North Carolina State University Athletics
Wrestling Hosts Doubleheader vs. Maryland, Navy
1/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C. NC State’s wrestling season continues Saturday with another doubleheader. The Wolfpack (3-7-1) will host Maryland (4-7-1) at noon in an Atlantic Coast Conference encounter. The Wolfpack and Terrapins both are 0-1 in the conference. At 7 p.m. NC State will host Navy (5-5). Both matches will be held at Reynolds Coliseum.
Both matches will be webcast on ACC Select. The web address is http://www.theacc.com/accselect/index.html, click on the link at the top of this article.
The Wolfpack, wrestling without a 197-pounder for most of the season and with its starting 125-pounder out for the season with a broken wrist, has lost three of its last four dual matches and has not won a dual since beating Campbell on January 3. The Pack lost 26-22 to Duke on January 14 in its only ACC match, and split a doubleheader at Reynolds Coliseum a week ago, losing 26-16 to Wyoming and tying Liberty 22-22.
Head coach Carter Jordan’s squad has hit its share of potholes this season. First, redshirt-junior 125-pounder Taylor Cummings, a former conference champion, fractured a wrist and is lost for the season. Earlier this week, Jordan announced that senior 197-pounder Ryan Goodman, who spent the fall with the Wolfpack football team, will not be rejoining the wrestling team this season. On top of all that, sophomore heavyweight Bobby Isola battled medical issues earlier in the season and has struggled to get back on top of his game.
“Everyone has to deal with adversity,” Jordan said. “We’re no different, but it’s no excuse. All we ask is for each guy we put out there to be aggressive and wrestle as hard and as smart as he can. We want everyone to be ready for March and the postseason. This is going to be a very dangerous tournament team.”
Junior 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell and senior 141-pounder Joe Caramanica are NC State’s headliners, with senior 157-pounder Kody Hamrah and freshman 174-pounder Jacob Burge both looking stronger and stronger as the postseason approaches.
Caldwell, ranked No. 3 nationally and 26-0 heading into the weekend, is a returning All-American and a one-man highlight reel. He has 13 pins this season, all first-period falls, and 46 pins for his career. He ranks third in career pins in school history, and his 13 pins this season are the seventh-most in a single season in NC State history. In addition, Caldwell’s current 27-match winning streak, which dates back to the final match of 2007-08, is the third-longest in school history.
Caramanica is 10-1 after having his season-opening 10-match winning streak snapped last Saturday by Liberty’s Tim Harner. He comes into this weekend ranked 15th in the latest national NWCA poll.
At 22-6, Hamrah has established a new career high for victories in a season. He has won his last three, six of his last seven, eight of his last 10, and 10 of his last 13. He won 20 matches two years ago. Hamrah also has set a new career best with six pins, breaking his previous high of four, set in 2004-05 and again in 2006-07.
At 12-7, Burge is beginning to establish himself as a force to be dealt with at the national level. He won his first bout against a ranked opponent last Saturday when he defeated 17th-ranked Shane Onufer of Wyoming, 5-2. Burge has won five of his last seven bouts.
Saturday’s doubleheader offers several headline bouts. In the Maryland match, Caramanica will square off with 13th-ranked Alex Krom (12-4). Caramanica and Krom, both from Pennsylvania, have never met at the collegiate level. Krom faced Caldwell two years ago as a freshman, with Caldwell winning by medical default.
The Navy match could feature several intriguing match-ups, including a rematch between Caldwell and 6th-ranked Bryce Saddoros (31-3). Those two met on December 29 in the finals of the Southern Scuffle, and Caldwell won by fall at 2:05. Caldwell defeated Saddoris a year by decision, 9-4.
After Caldwell-Saddoris redux, Hamrah will probably face Joel Ahern, who is 24-9. Hamrah and Ahern have never faced one another.
Also, Burge will face 20th-ranked Luke Rebertus (20-9) in a battle of touted freshmen.
Following are the probable starters for NC State, Maryland and Navy for Saturday’s matches:
NC State
125 - Mike Moreno (7-7), R-Fr., Tucson, Ariz.
133 - Darrius Little (10-11), So., Thomasville, N.C.
141 - #15 Joe Caramanica (10-1), Sr., Nazareth, Pa.
149 - Darrion Caldwell (26-0), Jr., Rahway, N.J.
157 - Kody Hamrah (22-6), R-Sr., Middlesex, N.J.
165 - Ray Ward (3-5), R-So., Nazareth, Pa.
174 - Jake Burge (12-7), Fr., Mason, Mich.
184 - Mark Jahad (1-7), Sr., Apex, N.C.
197 - Vacant
Hwt - Bobby Isola (2-11), So., Orlando, Fla.
Maryland
125 - Brendan Byrne (13-7), Jr., Cape May, N.J.
133 - #8 Steven Bell (16-3), Jr., Connellsville, Pa., or Mookie Golden (3-3), Jr., Voorhees, N.J.
141 - #13 Alex Krom (12-4), R-Jr., Easton, Pa.
149 - Dex Lederer (10-8), R-Fr., Levittown, Pa.
157 - Kyle John (10-12), R-Fr., Coopersburg, Pa.
165 - Brian Letters (15-8), So., Pitsburgh, Pa.
174 - Bradley Nielson (1-0), So., Frederick, Md., or Patrick Klenkel (4-10), So., Centreville, Md.
184 - Owen Smith (3-3), Fr., Baltimore, Md.
197 - #10 Hudson Taylor (22-5), Jr., Pennington, N.J.
Hwt - Patrick Gilmore (16-15), So., Richboto, Pa.
Navy
125 - Prescott Garner (20-10), Fr., West Linn, Ore., or Allan Stein (9-9), So., Portland, Maine
133 - Joe Baker (4-0), Sr., Poway, Calif., or Austin Clouse (6-7), Fr., Annapolis, Md.
141 - John Majka (12-14), Fr., Chicago, Ill., or Matt Pagan (12-10), Jr., Carteret, N.J.
149 - Bryce Saddoris (31-3), So., Spring Creek, Nev.
157 - Joel Ahern (24-9), Sr., Herkimer, N.Y., or Glenn Shober (19-11), Jr., Reading, Pa.
165 - Matt DeMichiel (21-11), So., Whitesboro, N.Y., or Jason Coyne (11-10), Sr., Trafford, Pa.
174 - Luke Rebertus (25-7), Fr., Elkton, Md., or Mike Billings (9-12), Jr., Waterford, Mich.
184 - Casey Caldwell (20-11), Sr., Liberty, Ind.
197 - Philip Neese (17-16), Sr., Lexington, S.C.
Hwt - Tyler Moyer (4-6), Sr., Bremerton, Wash.
NC State’s longest individual winning streaks
(since 1987-88)
1. Sylvester Terkay, 41, 1992-93
2. Sylvester Terkay, 30, 1991-92
3. Darrion Caldwell, 27, 2007-08 through 2008-09 (current)
4. Mike Lombardo, 19, 1987-88
5T. Scott Turner, 18, 1987-88
5T. Brian Jackson, 18, 1988-89
5T. Scott Garren, 18, 2002-03
8. Zach Breitenbach, 17, 2000-01
9. Pierre Pryor, 16, 2000-01
NC State pins leaders
Single-Season Pins
1. Sylvester Terkay, 27, 1991-92
2. Sylvester Terkay, 25, 1992-93
3. Darrion Caldwell, 23, 2007-08
4. Mike Lombardo, 16, 1987-88
5T. Tab Thacker, 15, 1983-84
5T. Tab Thacker, 15, 1981-82
7. Darrion Caldwell, 13, 2008-09
8T. Tab Thacker, 12, 1982-83
8T. Dan Madson, 12, 1995-96
10. Jim Best, 11, 1985-86
Career Pins
1. Sylvester Terkay, 64, 1990-93
2. Tab Thacker, 54, 1981-84
3. Darrion Caldwell, 46, 2007-
4. Dan Madson, 29, 1992-94, 1996
5. Lynn Morris, 28, 1975-78
6. Pierre Pryor, 24, 1998-2002
7. Jim Best, 23, 1985-86, 1988-89
8. Mike Lombardo, 22, 1985-88
9T. Greg Fatool, 18, 1982-85
9T. Jerry Rodriguez, 18, 1981-82
