North Carolina State University Athletics
Wrestling to Close Regular Season Vs. ODU
2/19/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C. Four seniors will bid farewell to Reynolds Coliseum on Saturday when the NC State wrestling team concludes its regular-season schedule at home against 20th-ranked Old Dominion. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Seniors Joe Caramanica, Ryan Tice, Kody Hamrah and Mark Jahad will be making their final appearance at Reynolds as the Wolfpack (4-14-1) looks to slow down the Monarchs (15-6). NC State’s chances will depend in large part on the health of several key contributors, including Caramanica at 141 pounds and third-ranked 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell.
Caramanica (11-6) has been battling a sore knee on and off all season and has struggled of late. He has dropped his last four matches, although two were to 17th-ranked Nick Nelson of Virginia and 19th-ranked Chris Diaz of Virginia Tech. Life won’t be any easier for Caramanica on Saturday. ODU’s 141-pounder, Ryan Williams, is ranked seventh in the latest NWCA poll and is 30-3 on the season.
While Caramanica has been fighting aches and pains all season, Caldwell’s ailments are recent, in the form of back spasms. He first hurt his back January 30 in a medical-default loss to Oklahoma’s Kyle Terry. The loss was the first of the season for Caldwell, who improved to 29-1 on February 14 at Virginia, but reinjured his back during that bout and had to be held out the next evening at Virginia Tech.
The injuries to Caldwell and Caramanica are the tip of the iceberg for NC State. Even with those two in the lineup, the Pack is without its projected preseason starters at 125, 165, 184, 197 and heavyweight.
“It’s been one of those seasons,” Wolfpack coach Carter Jordan said. “It seems like everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. But there’s nothing we can do except keep working and try to grind it out. Our focus is still on the postseason, and if Joe and Darrion are healthy, then we could have as many as four or five guys capable of scoring points at the national tournament.”
The Wolfpack will close the dual-match season facing a squad with four wrestlers in the national rankings, led by sixth-ranked 125-pounder James Nicholson (30-2) and Williams. Chris Brown (22-6) is No. 11 at 165, and Jesse Strawn (28-10) is No. 16 at 197.
Following are the probable starters for Saturday’s bout between NC State and Old Dominion:
NC State vs. Old Dominion
125 - Mike Moreno (8-11) vs. #6 James Nicholson (30-2)
133 - Darrius Little (14-14) vs. Kyle Hutter (19-10)
141 - Joe Caramanica (11-6) vs. #7 Ryan Williams (30-3)
149 - #3 Darrion Caldwell (29-1) vs. Joey Metzler (14-16)
157 - #19 Kody Hamrah (27-8) vs. Kaylen Baxter (11-16)
165 - Quinton Godley (10-19) vs. #11 Chris Brown (22-6)
174 - Jake Burge (18-9) vs. Eric Decker (21-17)
184 - Mark Jahad (3-13) vs. Joe Budi (20-16)
197 - Joe Trotto (0-4) vs. #16 Jesse Strawn (28-10)
Hwt - Austin Haigler (2-12) vs. Roy Dragon III (9-14)
Seniors Joe Caramanica, Ryan Tice, Kody Hamrah and Mark Jahad will be making their final appearance at Reynolds as the Wolfpack (4-14-1) looks to slow down the Monarchs (15-6). NC State’s chances will depend in large part on the health of several key contributors, including Caramanica at 141 pounds and third-ranked 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell.
Caramanica (11-6) has been battling a sore knee on and off all season and has struggled of late. He has dropped his last four matches, although two were to 17th-ranked Nick Nelson of Virginia and 19th-ranked Chris Diaz of Virginia Tech. Life won’t be any easier for Caramanica on Saturday. ODU’s 141-pounder, Ryan Williams, is ranked seventh in the latest NWCA poll and is 30-3 on the season.
While Caramanica has been fighting aches and pains all season, Caldwell’s ailments are recent, in the form of back spasms. He first hurt his back January 30 in a medical-default loss to Oklahoma’s Kyle Terry. The loss was the first of the season for Caldwell, who improved to 29-1 on February 14 at Virginia, but reinjured his back during that bout and had to be held out the next evening at Virginia Tech.
The injuries to Caldwell and Caramanica are the tip of the iceberg for NC State. Even with those two in the lineup, the Pack is without its projected preseason starters at 125, 165, 184, 197 and heavyweight.
“It’s been one of those seasons,” Wolfpack coach Carter Jordan said. “It seems like everything that can go wrong has gone wrong. But there’s nothing we can do except keep working and try to grind it out. Our focus is still on the postseason, and if Joe and Darrion are healthy, then we could have as many as four or five guys capable of scoring points at the national tournament.”
The Wolfpack will close the dual-match season facing a squad with four wrestlers in the national rankings, led by sixth-ranked 125-pounder James Nicholson (30-2) and Williams. Chris Brown (22-6) is No. 11 at 165, and Jesse Strawn (28-10) is No. 16 at 197.
Following are the probable starters for Saturday’s bout between NC State and Old Dominion:
NC State vs. Old Dominion
125 - Mike Moreno (8-11) vs. #6 James Nicholson (30-2)
133 - Darrius Little (14-14) vs. Kyle Hutter (19-10)
141 - Joe Caramanica (11-6) vs. #7 Ryan Williams (30-3)
149 - #3 Darrion Caldwell (29-1) vs. Joey Metzler (14-16)
157 - #19 Kody Hamrah (27-8) vs. Kaylen Baxter (11-16)
165 - Quinton Godley (10-19) vs. #11 Chris Brown (22-6)
174 - Jake Burge (18-9) vs. Eric Decker (21-17)
184 - Mark Jahad (3-13) vs. Joe Budi (20-16)
197 - Joe Trotto (0-4) vs. #16 Jesse Strawn (28-10)
Hwt - Austin Haigler (2-12) vs. Roy Dragon III (9-14)
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