North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Wrestling Builds on NCAA Experience
3/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 22, 2006
RALEIGH, N.C. - Carter Jordan, NC State's second-year head wrestling coach, had high expectations for the Wolfpack's four NCAA qualifiers heading into last weekend's NCAA Championships at Oklahoma City, Okla.
Considering Jordan's expectations, it was understandable that he had a tough time going to Ford Center to watch other teams succeed once all of the Wolfpack's competitors had been eliminated early in the tournament. After having a talk with his athletes and taking time to assess his team's situation, however, Jordan came back to the finals of the NCAA tournament with a renewed excitement about the potential of his young team.
"The positives are we got four underclassmen out here to see exactly what we were talking about," Jordan said.
Despite explaining the environment at the national tournament and training his wrestler for that environment all season, Jordan believes the only way to truly prepare for the NCAA Championships is to experience the tournament first-hand. For that reason, it was vitally important that the Wolfpack had wrestlers qualify as freshmen and sophomores.
"I met with them after the first night," Jordan said. "I sat them all down and told them that for a month now we've been talking about this place (NCAAs), with two former All-Americans (assistant coaches Jerrod Sanders and Tony Davis) and a guy who has been out here eight years as a coach (Jordan). I asked them point-blank, did anything we told you prepare you for this, and to a man they all said no. Because you have to experience it."
NC State now has four wrestlers with national tournament experience returning to the team for another two to three years. Jordan expects that experience will help him to better coach the team.
"We've got three returning conference champions (Kody Hamrah at 157, Jeremy Colbert at 184, and Ryan Goodman at 197) and another kid who won 25 matches as a true freshman (Joe Caramanica at 149) that have been out here now," Jordan said. "They know what they need to work on, and that makes us more effective as coaches."
The Wolfpack will waste little time before returning to workouts to improve on their craft. Spring workouts begin in April.
"This is a great group of kids, they know what they're gonna have to do in the offseason, and we're gonna hit the ground running, starting with our spring workouts," Jordan said.
Next year's team could feature four returning starters who will be in their senior season -- Jeremy Hartrum (125), Garrett Cummings (125-133), Rick Brownlee (174) and Jainor Palma (285). That leaves plenty of room for youth in the lineup.
"I'm really pleased with these young kids," Jordan said. "We're gonna have to build off them."
Jordan is continuing to bring in quality young wrestlers to add depth to the Wolfpack roster. So far, the highlight of the NC State recruiting class is Darrion Caldwell a three-time state champion from Rahway High School in New Jersey. Caldwell will be competing at 152 pounds in the 32nd annual Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic on March 26 as a member of the USA Team.
Two freshmen and two sophomores that qualified for nationals, along with four quality seniors and a strong recruiting class gives NC State wrestling a solid base for success next season.
