North Carolina State University Athletics
Wrestling In Ohio For Saint Edward Duals
11/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Looking for its first victory while in the midst of a gruelling dual-match portion of its schedule, the Wolfpack wrestling team will face three tough opponents on Saturday at the Saint Edward Duals.
The duals will take place at Saint Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, in the western suburbs of Cleveland, and the competition will include Iowa Central Community College, Findlay, and fourth-ranked Iowa. The Pack will take on Iowa Central at 10 a.m., Findlay at 2:30 p.m., and Iowa at 4 p.m.
Despite the presence of just one Division I opponent, the Wolfpack should be challenged. Iowa Central is coming off back-to-back NJCAA national championships and returns juco All-Americans. Findlay, meanwhile, is a Division II powerhouse with a lineup that features two-time defending Division II national champion Antonio Guerra at 157 and Division II All-American Travis Clark at heavyweight.
As for Iowa, the Hawkeyes have defending national champion Mark Perry at 165 pounds, along with returning All-Americans Alex Tsirtsis (141) and Charlie Falck (125). Nine Iowa wrestlers are ranked in the latest Intermat/NCWA poll, led by Perry, who is No. 1 at 165.
As for the Wolfpack, head coach Carter Jordan’s squad is winless in three dual matches, but the competition has been stout. The Pack lost at No. 21 Oklahoma, then dropped a pair of close bouts to Purdue and Michigan State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Chapel Hill.
The Wolfpack has gotten solid performances from sophomore Taylor Cummings (6-2 at 125), junior Joe Caramanica (2-0 and ranked No. 14 at 141), sophomore Darrion Caldwell (5-1 and ranked No. 10 at 149), redshirt-freshman Ray Ward (4-2 at 157) and freshman Bobby Isola (4-3 at heavyweight). Junior Ryan Goodman, who will be ranked at 184, is still with the football team and has not wrestled yet. No one else has a winning record.
“We’ve found out a lot about ourselves so far, and we’ll find out more the next two weekends,” Jordan says. “We’re wrestling a very difficult early schedule for a reason. Right now we have some holes in the lineup that we’re working very hard to fill. This weekend will help. We have some young guys who are capable of stepping up and giving us credible performances, but they need experience.”
The Iowa match will provide several key matchups for the Pack. Cummings will face Falck, who is ranked No. 5 at 125. Caramanica will face either Tsirtsis or Dan LeClere, a sophomore who currently is No. 20 at 141. Caldwell will face his third top 12 opponent in as many matches when he faces sixth-ranked Brent Metcalf in the 149-pound match. Ward will face 10th-ranked Ryan Morningstar at 157, and Isola will take on No. 7 Matt Fields at heavyweight.
Following the Saint Edward Duals, NC State will return home for the week before traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Cliff Keen Invitational, which annually ranks as the top in-season college wrestling tournament in the country.
The duals will take place at Saint Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio, in the western suburbs of Cleveland, and the competition will include Iowa Central Community College, Findlay, and fourth-ranked Iowa. The Pack will take on Iowa Central at 10 a.m., Findlay at 2:30 p.m., and Iowa at 4 p.m.
Despite the presence of just one Division I opponent, the Wolfpack should be challenged. Iowa Central is coming off back-to-back NJCAA national championships and returns juco All-Americans. Findlay, meanwhile, is a Division II powerhouse with a lineup that features two-time defending Division II national champion Antonio Guerra at 157 and Division II All-American Travis Clark at heavyweight.
As for Iowa, the Hawkeyes have defending national champion Mark Perry at 165 pounds, along with returning All-Americans Alex Tsirtsis (141) and Charlie Falck (125). Nine Iowa wrestlers are ranked in the latest Intermat/NCWA poll, led by Perry, who is No. 1 at 165.
As for the Wolfpack, head coach Carter Jordan’s squad is winless in three dual matches, but the competition has been stout. The Pack lost at No. 21 Oklahoma, then dropped a pair of close bouts to Purdue and Michigan State in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Chapel Hill.
The Wolfpack has gotten solid performances from sophomore Taylor Cummings (6-2 at 125), junior Joe Caramanica (2-0 and ranked No. 14 at 141), sophomore Darrion Caldwell (5-1 and ranked No. 10 at 149), redshirt-freshman Ray Ward (4-2 at 157) and freshman Bobby Isola (4-3 at heavyweight). Junior Ryan Goodman, who will be ranked at 184, is still with the football team and has not wrestled yet. No one else has a winning record.
“We’ve found out a lot about ourselves so far, and we’ll find out more the next two weekends,” Jordan says. “We’re wrestling a very difficult early schedule for a reason. Right now we have some holes in the lineup that we’re working very hard to fill. This weekend will help. We have some young guys who are capable of stepping up and giving us credible performances, but they need experience.”
The Iowa match will provide several key matchups for the Pack. Cummings will face Falck, who is ranked No. 5 at 125. Caramanica will face either Tsirtsis or Dan LeClere, a sophomore who currently is No. 20 at 141. Caldwell will face his third top 12 opponent in as many matches when he faces sixth-ranked Brent Metcalf in the 149-pound match. Ward will face 10th-ranked Ryan Morningstar at 157, and Isola will take on No. 7 Matt Fields at heavyweight.
Following the Saint Edward Duals, NC State will return home for the week before traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada, for the Cliff Keen Invitational, which annually ranks as the top in-season college wrestling tournament in the country.
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