North Carolina State University Athletics
NCAA Wrestling Championships Start Thursday
3/17/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
NC State 2015 NCAA Championships Lineup
| Wt. | Wrestler | Yr. | W-L | Dual | Hometown |
| 125 | Joe DeAngelo | R-Sr. | 16-11 | 13-7 | Burlington, N.C. |
| 141 | Kevin Jack | Fr. | 27-8 | 3-0 | Danbury, Conn. |
| 165 | Max Rohskopf | So. | 24-14 | 14-8 | Killbuck, Ohio |
| 174 | Pete Renda | So. | 18-14 | 9-9 | Topton, Pa. |
| 285 | Nick Gwiazdowski | R-Jr. | 30-0 | 18-0 | Delanson, N.Y. |
Thursday Matchups
125: Joe DeAngelo (16-11) vs. No. 4 Nathan Tomassello (Ohio State - 28-4)
Winner/Loser faces: No. 13 Ben Willeford (Cleveland State - 27-8) vs. Ethan Lizak (Minnesota - 26-13)
141: Kevin Jack (27-8) vs. No. 5 Josh Dawson (Iowa - 27-7)
Winner/Loser faces: No. 12 Joey Ward (North Carolina - 27-6) vs. Mike Pongracz (Chattanooga - 19-15)
165: Max Rohskopf (24-14) vs. No. 16 Harrison Hightower (Ohio - 25-10)
Winner/Loser faces: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State - 29-0) vs. Connor McMahon (Southern Illinois - 15-13)
174: Pete Renda (18-14) vs. No. 2 Matthew Brown (Penn State - 24-3)
Winner/Loser faces: No. 15 Santiago Martinez (Lehigh - 21-12) vs. Raymond Waters (Arizona State - 19-8)
285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (30-0) vs. William Smith (Rutgers - 18-8)
Winner/Loser faces: No. 16 Evan Knutson (North Dakota State - 22-8) vs. Jacob Kettler (George Mason - 27-11)
ESPN COVERAGE - All matches will be streamed on ESPN3 during all three days
TV Coverage:
Thursday - ESPNU 12 p.m.-3:30 p.m. & 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m.
Friday - ESPNU 11 a.m.-2 p.m. & ESPN 8 p.m.-11 p.m.
Saturday - ESPNU 10 a.m.-2 p.m. & ESPN 8 p.m.-11 p.m.
NC State Sending Five to NCAA Championships
Led by the top-seed and defending national champion at 285 pounds Nick Gwiazdowski, the NC State wrestling team will be sending five individuals to the 2015 NCAA Championships taking place March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo. Under head coach Pat Popolizio, the Pack will be sending five individuals to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year. In his three seasons as head coach Popolizio has had 13 NCAA qualifiers, the most in a three year span at NC State since 2007-09.
In addition to Gwiazdowski, freshman Kevin Jack (141 pounds) and sophomore Pete Renda (174) also were awarded NCAA automatic bids based on their finishes at the ACC Championship on March 8. Redshirt senior Joe DeAngelo (125 pounds) and sophomore Max Rohskopf (165) were both awarded at-large berths as well.
Gwiazdowski (2012 at Binghamton and 2014 at NC State) will be making his third trip, while DeAngelo (2013) and Renda (2014) will be making their second.
NC State NCAA Championship Tradition
NC State wrestling has a rich tradition of performing well at the NCAA Championships. NC State has finished in the top 10 nationally three times, including a seventh-place finish in 1993, the best-ever showing at nationals. The Wolfpack has finished in the national top 25 in 15 of the last 35 seasons as well, including 19th last year.
Six individuals have claimed national titles. Matt Reiss at 177 pounds in 1980, Tab Thacker at heavyweight in 1984, Scott Turner at 150 pounds in 1988, Sylvester Terkay at heavyweight in 1993, Darrion Caldwell in 2009 at 149 pounds, and Nick Gwiazdowski last year won the Pack's third heavyweight title as the No. 2 seed.
NC State has also had two runner-ups (Michael Stokes-126 in 1989 and Terkay-Hwt in 1992.) In all, 18 NC State wrestlers have earned 28 All-America honors.
Gwiazdowski Earns Top Seed, Looks to Repeat as National Champion
Redshirt-junior Nick Gwiazdowski enters the 2015 NCAA Championships as the No. 1 seed at 285 pounds. He went a remarkable 16-0 against this year's field, with four pins and five major decisions.
Gwiazdowski is the fourth NC State wrestler to enter the NCAAs as the No. 1 seed - last was Darrion Caldwell in 2011 at 149 pounds. Last year, Gwiazdowski was the No. 2 seed, went 5-0 and downed two-time defending champion Tony Nelson in the finals, 4-2.
This year marks Gwiazdowski's third appearance at the NCAA Championships. As a true-freshman at Binghamton in 2012, he placed eighth earning All-America honors. That season, he lost his first bout, but then won five of six. He redshirted the 2013 season.
50 and Counting
In the home win against Kent State on Jan. 24, heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski set a new school record via pinfall with his 42nd straight victory at NC State. Since that win, he has stretched his mark to 50, sporting a perfect 30-0 record this year and winning his final 20 bouts last season enroute to the NCAA title. Gwiazdowski has the second-longest current winning streak nationally only behind Missouri's J'den Cox (53 - 33-0 this year, won final 20 last year).
Gwiazdowski Gets Career Win No. 100
In his final match of the regular season, Nick Gwiazdowski scored a 4-1 decision over #5 Austin Marsden of Oklahoma State. The win was his 100th collegiate victory. The defending NCAA Champion enters the NCAA Championships with a career mark of 102-11 (30-9 at Binghamton in 2012, 42-2 last season with the Pack, and 30-0 this year).
Gwiazdowski is on pace to set the NC State school record for career win-loss percentage. Gwiazdowski currently stands with a 72-2 mark (97.3 percent) career record while with the Pack. Former NCAA Champion Sylvester Terkay currently holds the all-time record at 89.7 percent (122-14).
DeAngelo Returns to NCAA Championships
Redshirt senior Joe DeAngelo joined the Pack for his junior season in 2013, and earned an NCAA automatic berth at 125 pounds. After redshirting last season, DeAngelo returns for one last trip to the NCAAs after getting an at-large bid at 125 pounds.
After a 4-7 start to the season, DeAngelo has been wrestling his best at the end of the year. He has won 12 of the 16 matches dating back to Jan. 7., only losing to ranked foes. DeAngelo finished with a 4-1 record in ACC action, and posts a 16-11 record overall.
In a winner-takes-all match to end the ACC dual at #13 Virginia, DeAngelo scored a 7-6 decision over #29 Nick Hermann to give the Wolfpack the 22-20 road win. On his Senior Day, he defeated #8 Eddie Klimara of Oklahoma State 3-2.
Renda Two-for-Two in Earning Trip to NCAAs
Sophomore Pete Renda was the Pack's starter at 174 pounds as soon as he stepped on campus, and he has proved his worth by earning a second straight automatic NCAA bid. Last year, Renda was named the No. 2 rookie nationally at 174 pounds, going 27-11. This year, Renda enters the NCAAs 18-14 and is ranked in the top-20 in a couple polls.
Jack Steps Into Lineup, Earns NCAA Bid
Going into the Feb. 14 dual versus Pitt, the plan was to redshirt freshman Kevin Jack. A three-time NHSCA All-American who placed third at the NHSCA Senior Nationals at 126 pounds, Jack compiled a record of 22-6 in six open tournaments.
But the Pack's plan changed when starter Sam Speno was forced out of the lineup, and the Pack wrestling staff decided to take off Jack's redshirt and insert him into the lineup at 141 pounds. The freshman took advantage of his opportunities going 3-0 in his duals, including two bonus point wins in a pair of upsets over top-15 conference foes.
In his first collegiate dual, Jack pinned Pitt's Ben Ross to help the Pack upset #14 Pitt. Then on the road in the win at #13 Virginia, Jack recorded the Pack's first win of that dual, a 19-6 major decision. In the home finale, Jack pulled off an upset of #16 Dean Heil of Oklahoma State, 7-3. At the ACC Championship, his fourth place finish earned him an automatic bid to his first NCAA Championships.
Rohskopf Makes First Trip to NCAAs
In his first season as a starter, sophomore Max Rohskopf earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships at 165 pounds. Ranked in the top-20 for most of the season, Rohskopf's 24 wins rank third on NC State and are the sixth-most for any sophomore.
Youth Movement
One of the youngest teams nationally, five of the Pack's 10 wrestlers at the ACC Championship were either a redshirt freshman or a true freshman.
Not including those redshirting this year, the Pack's freshmen and sophomores have combined for 80.3% (244 of 304) of the team's total wins. The freshmen have combined for 42.8 percent (130) followed by the sophomores at 37.5 percent (114), the juniors at 13.8 percent (42) and the seniors at 5.9 percent (18).
125: Joe DeAngelo (16-11)
A two-time NCAA Qualifier in both of his seasons at NC State, earned an at-large bid at 125 pounds ... Named ACC Wreslter of the Week on Feb. 24 ... Finished the regular season winning 11 of his final 13 duals - only losses to #2 Alan Waters of Missouri (7-2) and #3 Joey Dance of Virginia Tech (11-5) ... During that span, four of his final five wins of the regular season were all against ranked foes, including defeating the highest ranked foe of his career - #8 Eddie Klimara of Oklahoma State (3-2) on Senior Day ... Leads the Pack with five tech fall wins this year ... A 2013 NCAA Qualifier in his first season with the Pack after transferring from Nassau CC ... Went 1-2 at the 2013 NCAA Championships after earning an ACC automatic bid ... Redshirted the 2014 season, and competed in seven open tournaments at 125 pounds, finishing no lower than third in all seven with an overall record of 27-4.
141: Kevin Jack (27-7)
Earned an NCAA automatic bid with a fourth place finish at the 2015 ACC Championship ... His two wins came via fall and technical fall, and his two losses were both to ranked foes ... One of just five true freshmen to qualify for the NCAA Championships at 141 pounds ... Was originally going to redshirt the season, until being inserted into the starting lineup on Feb. 14 ... Posts a 27-8 mark on the year, the second-most wins for a Pack wrestler ... The 27 wins also are the third-most all-time for an NC State freshman ... A perfect 3-0 in duals on the year ... Scored a fall in the Pack's win vs. #14 Pittsburgh and then a major decision in the win at #13 Virginia ... In the final regular season dual, upset #16 Dean Heil of Oklahoma State 7-3 ... Went 22-6 in six open tournaments to start the season ... Took podium honors at The Citadel Open and Hokie Open Fr/So, and was third at the Appalachian State Open ... A three-time NHSCA All-American who placed third at the NHSCA Nationals at 126 pounds. Posted a high school record of 122-11.
165: Max Rohskopf (24-14)
Earned an NCAA at-large bid for his first NCAA Championships appearance ... First season as a starter for the Pack, holds a 24-14 record overall (22-14 at 165, 2-0 at 174). His 24 wins are third-best on NC State, and the sixth-most all-time for an NC State sophomore ... Among matches versus the 2015 NCAA Field, posted wins over #17 Austin Wilson of Nebraska (5-3, SV-2) and #16 Jesse Stafford of Air Force (4-2) ... Also downed #15 Nicholas Wanzek of Minnesota (1-0), and his three wins versus ranked foes is third amongst NC State wrestlers ... Placed seventh at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, getting two wins over ranked foes ... Competed mainly at 149 and 157 pounds as a freshman last year, but wrestled up and was the Pack's entree at 165 pounds at the 2014 ACC Championship.
174: Pete Renda (18-14)
A two-time NCAA Qualifier, in both of his seasons at NC State, earned an automatic berth at 174 pounds ... In his final bout at the ACC Championship were the winner got an NCAA bid, defeated Duke's Trey Adamson 6-0 ... Placed eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, getting three wins against wrestlers in the 2015 NCAA Field ... A 2014 NCAA Automatic Qualifier as a freshman. ... Finished the year 27-11, including 16-3 in duals. His 27 wins are the third-most for a freshman in NC State history ... Named the No. 2 rookie nationally at 174 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News.
285: No. 1 seed Nick Gwiazdowski (30-0)
Fourth NC State wrestler all-time to enter the NCAAs as the No. 1 seed - last was Darrion Caldwell in 2011 at 149 ... Vying to become only the third wrestler in ACC history to win multiple NCAA titles, the first since 1995 (T.J. Jaworsky-UNC 1993, 94, 95 & Sammie Henson-Clemson 1994, 94) ... Currently holds a school record 50 match-winning streak (perfect 30-0 this season, won last 20 of 2014) ... Has the second-longest current winning streak nationally only behind Missouri's J'den Cox (53) ... 2014 and 2015 ACC Champion at 285 pounds ... Undefeated against ACC competition in both of his years at NC State - a perfect 19-0 against ACC foes in duals and tournaments with 10 pins and 5 majors ... On pace to set the NC State record for career win-loss percentage ... Holds a 72-2 (97.3 percent) mark while with the Pack ... Former NCAA Champion Sylvester Terkay (1990-93) currently holds the all-time mark at 89.7 percent (122-14) ... A perfect 38-0 in duals at NC State, with 31 bonus point wins (20 falls, 10 major decisions, 1 forfeit) ... Scored 25.2 percent (132 of 524) of the Pack's dual points this year ... Entering as the No. 2 seed, became NC State's sixth national champion last year ... Finished 42-2 on the season, setting a new NC State record for most wins in a season ... Among the wrestlers in the NCAA Championships, led all in wins (42) and wins versus ranked foes (13) ... Finished 8th at the 2012 NCAA Championships and earned All-America honors as a freshman at Binghamton.
