NC State
ACC Tournament
NC State Wrestling Captures ACC Championship
3/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 6, 2004
NC State received solid performances from seniors Jake Giamoni (149 pounds) and Scott Garren (157 pounds), who each won their respective individual championships, to help lead the Wolfpack to the team championship at the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Virginia's University Hall.
NC State totaled 84 team points to clinch first place, followed by Virginia in second with 76, Duke third with 60, North Carolina fourth with 56 and Maryland fifth with 32. The championship was the 13th overall for the Wolfpack program.
NC State's 125-pounder Jeremy Hartrum decisioned Brian Sticca of Virginia, 5-2, during the semifinals, but fell short in the finals when he was pinned by Christian Smith of Duke in a time of 6:05. At 133 pounds, Daniel Pacitti also finished in second place for the Wolfpack, after losing a heartbreaking 6-2 double overtime decision to Duke's Adam Benitez.
At 141 pounds, Alex Hernandez defeated Jason Gribschaw of Maryland, 7-3, but suffered a technical fall to top-ranked Scott Moore of Virginia, 17-2, in the championship round. But NC State's luck would change in the middle of the tournament, as its senior class stepped onto the mat one-by-one.
Giamoni was up first and won a 13-4 major decision over UNC's Andrew Slack, giving him his second individual title in as many years. Giamoni made it to the championship bout after posting a 12-4 major decision victory over Aaron Martin of Virginia. Then the action moved to 157 pounds, where Garren wasted no time at all putting away North Carolina's Ashton Buswell, 11-4 in the semifinals before handing Jason Kiessling of Maryland a 6-2 loss in the championship round. The win marked Garren's third ACC crown.
Fellow senior Dustin Kawa suffered an 8-6 decision loss to Virginia's Tim Foley at 165 pounds, while Levi Craig of Duke took a close 3-1 overtime win over Michael Grogan of Virginia at 174 pounds. NC State's Rick Brownlee finished fourth.
At 184 pounds, Duke grabbed another individual title when Frank Cornely decisioned top-seeded Mark Canty of UNC, 7-6. Daniel Humphries took a 11-6 victory over Virginia's Drew Michelotti to grab third place for the Wolfpack.
Freshman Zach Garren would make his way to the championship bout at 197 pounds by defeating Kevin Collier of Virginia, 9-3, only to fall short, 4-1 to North Carolina's Venroy July. The action concluded with the heavyweight class, as Ryan Adams of UNC grabbed a major decision victory over Maryland's Barry Stein, 15-6. The Wolfpack's Janior Palma finished in third place with a 5-1 decision over Scott Smith of Virginia.
ACC Team Finishes
1. NC State, 84 points
2. Virginia, 76 points
3. Duke, 60 points
4. North Carolina, 56 points
5. Maryland, 32 points
2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Round Results:
125 - Christian Smith (Duke) pinned Jeremy Hartrum (NCS), at 6:05
133 - Adam Benitez (Duke) dec. Daniel Pacitti (NCS), 6-2 (2OT)
141 - Scott Moore (UVa) won by technical fall over Alex Hernandez (NCS), 17-2
149 - Jake Giamoni (NCS) major dec. Andrew Slack (UNC), 13-4
157 - Scott Garren (NCS) dec. Jason Kiessling (Maryland), 6-2
165 - Tim Foley (UVa) dec. Dustin Kawa (NCS), 8-6
174 - Levi Craig (Duke) dec. Michael Grogan (UVa), 3-1 (OT)
184 - Frank Cornely (Duke) dec. Mark Canty (UNC), 7-6
197 - Venroy July (UNC) dec. Zach Garren (NCS), 4-1
Hwt - Ryan Adams (UNC) major dec. Barry Stein (Maryland), 15-6
