NC State
NCAA Championships
Jack and Gwiazdowski Advance to NCAA Quarterfinals
3/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
ST. LOUIS, MO. - For the first time since 1993, the NC State wrestling team placed a pair of grapplers into the NCAA Championship quarterfinals. Defending national champion and No. 1 seed Nick Gwiazdowski (285) won his two matches easily, while freshman Kevin Jack (141) upset the No. 5 seed and then the No. 12 seed to advance.
In addition, sophomores Max Rohskopf (165) and Pete Renda (174) will both be in action in tomorrow's wrestlebacks. In all, four of the Pack's five NCAA Qualifiers advanced to Day 2 action.
Friday' action will start with the quarterfinals at 11 a.m. on ESPNU and ESPN3.
Quarterfinals:
141: Kevin Jack (29-8) vs. #4 seed Devin Carter (31-3) of Virginia Tech - Match #350
285: #1 seed Nick Gwiazdowski (32-0) vs. #8 seed James Lawson (17-4) of Penn State - Match #377
Wrestlebacks:
165: Max Rohskopf (25-15) vs. #2 seed Michael Moreno (23-4) of Iowa State - Match #428
174: Pete Renda (19-15) vs. Chad Welch (21-17) of Purdue - Match #436
The Pack duo of Gwiazdowski and Jack took different routes to get into tomorrow's quarterfinals.
Defending national champion Nick Gwiazdowski took care of business in his quest to repeat, scoring an 8-2 decision over William Smith of Rutgers in the first round. Gwiazdowski scored the only three takedowns of the bout and easily advanced to tonight's second round.
In the second round, Gwiazdowski eased to a 14-1 major decision over #16 seed Evan Knutson of North Dakota State.
"I just have to keep wrestling one guy at a time," said Gwiazdowski. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
Jack scored one of the tournaments biggest upsets of the first round, as he scored a 6-3 win over #5 seed Sr. Josh Dziewa of Iowa. Jack scored a late takedown in the second period to even the score 3-3 entering the third. Starting in the down position in the final period, Jack scored a reversal to take his first lead of the bout, then rode the period out, and with a bonus point for riding time scored the upset in his first NCAA Championship bout.
In the night session, Jack avenged an ACC Championship loss and came away with a 6-5 win over #12 seed Joey Ward of North Carolina. Another match that came down to late action in the third, Jack scored a takedown with just 20 seconds left to tie the score 5-5, and rode out the rest of the period to get the riding time point and got his second upset of the day.
"This definitely was an intense environment and the biggest crowd I've ever wrestled in front of," said Jack. "Coming in as a freshman, and fresh from getting puled from a redshirt season, I felt like no one knew who I was so I didn't feel too much pressure. I wasn't nervous, I was able to just go out and wrestle."
Sophomore Max Rohskopf also scored an upset in the first round as he downed #16 seed Harrison Hightower of Ohio 3-0. After a scoreless first period, Hightower chose to start the second on top, but Rohskopf scored a reversal and was up 2-0 to start the third. Rohskopf then chose to start on top as well, and rode Hightower the entire period and scored the 3-0 win after adding in ride time.
In the second round, Rohskopf was pinned by #1 seed Alex Dieringer of Oklahoma State and will be in the wrestlebacks tomorrow.
Classmate Renda also advances to second day action and is alive in the wrestlebacks. Renda started the day with a 12-4 loss to #2 seed Matthew Brown of Penn State. But in the night session, Renda used a late second period takedown to come away with a 5-4 win over Arizona State's Raymond Waters.
Redshirt senior Joe DeAngelo (125) saw his Wolfpack career come to an end with a pair of losses.
First round results:
125: #4 seed Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) fall Joe DeAngelo (NCSU); 2:25
141: Kevin Jack (NCSU) dec. #5 seed Josh Dziewa (Iowa); 6-3
165: Max Rohskopf (NCSU) dec. #16 seed Harrison Hightower (Ohio); 3-0
174: #2 seed Matthew Brown (Penn State) major dec. Pete Renda (NCSU); 12-4
285: #1 seed Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) dec. William Smith (Rutgers), 8-2
Second round results:
141: Kevin Jack (NCSU) dec. #12 Joey Ward (North Carolina); 6-5
165: #1 seed Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) fall Max Rohskopf (NCSU); 4:48
285: #1 seed Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) major dec. Evan Knutson (North Dakota State); 14-1
Wrestleback results:
125: Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) dec. Joe DeAngelo (NCSU); 8-3
174: Pete Renda (NCSU) dec. Raymond Waters (Arizona State); 5-4
Congrats to NCAA Quarterfinalist @NGWIZZZ! Scored 8-2 1st Rd. win, then 14-1 major decision in 2nd Rd. #PackMentality pic.twitter.com/QtgVAC0ELp
— NC State Wrestling (@PackWrestle) March 20, 2015
Congrats to NCAA Quarterfinalist @jack_jack123! Upset #5 seed in 1st Rd & then #12 seed in 2nd Rd. #PackMentality pic.twitter.com/sBr62cpm2i
— NC State Wrestling (@PackWrestle) March 20, 2015
