NC State
Duke
Wrestling Comeback Versus Duke Falls Short
1/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State wrestling team fell behind 15-3 after the first six bouts, and despite three straight bonus point wins, the Pack came up short against Duke Wednesday night in Reynolds Coliseum, 18-17. The dual was the ACC opener for both squads.
With the dual starting at 149 pounds, the Blue Devils won the first three and five of the first six bouts of the dual. The Pack answered with three straight bonus point wins to take its first lead going into the final bout, but Duke's win at 141 clinched the dual.
The Pack's first win came in dramatic fashion at 174 pounds, with sophomore Pete Renda getting a 6-5 win over Trey Adamson. Right before Renda was about to clinch riding time for the match in the third period, Adamson escaped and scored his own takedown to take a 5-4 lead. But he got called with his second stalling with 24 seconds left to even the score, and Renda got the final point with an escape with 18 seconds left.
NC State started its comeback run with three straight bonus point wins, starting at 285 pounds. Nick Gwiazdowski recorded his fifth pin of the season just 1:07 into his bout and scored six points for the Pack. NC State then followed up with back-to-back major decision wins at 125 and 133 pounds to give the Pack a 17-15 lead going into the final bout. Joe DeAngelo won 14-4 at 125, followed by Bryce Meredith's 12-1 win at 133.
The dual came down to the match at 141 pounds. The Pack's Sam Speno held a 4-1 lead after the first period, but Duke's Evan Botwin rode out both the seconds and third periods and scored three near-fall points for the dramatic 6-4 win to clinch the bout for Duke.
Up Next: The Pack will be traveling to Pittsburgh this weekend to compete in the Pitt duals on Sunday. NC State will face Lock Haven starting at 10 a.m., then Eastern Michigan before finishing with Bloomsburg.
Team Score: Duke 18, NC State 17
149: #19 Marcus Cain (DU) dec. Brian Hamann; 5-3 - 3-0
157: Immanuel Kerr-Brown (DU) dec. Chad Pyke; 4-3 - 6-0
165: Jake Faust (DU) dec. #15 Max Rohskopf (NCSU); 3-2 - 9-0
174: Pete Renda (NCSU) dec. Trey Adamson; 6-5 - 9-3
184: Jacob Kasper (DU) dec. Nicky Hall; 3-2 - 12-3
197: #5 Conner Hartmann (DU) dec. Michael Boykin; 9-4 - 15-3
285: #3 Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) fall Brendan Walsh; 1:07 - 15-9
125: Joe DeAngelo (NCSU) major dec. Thayer Atkins; 14-4 - 15-13
133: Bryce Meredith (NCSU) major dec. Bailey Jack; 12-1 - 15-17
141: Evan Botwin (DU) dec. #17 Sam Speno; 6-4 - 18-17
