North Carolina State University Athletics
Wrestling Takes On UNC & ODU This Weekend
2/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 3, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. — With January giving way to February, the college wrestling season moves into its final weeks. NC State wrestles 40 percent of its remaining regular-season schedule this weekend with dual matches at North Carolina on Friday and home Saturday against Old Dominion.
The Wolfpack (8-6 overall, 1-1 in the ACC) takes on the Tar Heels (6-8-1, 1-1) at 7 p.m. at Carmichael Auditorium, then will turn around and wrestle the Monarchs (5-9-1) 24 hours later at Reynolds Coliseum.
“This is a big time of year as we try to get our guys to their peak for the postseason,” Wolfpack coach Carter Jordan said. “North Carolina is a rivalry match and a conference match. It’s always a spirited and competitive match. It will affect seeding at our conference tournament. It’s a big match and we realize that. Old Dominion has a couple of highly ranked guys and a strong program. That will also be a competitive match. This will be an important weekend for us, a chance for our guys to keep improving.”
The Wolfpack, which has won seven of its last 11 duals, is built around two-time All-American and former national champion Darrion Caldwell, who is 8-0 with six pins in his comeback from shoulder surgery. Caldwell defeated ninth-ranked Jamal Parks of Oklahoma State 3-1 last Sunday, his 21st career victory over a top-20 opponent. He is 16-4 against wrestlers ranked in the national top 10 and has won his last eight matches and 14 of his last 16 against top-10 opponents.
Caldwell currently ranks second in school history to Sylvester Terkay (1990-93) with 102 victories, 56 pins and an .895 winning percentage. Caldwell’s last loss was a 6-1 decision to fifth-ranked Josh Cherulla of Michigan on March 22, 2008, at the NCAA Championships. Caldwell has wrestled 48 matches since then without an actual on-the-mat loss, other than an injury default two years ago.
“We have just two home matches left after this weekend,” Jordan said. “So counting this weekend’s two matches, area fans have four chances left to see Darrion Caldwell wrestle. I think if I was in their shoes, I’d have to take advantage of that.”
Caldwell was the subject of a Jan. 31 feature article by Roger Moore on the NCAA.com website. Click here to read the Caldwell feature.
NC State will welcome junior 157-pounder Colton Palmer back to the lineup this weekend. Palmer (24-8) has been out since Jan. 27 with a stomach virus. He has won nine consecutive matches and 13 of his last 15. He will square off with North Carolina’s Corey Mock (29-13) in one of the key matchups of the night in Chapel Hill.
Junior 141-pounder Darrius Little (22-7), who had a seven-match winning streak snapped Jan. 30 against No. 16 Josh Kindig of Oklahoma State, will face Mike Rappo (8-5), a former NCAA qualifier for the Tar Heels.
Junior 174-pounder Quinton Godley will put his 18-12 mark on the line against either Thomas Ferguson (19-10) or Andre Petroski (14-12). Godley is looking to snap a three-match losing streak, although the three losses were to tough competition. Two were against 184-pounders. The third was to 15th-ranked Mike Benefiel of Oklahoma State.
Old Dominion will feature a pair of ranked wrestlers — No. 4 James Nicholson, who is a perfect 24-0 at 125 pounds this season, and 12th-ranked Kyle Hutter, who is 25-6 at 133. In addition, Brennan Brumley is 20-10 at 141 pounds.
“We use the regular season to prepare for the conference and national tournaments,” Jordan said. “Several of our guys are about where they need to be at this point. We have several others who are good enough to compete at nationals, but they keep taking a step forward and then a step backwards. We need those guys. It’s time for them to figure it out and step up.”
North Carolina (6-8-1/1-3)
125 - Nick Shields (2-5)
133 - Pat Owens (14-13)
141 - Mike Rappo (8-5)
149 - Nick Stabile (3-4) or Daniel Helena (8-12)
157 - Corey Mock (29-13)
165 - Thomas Scotton (22-14) or Kyle Kiss (3-3)
174 - Thomas Ferguson (19-10) or Andre Petroski (14-12)
184 - Antonio Giorgio (18-12)
197 - Zac Bennett (22-10)
Hwt - Ben Brooks (2-12)
Old Dominion (5-9-1)
125 - #4 James Nicholson (24-0) or Eric Dunnet (9-3)
133 - #12 Kyle Hutter (25-6)
141 - Brennan Brumley (20-10)
149 - Joey Metzler (16-15)
157 - Micah Blair (1-12) or Chad Lowman (5-12)
165 - Dan Rivera (13-15)
174 - Tristan Warner (14-17)
184 - Joe Budi (14-10)
197 - Jacob Henderson (8-15)
285 - Grant Chapman (10-20)
NC State (8-6/1-1)
125 - Mike Moreno (13-4) or Pedram Rahmatabadi (11-10)
133 - Dale Shull (7-4)
141 - Darrius Little (22-7)
149 - #1 Darrion Caldwell (8-0)
157 - Colton Palmer (24-8) or Matt Nereim (11-3)
165 - Nijel Jones (6-14) or Colin Genthert (5-15)
174 - Quinton Godley (18-12)
184 - Pat Carey (0-0)
197 - KaRonne Jones (10-17)
Hwt - Eloheim Palma (10-8) or Christian McClean (1-7)
