North Carolina State University Athletics
Wrestling Heads to Pittsburgh for ACC Championship
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 6, 2015
Live Video on ESPN3: Mat 1 | Mat 2 | Championship Bouts
NC State Media Packet | @PackWrestle Twitter | ACC Championship Page
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State wrestling team heads to Pittsburgh, Pa., to compete in the 2015 ACC Championship on March 8. The Pack has claimed 14 ACC titles since the conference was formed in 1954, with the most recent coming in 2007. NC State has won 111 ACC individual titles in league history, with Nick Gwiazdowski claiming top honors at 285 pounds last year at Virginia Tech.
About the ACC Championship
The ACC will hold the 61st annual ACC Championship March 8 in Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center. Wrestling begins at 11 a.m. and all of the action will be broadcast live by ESPN3. Here is a tentative schedule:
• First Round 11 a.m. • Semifinals 1 p.m. • Semifinal consolation 3:30 p.m.
• Finals Consolation 5 p.m. • Finals 7 p.m.
Gwiazdowski Most Dominate Wrestler in ACC For Second Straight Year
A total of eight ACC wrestlers made it through conference action with a perfect 5-0 mark. But NC State's Nick Gwiazdowski was the most dominate wrestler in ACC duals racking up the most dual points with 30 - pinning all five of his conference foes. It is a repeat performance from last year, as Gwiazdowski was one of five to go undefeated in conference action, once again leading all with 27 dual points. He is the only wrestler to go undefeated each of the past two years.
NC State First For Gwiazdowski
Never has an NC State wrestler pinned his opponent in every conference matchup, until Nick Gwiazdowski accomplished that feat this year going five-for-five in getting a fall in each of the Pack's ACC duals. Former heavyweight champion Sylvester Terkay came close to that feat in 1993, as he pinned five of his six ACC opponents.
Gwiazdowski's five pins are tops in conference action among all ACC wrestlers this year, and he is joined by teammate Nicky Hall (184) as the only two to record more then one pin in an ACC dual.
Gwiazdowski Looking For Repeat
Nick Gwiazdowski will be looking to repeat as ACC Champion, winning last year's 285-pound title. In school history, an NC State wrestler has won ACC titles in back-to-back years a total of 33 times, the last being Darrion Caldwell in 2008 and again in 2009 and 149 pounds.
2014 ACC Championship Recap
NC State placed sixth overall with a team score of 33.5 points last year at Virginia Tech. Nick Gwiazdowski claimed top honors at 285 pounds, while Tommy Gantt (2nd at 157) and Pete Renda (3rd at 174) were also top finishers. Along with those three, Sam Speno (141) and KaRonne Jones (197) also received automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.
Wolfpack Finishes Regular Season Ranked No. 17
Behind dual wins over three top-20 teams in the final three weeks of the season, NC State finished the regular season ranked 17th nationally in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. NC State is also ranked #14 by InterMat.com and #19 by FloWreslting.com heading into the postseason.
ACC Turnaround
The Wolfpack finished 3-2 in ACC duals this year, finishing second behind Virginia Tech (5-0). The second place finish is the highest in the regular season since 2007 and an improvement from fifth place last year.
Bonus Points in ACC Action
During the 2014-15 season, NC State claimed 22 individual wins in its five ACC duals. Of those 22 wins, 14 (63.6 percent) were bonus point victories: nine pins and five major decisions to go along with eight decisions.
Youth Movement
One of the youngest teams nationally, five of the Pack's 10 wrestlers will be competing in their first ACC Championship. The Pack's 10 wrestlers have combined for just six previous appearances at the ACC Championship.
Not including those redshirting this year, the Pack's freshmen and sophomores have combined for 81.4% (250 of 307) of the team's total wins. The freshmen have combined for 44.0 percent (135) followed by the sophomores at 37.5 percent (115), the juniors at 13.0 percent (40) and the seniors at 5.5 percent (17).
48 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 48, sporting a perfect 28-0 record this year after winning his final 20 bouts last season enroute to the NCAA title.
Gwiazdowski has the seconds-longest current winning streak nationally only behind Missouri's J'den Cox (50 - 30-0 this year, won last 20 last year as national champion at 197 pounds).
Freshmen Impact
Five of the Pack's 10 weight classes will feature either true-freshmen or redshirt-freshmen in this year's ACC Championship. Last year's signing class was ranked #17 nationally, and that followed the previous year's class that was ranked #10.
Dual Success
NC State finished 2015 with a dual record of 16-6, with all but one of the losses coming to top-10 teams at the time of the dual. The 16 wins are the third-most in a single season in school history, as only the 1985 (18) and 1988 (19) squads recorded more. The Pack won nine of its final 12 duals, and outscored the opposition 524-289 during the season. The Wolfpack's 16 dual wins this year rank as the fourth-most nationally.
Tough Scheduling
NC State will be well prepped to facing the tough challenges of the postseason, as this year the Wolfpack faced eight ranked opponents in duals, including five that were in the top-10 when the Pack faced them. The Pack picked up three dual wins over ranked foes: #17 Old Dominion 21-15 on Feb. 6, #14 Pittsburgh 27-12 on Feb. 14, and at #13 Virginia 22-20 Feb. 19.
DeAngelo Finishing Strong
Redshirt senior Joe DeAngelo is making the most of his last season at NC State. DeAngelo is currently ranked #18 by TheOpenMat.com, and #22 in the RPI and #23 in the NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings. The Pack's lone senior is 15-9 on the season, and finished with a 4-1 record in ACC action. He has won 11 of the last 13 matches dating back to Jan. 7., and his last four wins are all against ranked opponents.
The reigning ACC Wrestler of the Week, he won a winner-takes-all match to end the win at #13 Virginia, scoring a 7-6 decision over #29 Hermann to give the Wolfpack the 22-20 road win. On his Senior Day, he defeated #8 Klimara of Oklahoma State, 3-2.
Jack Steps Into Lineup
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 21-5 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, 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 give the Pack a quick 15-0 lead after three bouts in the win over #14 Pitt. Then on the road in the win at #13 Virginia, he recorded the Pack's first win of that dual, a 19-6 major over UVA's redshirt senior Joe Spisak. In the home finale, Jack pulled off an upset of #16 Dean Heil of Okla. State, 7-3.
Jack now finds himself ranked by every major publication at 141 pounds: #15 by InterMat, #16 by WIN, #18 by FloWrestling, TheOpenMat and WrestlingReport.
Pinning the Opponents
In defeating two straight top-15 conference foes, NC State used bonus point victories to come out victorious in each, mainly pins. The Pack scored two pins in the final four matches to win at #13 UVA 22-20 on Feb. 19, and that followed three pins to upset #14 Pittsburgh 27-12 on Feb. 14.
But a NC State bout resulting in a pin is nothing new to Wolfpack fans. On the season, 20 different NC State wrestlers have recorded a pin thus far, combining for a total of 58 in both dual and tournament action. Redshirt junior Nick Gwiazdowski leads the way with his 13.
The Pack recorded 26 pins in dual matches, including nine in ACC action. In fact, the other five ACC teams combined for just seven pins in conference duals the entire year.
Gwiazdowski Gets 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 ACC Championships with a career mark of 100-11 (30-9 at Binghamton in 2012, 42-2 last season with the Pack, and 28-0 this year).
Gwiazdowski is on pace to set the NC State school record for career win-loss percentage. Gwiazdowski currently stands with a 70-2 mark (97.2 percent) career record while with the Pack. Former NCAA Champion Sylvester Terkay currently holds the all-time record at 89.7 percent (122-14).
Live Video on ESPN3: Mat 1 | Mat 2 | Championship Bouts
NC State Media Packet | @PackWrestle Twitter | ACC Championship Page
RALEIGH, N.C. - The NC State wrestling team heads to Pittsburgh, Pa., to compete in the 2015 ACC Championship on March 8. The Pack has claimed 14 ACC titles since the conference was formed in 1954, with the most recent coming in 2007. NC State has won 111 ACC individual titles in league history, with Nick Gwiazdowski claiming top honors at 285 pounds last year at Virginia Tech.
About the ACC Championship
The ACC will hold the 61st annual ACC Championship March 8 in Pittsburgh at the Petersen Events Center. Wrestling begins at 11 a.m. and all of the action will be broadcast live by ESPN3. Here is a tentative schedule:
• First Round 11 a.m. • Semifinals 1 p.m. • Semifinal consolation 3:30 p.m.
• Finals Consolation 5 p.m. • Finals 7 p.m.
Gwiazdowski Most Dominate Wrestler in ACC For Second Straight Year
A total of eight ACC wrestlers made it through conference action with a perfect 5-0 mark. But NC State's Nick Gwiazdowski was the most dominate wrestler in ACC duals racking up the most dual points with 30 - pinning all five of his conference foes. It is a repeat performance from last year, as Gwiazdowski was one of five to go undefeated in conference action, once again leading all with 27 dual points. He is the only wrestler to go undefeated each of the past two years.
| Wrestler | School | Weight | ACC Record | ACC Points |
| Nick Gwiazdowski | NC State | 285 | 5-0 | 30 |
| Joey Dance | Virginia Tech | 125 | 5-0 | 21 |
| George DiCamillo | Virginia | 133 | 5-0 | 21 |
| Mikey Racciato | Pittsburgh | 149 | 5-0 | 19 |
| Max Thomusseit | Pittsburgh | 184 | 5-0 | 18 |
| Ethan Ramos | North Carolina | 165 | 5-0 | 16 |
| Nick Brascetta | Virginia Tech | 157 | 5-0 | 16 |
| Conner Hartman | Duke | 197 | 5-0 | 15 |
NC State First For Gwiazdowski
Never has an NC State wrestler pinned his opponent in every conference matchup, until Nick Gwiazdowski accomplished that feat this year going five-for-five in getting a fall in each of the Pack's ACC duals. Former heavyweight champion Sylvester Terkay came close to that feat in 1993, as he pinned five of his six ACC opponents.
Gwiazdowski's five pins are tops in conference action among all ACC wrestlers this year, and he is joined by teammate Nicky Hall (184) as the only two to record more then one pin in an ACC dual.
| Date | School | Opponent | Pin Time |
| 1/7 | Duke | Brendan Walsh | 1:07 |
| 2/1 | UNC | Frank Abbondanza | 3:48 |
| 2/8 | Va. Tech | #7 Ty Walz | 5:24 |
| 2/14 | Pitt | Ryan Soloman | 1:56 |
| 2/19 | UVA | #33 Patrick Gillen | 1:41 |
Gwiazdowski Looking For Repeat
Nick Gwiazdowski will be looking to repeat as ACC Champion, winning last year's 285-pound title. In school history, an NC State wrestler has won ACC titles in back-to-back years a total of 33 times, the last being Darrion Caldwell in 2008 and again in 2009 and 149 pounds.
2014 ACC Championship Recap
NC State placed sixth overall with a team score of 33.5 points last year at Virginia Tech. Nick Gwiazdowski claimed top honors at 285 pounds, while Tommy Gantt (2nd at 157) and Pete Renda (3rd at 174) were also top finishers. Along with those three, Sam Speno (141) and KaRonne Jones (197) also received automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.
Wolfpack Finishes Regular Season Ranked No. 17
Behind dual wins over three top-20 teams in the final three weeks of the season, NC State finished the regular season ranked 17th nationally in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. NC State is also ranked #14 by InterMat.com and #19 by FloWreslting.com heading into the postseason.
ACC Turnaround
The Wolfpack finished 3-2 in ACC duals this year, finishing second behind Virginia Tech (5-0). The second place finish is the highest in the regular season since 2007 and an improvement from fifth place last year.
Bonus Points in ACC Action
During the 2014-15 season, NC State claimed 22 individual wins in its five ACC duals. Of those 22 wins, 14 (63.6 percent) were bonus point victories: nine pins and five major decisions to go along with eight decisions.
Youth Movement
One of the youngest teams nationally, five of the Pack's 10 wrestlers will be competing in their first ACC Championship. The Pack's 10 wrestlers have combined for just six previous appearances at the ACC Championship.
Not including those redshirting this year, the Pack's freshmen and sophomores have combined for 81.4% (250 of 307) of the team's total wins. The freshmen have combined for 44.0 percent (135) followed by the sophomores at 37.5 percent (115), the juniors at 13.0 percent (40) and the seniors at 5.5 percent (17).
48 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 48, sporting a perfect 28-0 record this year after winning his final 20 bouts last season enroute to the NCAA title.
Gwiazdowski has the seconds-longest current winning streak nationally only behind Missouri's J'den Cox (50 - 30-0 this year, won last 20 last year as national champion at 197 pounds).
Freshmen Impact
Five of the Pack's 10 weight classes will feature either true-freshmen or redshirt-freshmen in this year's ACC Championship. Last year's signing class was ranked #17 nationally, and that followed the previous year's class that was ranked #10.
| Weight | Name | Class | Record | ACC |
| 133 | Bryce Meredith | Fr. | 14-5 | 2-2 |
| 141 | Kevin Jack | Fr. | 24-5 | 2-0 |
| 157 | Chad Pyke | R-Fr. | 13-15 | 0-4 |
| 184 | Nicky Hall | Fr. | 9-6 | 3-2 |
| 197 | Michael Boykin | Fr. | 17-10 | 2-3 |
Dual Success
NC State finished 2015 with a dual record of 16-6, with all but one of the losses coming to top-10 teams at the time of the dual. The 16 wins are the third-most in a single season in school history, as only the 1985 (18) and 1988 (19) squads recorded more. The Pack won nine of its final 12 duals, and outscored the opposition 524-289 during the season. The Wolfpack's 16 dual wins this year rank as the fourth-most nationally.
Tough Scheduling
NC State will be well prepped to facing the tough challenges of the postseason, as this year the Wolfpack faced eight ranked opponents in duals, including five that were in the top-10 when the Pack faced them. The Pack picked up three dual wins over ranked foes: #17 Old Dominion 21-15 on Feb. 6, #14 Pittsburgh 27-12 on Feb. 14, and at #13 Virginia 22-20 Feb. 19.
DeAngelo Finishing Strong
Redshirt senior Joe DeAngelo is making the most of his last season at NC State. DeAngelo is currently ranked #18 by TheOpenMat.com, and #22 in the RPI and #23 in the NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings. The Pack's lone senior is 15-9 on the season, and finished with a 4-1 record in ACC action. He has won 11 of the last 13 matches dating back to Jan. 7., and his last four wins are all against ranked opponents.
The reigning ACC Wrestler of the Week, he won a winner-takes-all match to end the win at #13 Virginia, scoring a 7-6 decision over #29 Hermann to give the Wolfpack the 22-20 road win. On his Senior Day, he defeated #8 Klimara of Oklahoma State, 3-2.
Jack Steps Into Lineup
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 21-5 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, 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 give the Pack a quick 15-0 lead after three bouts in the win over #14 Pitt. Then on the road in the win at #13 Virginia, he recorded the Pack's first win of that dual, a 19-6 major over UVA's redshirt senior Joe Spisak. In the home finale, Jack pulled off an upset of #16 Dean Heil of Okla. State, 7-3.
Jack now finds himself ranked by every major publication at 141 pounds: #15 by InterMat, #16 by WIN, #18 by FloWrestling, TheOpenMat and WrestlingReport.
Pinning the Opponents
In defeating two straight top-15 conference foes, NC State used bonus point victories to come out victorious in each, mainly pins. The Pack scored two pins in the final four matches to win at #13 UVA 22-20 on Feb. 19, and that followed three pins to upset #14 Pittsburgh 27-12 on Feb. 14.
But a NC State bout resulting in a pin is nothing new to Wolfpack fans. On the season, 20 different NC State wrestlers have recorded a pin thus far, combining for a total of 58 in both dual and tournament action. Redshirt junior Nick Gwiazdowski leads the way with his 13.
The Pack recorded 26 pins in dual matches, including nine in ACC action. In fact, the other five ACC teams combined for just seven pins in conference duals the entire year.
Gwiazdowski Gets 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 ACC Championships with a career mark of 100-11 (30-9 at Binghamton in 2012, 42-2 last season with the Pack, and 28-0 this year).
Gwiazdowski is on pace to set the NC State school record for career win-loss percentage. Gwiazdowski currently stands with a 70-2 mark (97.2 percent) career record while with the Pack. Former NCAA Champion Sylvester Terkay currently holds the all-time record at 89.7 percent (122-14).
Players Mentioned
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