North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State Wrestling Hosts Weekend Twin-Bill Vs. UNC, Navy
1/27/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 27, 2005
RALEIGH, N.C. - Fresh off an impressive victory over a very underrated squad from UNC Greensboro, the NC State wrestling team returns home this weekend for a pair of matches on Friday and Saturday night. The Wolfpack will begin Atlantic Coast Conference action Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum against arch-rival North Carolina. On Saturday, NC State will host 21st-ranked Navy in a 7 p.m. match at Cardinal Gibbons High School.
The Wolfpack, now 4-4, defeated UNCG 24-14 on Wednesday in Greensboro, handing the Spartans only their second defeat in eight dual matches this season. NC State won six of the 10 matches, including the first five, and recorded pins by redshirt-junior 174-pounder Kevin Gabrielson and sophomore heavyweight Jainor Palma.
"That was the NC State team you're going to see the next several years," head coach Carter Jordan said of the UNCG victory. "We have to be aggressive, always moving forward and always outworking and outhustling our opponents. We did a much better job of that [Wednesday night] than we'd done in our last few matches."
North Carolina comes to Reynolds Coliseum with a 3-3 overall record and a 2-0 mark in ACC action, having previously notched victories over Maryland and Virginia. The Tar Heels are led by junior 133-pounder Evan Sola, 19-3 and a 2004 All-American. Freshman 141-pounder Isaiah Britton is 19-9, sophomore 125-pounder Bobby Shaw is 16-12, and sophomore heavyweight Spencer Nadolsky is 21-10. NC State and North Carolina have split the last six meetings between the two. The Wolfpack swept last year's two matches to avenge the Tar Heels' sweep in 2003.
Navy features four wrestlers ranked in the current intermat.com poll, led by heavyweight Tanner Garrett, who is 23-2 this season and ranked No. 15 nationally. Junior 141-pounder Nate Goulash is ranked 17th with an 18-6 mark. At 133 pounds, senior Sam Gray is 18-7 and ranked 19th, while senior 197-pounder Thayer Paxton is 19-4 and also ranked 19th.
Despite a 7-0 loss on Wednesday to 19th-ranked Joe Kemmerer of UNC Greensboro, redshirt-sophomore Garrett Cummings leads NC State with a 12-4 record. Gabrielson is 11-6 and has won four of his last five bouts, while Palma is 12-8.
