan Williams at 141, Jake Giamoni at 149, Dustin Kawa at 174, and Jon Godwin at 184). Freshman Kevin Gabrielson at 157 is the remaining starter.
* Who's Hot: Heading into the Iowa State match, the Wolfpack has lost five of its last six dual matches, but three wrestlers enter action this weekend wrestling well. Not surprisingly, senior 165-pounder Pierre Pryor is NC State's hottest wrestler, having won four matches in a row, eight of his last nine, and 13 of his last 15 bouts. Dating back to last season, Pryor has won 36 of his last 44 matches, including a 16-match winning streak a year ago.
Sophomore 174-pounder Dustin Kawa has won his last four matches in a row, and seven of his last 10. Kawa missed the Virginia Duals and the Wolfpack's January 3 match at Oklahoma State while attending to personal matters. A former high school national champion, Kawa is 12-6 on the season.
Senior heavyweight Ngozi Collins is having a standout season, sporting a 12-5 overall record. He has won his last two matches and six of his last eight. Two of his five losses came to ranked opponents, and two others were at the hands of two-time ACC heavyweight champion Matt Kenney of North Carolina.
* Collins Having A Dream Season: For heavyweight Ngozi Collins, the 2001-02 season came out of nowhere. He came into the season with a 3-10 career mark, with most of his prior action coming at the 197 classification during the 1999-2000 season. He was not on the NC State wrestling team a year ago, but came back this season and has been outstanding. He has given up team points grudgingly, surrendering just one major decision and one fall. He has recorded a pair of pins, and after starting the year with a 3-10 mark, he has evened his career record to 15-15.
* Cintron Overcoming Adversity: NC State junior 125-pounder George Cintron, the defending ACC champion at 125, has struggled this season, not just with his opponents on the mat, but with adversity off the mat. Just prior to the start of the season, Cintron's older brother Frank, 26, was killed in a motorcycle accident on Long Island, New York. Cintron missed the start of the season and, not surprisingly, had his problems once he returned to action. He lost two of his first three bouts, won two in a row to improve to 3-2, and then lost three in a row for just the second time since his freshman season. He has won three of his last four matches, including major decisions over Reynolds Candelaria of Wyoming and Matt Pandullo of Maryland.
NC State Wrestling
2001-02 INDIVIDUAL RECORDS
WT WRESTLER SEASON CAREER
125 George Cintron (R-Jr.) 6-6 42-21
Clarence Davis (Jr.) 0-3 (0-5) 19-16
133 Ryan McCallum (So.) 6-6 19-16 / 4 falls
Clarence Davis (Jr.) 0-2 (0-5)
Kenneth Alphin (So.) 0-2 0-6
141 Jake Giamoni (So.) 9-10 (10-10) 27-20
Jonathan Williams (R-So.) 1-2 6-6 / 3 falls
149 Dave Miller (Fr.) 5-7 5-7 / 3 falls
Reuben Ledbetter (R-Sr.) 0-1 (0-3)
Jake Giamoni (So.) 1-0 (10-10)
Justin Parlier (Jr.) 1-2 5-15 / 1 fall
157 Kevin Gabrielson (Fr.) 5-6 5-6 / 1 fall
Phillip Davanzo (R-Jr.) 0-2 (0-3) 4-13 / 2 falls
Reuben Ledbetter (R-Sr.) 0-2 (0-3) 0-9
165 Pierre Pryor (R-Sr.) 17-5 79-29 / 21 falls
174 Dustin Kawa (R-So.) 12-6 29-20 / 4 falls
Phillip Davanzo (R-Jr.) 0-1 (0-3)
184 Jon Godwin (R-So.) 8-10 12-14 / 4 falls
197 Jason Gore (R-Sr.) 8-10 23-46 / 1 fall
Joe McGann (Fr.) 2-2 2-2
HT Ngozi Collins (R-Sr.) 12-5 15-15 / 2 falls
Drew Wentz (Fr.) 0-1 0-1
record vs. ranked opponents is based on rankings at the time of the match
