North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Wrestling To Host UVa On Saturday
2/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 13, 2004
RALEIGH, N.C. - Looking to wrap up first place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings for the third time in the last five years, the NC State wrestling team will host Virginia on Saturday afternoon at Reynolds Coliseum. The match will begin at 2 p.m. and will be free to the public.
The Wolfpack, 8-4 overall, brings a perfect 3-0 ACC mark into the bout. NC State has won two of the last three conference tournaments and should be the favorite again this season, but Virginia, 7-4 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, presents a challenge. The Cavaliers feature a pair of ranked wrestlers, including top-ranked 141-pounder Scott Moore, a junior who will bring a perfect 38-0 mark to Reynolds this weekend. Moore has recorded 27 of his 38 wins by pin. At 165, the Cavs Tim Foley, a senior who is 25-4 and ranked 14th by Intermat.com, and 11th by The Wrestling Mall.
Moore and Foley should get strong challenges from the Wolfpack. At 15-8, junior Alex Hernandez leads NC State in victories, and has experience against top-ranked opponents. Hernandez lost a 6-5 heartbreaker to Oklahoma's Teyon Ware, then ranked No. 1 in the country, on January 31 in Norman. Hernandez has not lost since then, winning three times in as many bouts, twice by fall, including a pin of Lehigh's Matt Ennis on February 7.
At 165, the Wolfpack will send two-time defending ACC champion Dustin Kawa to face Foley. Kawa is 13-3 this season and 75-32 for his career. Kawa was ranked as high as 17th earlier this season, but has missed time with nagging injuries.
At 157, NC State's Scott Garren (12-2) is ranked 16th nationally and will face UVa's Paul Bjorlo (24-16). At 149, the Wolfpack's Jake Giamoni (14-5) will take on Aaron Martin (13-16). Garren and Giamoni, like Kawa, are both seniors and are two-time conference champions. Giamoni won the ACC championship two years ago at 141 and a year ago at 149, while Garren won the 157 crown in 2000 and 2003. Kawa, Garren and Giamoni will be making their final appearances at Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday.
Kawa Flattens Opponents: Senior 165-pounder Dustin Kawa has always been a tough customer for opposing wrestlers, but as a senior, Kawa has given the Wolfpack bonus points. At 13-3 this season, Kawa has recorded seven victories by fall. He has now matched his total of falls from his first three seasons combined.
Although single-season totals for falls have been kept at NC State for just a few years, Kawa currently is tied for the sixth most pins for a single season since the 1990-91 campaign.
With 14 pins for his career, Kawa needs four more to move into the top 10 in NC State history. Terkay (1990-93) holds the school record with 64 career pins.
Garren Notes: At 12-2, senior 157-pounder Scott Garren has compiled one of the most impressive career won-lost record in school history. With a 66-17 career won-lost record (.795), Garren has won 40 of his last 46 matches (.870). In regular-season competition, Garren has won 32 of his last 34 bouts (.941), with both losses coming earlier this season to the No. 1 wrestler in the country.
Garren has now won six matches in a row, but winning streaks are nothing new for Garren. He got off to an 18-0 start a year ago, which gave him a 23-match winning streak dating back to his final five bouts of the 2000-01 season. (Garren tore five ligaments in his right knee in February 2001 and was unable to wrestle again until the start of the 2002-03 campaign.)
Garren's 23-match winning streak was the longest by an NC State wrestler since Sylvester Terkay went 41-0 at heavyweight and won the national championship in 1993.
Garren now has lost just four times since February 2001. All four of those losses were to ranked wrestlers - two to the No. 1 wrestler at the time, one to No. 3, and one to No. 13.
A two-time ACC champion, Garren began his career in 1999-2000 by winning seven of his first nine bouts and eight of his first 11. He opened the 2000-01 season by winning five of his first seven and 10 of his first 13.
Milestones: Beating North Carolina always is significant, but for Wolfpack coach Bob Guzzo, both victories over the Heels were landmark achievements in 2004. The first win over the Heels, in Chapel Hill on January 14, was the 350th of Guzzo's 30-year career at NC State. The second win over UNC, this past Wednesday at home, was Guzzo's 355th, which tied him with the legendary Dan Gable of Iowa.
With his major decision over North Carolina's Garrett Atkinson on February 11, senior 165-pounder Dustin Kawa moved into a tie for 12th place in NC State history in career victories with 75. Kawa is 75-32 for his career.
Senior 157-pounder Scott Garren improved to 66-17 with his 8-3 decision over Ashton Buswell of North Carolina on February 11. Garren's career winning percentage, subject to fluctuation, now stands at .795, which ranks 11th in school history. Jim Zenz (1977-80) is 10th at .804 (92-22-1). Sylvester Terkay (1990-93) is the all-time leader at .897 (122-14). Terkay, the only Wolfpack wrestler ever to win 100 or more matches in a career, went 41-0 and won the NCAA heavyweight title as a senior in 1993.
Senior 149-pounder Jake Giamoni improved his career record to 75-38 with his 5-4 decision over UNC's Brian Baglio on Wednesday, but that includes a 17-10 mark as a freshman at Boston University. Giamoni is 58-28 in two-plus seasons at NC State.
