North Carolina State University Athletics
Wrestling Hits Far Turn With Trip To Maryland, Navy
1/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C. A year ago, the NC State wrestling team hit the last week of January with a 7-5 record and back-to-back home matches against Maryland and Navy next up on the schedule.
The Wolfpack dropped both matches, then went on a six-match winning streak to close out the regular season at 13-7. Fast forward one year, and NC State is 6-5-1 heading into a road doubleheader this Saturday at Maryland at 2 p.m. and at Navy at 7 p.m.
The match vs. the Terrapins will be webcast on ACCSelect.com.
As was the case a year ago, both the Terrapins and Midshipmen will be formidable opponents. Maryland is 10-3, has won five matches in a row, and is ranked No. 21 in the latest NCWA poll. Three Maryland wrestlers are currently ranked.
The Midshipmen, meanwhile, are uncharacteristically 3-4 in dual matches, but with an impressive victory over 13th-ranked Wisconsin, a fourth-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions, and a ninth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle. The Middies have two wrestlers ranked in the latest poll, and were ranked No. 23 in the team rankings just a week ago.
Win or lose on this swing to College Park and Annapolis, Wolfpack head coach Carter Jordan says it’s time for the Pack to pull its act together and get on a roll as the postseason approaches.
“It was at about this time last year that our team really began to come together as a group and get on a roll,” Jordan said. “And we did it against a difficult portion of our schedule. This team faces a similar challenge. We’ve got some guys who have wrestled extremely well, and we’ve got some guys who need to step it up for the stretch drive.”
NC State is led by a quartet of defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions. Junior 141-pounder Joe Caramanica is 21-4 and ranked No. 7 for the Wolfpack. He has won his last seven matches and 11 of his last 12. Caramanica won the ACC a year ago at 149 pounds. Sophomore 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell is 22-3, is tied for fourth in the country with 14 pins and is ranked No. 10 in the latest poll. Caldwell has won his last seven matches and 10 of his last 11. Caldwell won the ACC at 141 last year.
Junior 184-pounder Ryan Goodman comes into this weekend with a 13-4 record and is back in the rankings at No. 20 for the first time in three weeks. Goodman has won six in a row. He is the two-time defending conference champion at 197 pounds. Sophomore 125-pounder Taylor Cummings is 17-8 and has won six matches in a row. Cummings won the ACC championship at 125 as a redshirt-freshman a year ago.
Maryland is 1-0 in the ACC following a 19-17 win at North Carolina last weekend. The Terps are led by sophomore 197-pounder Hudson Taylor, who is 21-2 on the season with 14 pins (tied with Caldwell for fourth in the nation), and is ranked No. 7 in this week’s NWCA poll. Junior 184-pounder Josh Haines is 13-5 and ranked No. 17, while sophomore 174-pounder Mike Letts is 13-4 and ranked No. 9. Sophomore 133-pounder Steven Bell is 18-7 for the Terps, and freshman 149-pounder Eric Medina is 15-8.
Senior heavyweight Ed Pendergast leads Navy with a 23-4 record. He is currently ranked No. 3 nationally. Senior 174-pounder Matt Stolpinski comes into the weekend at 27-6 and ranked No. 6. Junior 133-pounder Joe Baker (17-10), freshman 149-pounder Bryce Sadoris (25-8), junior 184-pounder Casey Caldwell (15-9) and senior 184-197-pouneder Matt Parsons (16-9) also are having strong seasons for the Midshipmen.
“Maryland and Navy both have excellent wrestling teams,” Jordan said. “Navy has been a traditional power in the sport, and their record this season is very misleading. They’re really good. Maryland had a really good season last year, and they’re just building on what they did last year. They’ve had an outstanding season. This will be a very challenging weekend for us, but I think we’ll be up to the challenge.”
Following are the matchups for this weekend’s dual matches vs. Maryland and Navy
NC State vs. #21 Maryland
125: Taylor Cummings (17-8) vs. Brendan Byrne (11-10)
133: Darius Little (7-8) vs. Steven Bell (18-7)
141: #7 Joe Caramanica (21-4) vs. Jon Kohler (9-12)
149: #10 Darrion Caldwell (22-3) vs. Eric Medina (15-8)
157: Colton Palmer (4-4) vs. Brian Letters
165: Jalil Dozier (8-8) vs. Ryan Kennett (6-4)
174: Randy Goodman (5-13) vs. #9 Mike Letts (13-4)
184: #20 Ryan Goodman (13-4) vs. #17 Josh Haines (13-5)
197: Mark Jahad (8-11) vs. #7 Hudson Taylor (21-2)
Hwt: Bobby Isola (10-10) vs. Patrick Gilmore (10-9)
NC State vs. Navy
125: Taylor Cummings vs. Allan Stein (9-15)
133: Darius Little vs. Matt Pagan (13-8)
141: #7 Joe Caramanica vs. Glenn Shober (13-15)
149: #10 Darrion Caldwell vs. Bryce Saddoris (25-8)
157: Colton Palmer vs. Joel Ahern (11-6)
165: Jalil Dozier vs. Justin Jacobs (10-8)
174: Randy Goodman vs. #8 Matt Stolpinski (28-6)
184: #20 Ryan Goodman vs. Casey Caldwell (15-9)
197: Mark Jahad vs. Matt Parsons (16-9)
Hwt: Bobby Isola vs. #3 Ed Pendergast (24-4)
Caldwell On A Roll: Only at the midpoint of his sophomore season, 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell already has started a full-scale assault on the NC State record books. With 22 victories so far this season, Caldwell is on a pace that will put him within reach of the school record of 32 victories in a season by a sophomore, held by Sylvester Terkay. Caldwell has eight dual matches, plus the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA championships, still to go this season.
Given his fast start, Caldwell would have to be seen as having a better than even chance at winning 30 matches this season. Only nine wrestlers in the program’s history have won 30 or more matches, the last being Sylvester Terkay in 1993, when he went 41-0 and won the national championship.
Taking The Fall: With 24 pins to his credit in his one-plus seasons at NC State, Caldwell is tied for fifth in school history for career pins with Pierre Pryor (1998-2002). While Caldwell has a ways to go to break the school record of 64 by Terkay, he easily could finish the current season as high as third place in school history. The late Tab Thacker (1981-84) ranks second in career pins with 54, but Dan Madsen, third with 29, is well within Caldwell’s reach this season, given his current pace. Next up on the list for Caldwell is Lynn Morris (1975-78), who had 28 pins in his career.
Caldwell has 14 pins thus far in 2007-08, tied for fourth in the nation and sixth in Wolfpack lore for most falls in a single season. Terkay has the top two single-season figures in school history 27 in 1991-92 and 25 in 1992-93. Mike Lombardo’s 16 pins in 1987-88 rank third, followed by a pair of 15-pin seasons by Thacker in 1981-82 and 1983-84. Caldwell is next with 14.
NC State’s All-Time Single-Season Pins Leaders
1. Sylvester Terkay (1991-92), 27
2. Sylvester Terkay (1992-93), 25
3. Mike Lombardo (1987-88), 16
4. Tab Thacker (1983-84), 15
Tab Thacker (1981-82), 15
6. Darrion Caldwell (2007-08), 14
7. Tab Thacker (1982-83), 12
Dan Madson (1995-96), 12
9. Jim Best (1985-86), 11
10. Darrion Caldwell (2006-07), 10
NC State’s All-Time Career Pins Leaders
1. Sylvester Terkay (1990-93), 64
2. Tab Thacker (1981-84), 54
3. Dan Madson (1992-94, 1996), 29
4. Lynn Morris (1975-78), 28
5. Pierre Pryor (1998-2002), 24
Darrion Caldwell (2007- ), 24
7. Jim Best (1985-86, 1988-89), 23
8. Mike Lombardo (1985-88), 22
9. Greg Fatool (1982-85), 18
Jerry Rodriguez (1981-82), 18
Winning Percentage: Caldwell has just 51 bouts to his credit so far in his career, but his .824 career won-lost percentage (42-9) would be fifth in school history. Because won-lost percentage is subject to fluctuation, NC State’s career leaders only include wrestlers who have wrestled 50 or more bouts and have exhausted their eligibility. Terkay is the career leader at .897 (122-14).
Approaching A Milestone: Following his 8-7 decision over Ohio University’s Germane Lindsey on January 20, junior 141-pounder Joe Caramanica has a 64-23 career record and needs just six more victories to crack the school’s all-time top 20.
Also Shooting For 30: Caramanica is 21-4 on the season, and like Caldwell he has eight dual matches plus the postseason remaining this season. Should Caldwell and Caramanica both win 30 matches this season, it would mark only the second time in program history that a pair of NC State teammates won 30 or more matches apiece in the same season. Brian Jackson (38) and Michael Stokes (34) both won more than 30 matches in 1989.
Goodman’s Career Numbers: Junior 184-pounder Ryan Goodman has a 57-14 record following his 4-3 decision over Erik Schuth of Ohio University on January 20. He still has a ways to go to crack the top 20 for career wins, but his career winning percentage of .803 would rank 11th in school annals.
Fast Worker: Returning to Darrion Caldwell, he has been working hard to become a seven-minute wrestler and overcome the reputation that he either pins his opponents early or struggles to finish. Looking at his match-by-match results, it’s easy to see where that reputation comes from. Of Caldwell’s 24 career pins, 21 of them came in the first period, 10 in the first minute, and six in the first 30 seconds of the bout. His pin of Liberty’s Scottie Clymer on January 12 was the first in Caldwell’s career that came after the second period of a match.
Caldwell won his first three college matches with pins at 0:13, 1:35, and 2:20, meaning he was 3-0 before he had logged five minutes of mat time. He has four first-period pins against ranked wrestlers, including three that were in the top 10 at the time. Six of his 14 pins this season occurred in the first 30 seconds of the bout.
Add in technical falls and defaults, and 26 of Caldwell’s 42 career victories came well shy of the seven-minute mark. All but two of his nine career losses were by pin or technical fall.
Prior to this year’s Las Vegas Invitational, Caldwell had gone the distance in back-to-back matches just four times, and never in more than two matches in a row. Caldwell went a full seven minutes in his last four matches at Las Vegas, including a 12-3 major decision over No. 2 Josh Cherulla and an 8-6 decision over No. 3 J.P. O’Connor. He has gone 10 matches since then without a match going the distance. For his career, only 18 of Caldwell’s 50 matches have gone the full seven minutes.
Miscellaneous notes: NC State wrestlers are 10-19 against ranked opponents this season ... NC State won 17 matches against ranked opponents a year ago, and 17 total the four previous seasons combined ... With Taylor Cummings (17-8) and Ryan Goodman (13-4) within reach of 20 wins this season, the Wolfpack has a shot at having four wrestlers win at least 20 matches in a season for the third year in a row ... NC State wrestlers are 28-14 against wrestlers from the Atlantic Coast Conference ... Darrion Caldwell has 24 career pins; the rest of the team combined has 38.
The Wolfpack dropped both matches, then went on a six-match winning streak to close out the regular season at 13-7. Fast forward one year, and NC State is 6-5-1 heading into a road doubleheader this Saturday at Maryland at 2 p.m. and at Navy at 7 p.m.
The match vs. the Terrapins will be webcast on ACCSelect.com.
As was the case a year ago, both the Terrapins and Midshipmen will be formidable opponents. Maryland is 10-3, has won five matches in a row, and is ranked No. 21 in the latest NCWA poll. Three Maryland wrestlers are currently ranked.
The Midshipmen, meanwhile, are uncharacteristically 3-4 in dual matches, but with an impressive victory over 13th-ranked Wisconsin, a fourth-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions, and a ninth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle. The Middies have two wrestlers ranked in the latest poll, and were ranked No. 23 in the team rankings just a week ago.
Win or lose on this swing to College Park and Annapolis, Wolfpack head coach Carter Jordan says it’s time for the Pack to pull its act together and get on a roll as the postseason approaches.
“It was at about this time last year that our team really began to come together as a group and get on a roll,” Jordan said. “And we did it against a difficult portion of our schedule. This team faces a similar challenge. We’ve got some guys who have wrestled extremely well, and we’ve got some guys who need to step it up for the stretch drive.”
NC State is led by a quartet of defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions. Junior 141-pounder Joe Caramanica is 21-4 and ranked No. 7 for the Wolfpack. He has won his last seven matches and 11 of his last 12. Caramanica won the ACC a year ago at 149 pounds. Sophomore 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell is 22-3, is tied for fourth in the country with 14 pins and is ranked No. 10 in the latest poll. Caldwell has won his last seven matches and 10 of his last 11. Caldwell won the ACC at 141 last year.
Junior 184-pounder Ryan Goodman comes into this weekend with a 13-4 record and is back in the rankings at No. 20 for the first time in three weeks. Goodman has won six in a row. He is the two-time defending conference champion at 197 pounds. Sophomore 125-pounder Taylor Cummings is 17-8 and has won six matches in a row. Cummings won the ACC championship at 125 as a redshirt-freshman a year ago.
Maryland is 1-0 in the ACC following a 19-17 win at North Carolina last weekend. The Terps are led by sophomore 197-pounder Hudson Taylor, who is 21-2 on the season with 14 pins (tied with Caldwell for fourth in the nation), and is ranked No. 7 in this week’s NWCA poll. Junior 184-pounder Josh Haines is 13-5 and ranked No. 17, while sophomore 174-pounder Mike Letts is 13-4 and ranked No. 9. Sophomore 133-pounder Steven Bell is 18-7 for the Terps, and freshman 149-pounder Eric Medina is 15-8.
Senior heavyweight Ed Pendergast leads Navy with a 23-4 record. He is currently ranked No. 3 nationally. Senior 174-pounder Matt Stolpinski comes into the weekend at 27-6 and ranked No. 6. Junior 133-pounder Joe Baker (17-10), freshman 149-pounder Bryce Sadoris (25-8), junior 184-pounder Casey Caldwell (15-9) and senior 184-197-pouneder Matt Parsons (16-9) also are having strong seasons for the Midshipmen.
“Maryland and Navy both have excellent wrestling teams,” Jordan said. “Navy has been a traditional power in the sport, and their record this season is very misleading. They’re really good. Maryland had a really good season last year, and they’re just building on what they did last year. They’ve had an outstanding season. This will be a very challenging weekend for us, but I think we’ll be up to the challenge.”
Following are the matchups for this weekend’s dual matches vs. Maryland and Navy
NC State vs. #21 Maryland
125: Taylor Cummings (17-8) vs. Brendan Byrne (11-10)
133: Darius Little (7-8) vs. Steven Bell (18-7)
141: #7 Joe Caramanica (21-4) vs. Jon Kohler (9-12)
149: #10 Darrion Caldwell (22-3) vs. Eric Medina (15-8)
157: Colton Palmer (4-4) vs. Brian Letters
165: Jalil Dozier (8-8) vs. Ryan Kennett (6-4)
174: Randy Goodman (5-13) vs. #9 Mike Letts (13-4)
184: #20 Ryan Goodman (13-4) vs. #17 Josh Haines (13-5)
197: Mark Jahad (8-11) vs. #7 Hudson Taylor (21-2)
Hwt: Bobby Isola (10-10) vs. Patrick Gilmore (10-9)
NC State vs. Navy
125: Taylor Cummings vs. Allan Stein (9-15)
133: Darius Little vs. Matt Pagan (13-8)
141: #7 Joe Caramanica vs. Glenn Shober (13-15)
149: #10 Darrion Caldwell vs. Bryce Saddoris (25-8)
157: Colton Palmer vs. Joel Ahern (11-6)
165: Jalil Dozier vs. Justin Jacobs (10-8)
174: Randy Goodman vs. #8 Matt Stolpinski (28-6)
184: #20 Ryan Goodman vs. Casey Caldwell (15-9)
197: Mark Jahad vs. Matt Parsons (16-9)
Hwt: Bobby Isola vs. #3 Ed Pendergast (24-4)
Caldwell On A Roll: Only at the midpoint of his sophomore season, 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell already has started a full-scale assault on the NC State record books. With 22 victories so far this season, Caldwell is on a pace that will put him within reach of the school record of 32 victories in a season by a sophomore, held by Sylvester Terkay. Caldwell has eight dual matches, plus the Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA championships, still to go this season.
Given his fast start, Caldwell would have to be seen as having a better than even chance at winning 30 matches this season. Only nine wrestlers in the program’s history have won 30 or more matches, the last being Sylvester Terkay in 1993, when he went 41-0 and won the national championship.
Taking The Fall: With 24 pins to his credit in his one-plus seasons at NC State, Caldwell is tied for fifth in school history for career pins with Pierre Pryor (1998-2002). While Caldwell has a ways to go to break the school record of 64 by Terkay, he easily could finish the current season as high as third place in school history. The late Tab Thacker (1981-84) ranks second in career pins with 54, but Dan Madsen, third with 29, is well within Caldwell’s reach this season, given his current pace. Next up on the list for Caldwell is Lynn Morris (1975-78), who had 28 pins in his career.
Caldwell has 14 pins thus far in 2007-08, tied for fourth in the nation and sixth in Wolfpack lore for most falls in a single season. Terkay has the top two single-season figures in school history 27 in 1991-92 and 25 in 1992-93. Mike Lombardo’s 16 pins in 1987-88 rank third, followed by a pair of 15-pin seasons by Thacker in 1981-82 and 1983-84. Caldwell is next with 14.
NC State’s All-Time Single-Season Pins Leaders
1. Sylvester Terkay (1991-92), 27
2. Sylvester Terkay (1992-93), 25
3. Mike Lombardo (1987-88), 16
4. Tab Thacker (1983-84), 15
Tab Thacker (1981-82), 15
6. Darrion Caldwell (2007-08), 14
7. Tab Thacker (1982-83), 12
Dan Madson (1995-96), 12
9. Jim Best (1985-86), 11
10. Darrion Caldwell (2006-07), 10
NC State’s All-Time Career Pins Leaders
1. Sylvester Terkay (1990-93), 64
2. Tab Thacker (1981-84), 54
3. Dan Madson (1992-94, 1996), 29
4. Lynn Morris (1975-78), 28
5. Pierre Pryor (1998-2002), 24
Darrion Caldwell (2007- ), 24
7. Jim Best (1985-86, 1988-89), 23
8. Mike Lombardo (1985-88), 22
9. Greg Fatool (1982-85), 18
Jerry Rodriguez (1981-82), 18
Winning Percentage: Caldwell has just 51 bouts to his credit so far in his career, but his .824 career won-lost percentage (42-9) would be fifth in school history. Because won-lost percentage is subject to fluctuation, NC State’s career leaders only include wrestlers who have wrestled 50 or more bouts and have exhausted their eligibility. Terkay is the career leader at .897 (122-14).
Approaching A Milestone: Following his 8-7 decision over Ohio University’s Germane Lindsey on January 20, junior 141-pounder Joe Caramanica has a 64-23 career record and needs just six more victories to crack the school’s all-time top 20.
Also Shooting For 30: Caramanica is 21-4 on the season, and like Caldwell he has eight dual matches plus the postseason remaining this season. Should Caldwell and Caramanica both win 30 matches this season, it would mark only the second time in program history that a pair of NC State teammates won 30 or more matches apiece in the same season. Brian Jackson (38) and Michael Stokes (34) both won more than 30 matches in 1989.
Goodman’s Career Numbers: Junior 184-pounder Ryan Goodman has a 57-14 record following his 4-3 decision over Erik Schuth of Ohio University on January 20. He still has a ways to go to crack the top 20 for career wins, but his career winning percentage of .803 would rank 11th in school annals.
Fast Worker: Returning to Darrion Caldwell, he has been working hard to become a seven-minute wrestler and overcome the reputation that he either pins his opponents early or struggles to finish. Looking at his match-by-match results, it’s easy to see where that reputation comes from. Of Caldwell’s 24 career pins, 21 of them came in the first period, 10 in the first minute, and six in the first 30 seconds of the bout. His pin of Liberty’s Scottie Clymer on January 12 was the first in Caldwell’s career that came after the second period of a match.
Caldwell won his first three college matches with pins at 0:13, 1:35, and 2:20, meaning he was 3-0 before he had logged five minutes of mat time. He has four first-period pins against ranked wrestlers, including three that were in the top 10 at the time. Six of his 14 pins this season occurred in the first 30 seconds of the bout.
Add in technical falls and defaults, and 26 of Caldwell’s 42 career victories came well shy of the seven-minute mark. All but two of his nine career losses were by pin or technical fall.
Prior to this year’s Las Vegas Invitational, Caldwell had gone the distance in back-to-back matches just four times, and never in more than two matches in a row. Caldwell went a full seven minutes in his last four matches at Las Vegas, including a 12-3 major decision over No. 2 Josh Cherulla and an 8-6 decision over No. 3 J.P. O’Connor. He has gone 10 matches since then without a match going the distance. For his career, only 18 of Caldwell’s 50 matches have gone the full seven minutes.
Miscellaneous notes: NC State wrestlers are 10-19 against ranked opponents this season ... NC State won 17 matches against ranked opponents a year ago, and 17 total the four previous seasons combined ... With Taylor Cummings (17-8) and Ryan Goodman (13-4) within reach of 20 wins this season, the Wolfpack has a shot at having four wrestlers win at least 20 matches in a season for the third year in a row ... NC State wrestlers are 28-14 against wrestlers from the Atlantic Coast Conference ... Darrion Caldwell has 24 career pins; the rest of the team combined has 38.
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