North Carolina State University Athletics
Caldwell Ranked No. 4 In Preseason Poll
10/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C. After finishing fifth nationally and earning All-America honors a year ago, NC State junior 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell enters the 2008-09 wrestling season ranked No. 4 in the InterMat/NWCA preseason poll.
Caldwell is one of three NC State wrestlers in the NWCA preseason poll. Senior Ryan Goodman is ranked 15th at 197 pounds, and senior Joe Caramanica is ranked 16th at 141.
A two-time ACC champion and the 2007 ACC Wrestler of the Year, Caldwell in 2007-08 had the best season by an NC State wrestler in 15 years. He went 36-5 with 23 pins and a 7-4 record against ranked opponents. He had the fourth-most victories in a single season in school history and the most ever by a sophomore. He also had the third-most pins in a single season in NC State history and the most by a sophomore. Caldwell’s career total of 33 pins ranks third in the school record book. With a career record of 56-11, he has a career winning percentage of .836, which ranks fourth in school history.
Caramanica was on his way to a season comparable to Caldwell’s, minus the gaudy number of pins, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in the ACC Championships. Even with the injury, Caramanica finished the season with a 30-6 record. He and Caldwell were the first pair of Wolfpack teammates to win 30 matches apiece since 1989. Caramanica was 4-2 against ranked opponents and had nine pins. His 30 victories were the third most ever by an NC State junior. At 73-25, Caramanica now ranks 18th in school history in career victories and is on pace to win 97 matches for his career, which would rank him second in school history.
Goodman, who plays linebacker and is a special-teams performer with the Wolfpack football team, is a two-time ACC champion at 197 pounds and a three-time NCAA qualifier. Wrestling at 184 pounds a year ago, he went 16-8 despite missing all of February with a balky knee. Goodman enters the 2008-09 season with a 60-18 career record with 12 pins. He will join the wrestling team when the football season is over, although he may not be ready to compete until the NC State Duals in early January.
The NC State wrestling season begins Saturday, November 8 with the Wolfpack Open at Reynolds Coliseum.
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