Monday, January 25
NC State Fairgrounds - Dorton Arena
7 PM
NC State
vs
#14 North Carolina
@PackWrestle Hosts Rival UNC Monday Night at Dorton Arena
1/21/2016 1:02:00 PM | Wrestling
Game Day Program | NC State Statistics | 2015-16 Home Venue Info
@PackWrestle Making History | #ChampionshipTradition Q&A
RALEIGH, N.C. - Continuing in ACC action, the No. 3 ranked NC State wrestling team will host conference rival #14 North Carolina Monday night at 7 p.m. at the NC State Fairgrounds Dorton Arena. Admission is FREE, and the dual will be streamed on GoPack.com.
Just like the last dual vs. Virginia, parking is on the North side of Dorton Arena, and the entrance for Dorton Arena will be through the North Entrance (near the fountain) facing towards the Fairgrounds.
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The Wolfpack (17-0, 2-0 ACC) remains No. 3 in this week's USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll for the fifth straight poll dating back to Dec. 15, while the Tar Heels (9-2, 0-1) check in at a season-best No. 14 after being ranked No. 15 for four straight polls. The Pack is also No. 3 according to both FloWrestling and InterMat and No. 4 by WIN Magazine.
Eight From @PackWrestle Ranked in First NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings
The NCAA released Thursday the first of four coaches' panel rankings for the 2015-16 wrestling season with eight members of the NC State wrestling team making the list. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
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Both teams are also well represented in the polls this week, as the Pack has six starters ranked among the top-20 nationally (four in top-10) while UNC has five nationally ranked starters (also with four in top-10).
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#3 NC State Wolfpack Probables
125: #24 R-Fr. Sean Fausz (12-4)
133: #28 R-Fr. Jamal Morris (9-3)
141: #3 So. Kevin Jack (14-3)
149: R-So. Beau Donahue (7-7) -or- So. Sam Melikian (9-4)
157: #4 R-Sr. Tommy Gantt (15-0)
165: #7 Jr. Max Rohskopf (7-1)
174: So. Nicky Hall (10-5)
184: #15 Jr. Pete Renda (16-3)
197: #17 So. Michael Boykin (11-5)
285: #1 R-Sr. Nick Gwiazdowski (20-0)
#14 North Carolina Tar Heels Probables
125: R-So. Cody Karns (1-4) -or- R-Fr. Anthony Bosco (4-10)
133: Fr. James Szymanski (7-11)
141: #11 R-Jr. Joey Ward (10-2)
149: #7 R-Sr. Evan Henderson (15-4)
157: R-Sr. Robert Henderson (8-7) -or- R-Fr. Jack Clark (5-6) -or- R-Sr. Christian Barber (9-4)
165: #10 R-Sr. John Michael Staudenmayer (15-5)
174: #3 R-So. Ethan Ramos (14-2)
184: #17 R-Sr. Alex Utley (17-5)
197: #23 So. Chip Ness (15-6) -or- R-Jr. Scott Marmoll (3-4)
285: R-Fr. Cory Daniel (6-11)
Key Matchups
141: #3 Kevin Jack vs. #11 Joey Ward
Jack has won eight straight matches dating back to Dec. 29, including a 5-2 win over #4 Ashnault of Rutgers at the Midlands Championships. Ward's lone losses this year have been to #4 and #11, and his last three wins have all been in duals for bonus points. Jack and Ward split a pair of postseason matchups last season, as Ward won 6-1 in the semifinals of the ACC Championships, while Jack won 6-5 in the second round of the NCAA Championships.
165: #7 Max Rohskopf vs. #10 John Michael Staudenmayer
After being out of the Pack's lineup for a month, Rohskopf has returned and gone 5-0 with three pins and a major decision since Jan. 9. Rohskopf is a perfect 7-0 at 165 this season, his lone loss was 7-2 to #2 Crutchmer at Oklahoma State at 174. Staudenmayer just made the switch from 174 pounds to 165 for the Southern Scuffle, where he placed third, and is 9-1 at his new weight - his only loss to #1 Dieringer of Oklahoma State. This will be the first career matchup between Rohskopf and Staudenmayer
184: #15 Pete Renda vs. #17 Alex Utley
Renda's move up to 184 pounds has paid off thus far, with his only losses coming to top-10 foes but he also has three wins over ranked foes. In ACC duals, Renda has made quick work of his foes for a pair of bonus point wins - 17-1 tech fall at Duke and a pin vs. Virginia. Utley is 0-4 against ranked opponents this season, but has won his UNC-NCSU dual matchups the last two times out. Both grapplers lost to #2 Jack Dechow of Old Dominion in OT this season. This will be the first career matchup between Renda and Utley.
The Series vs. UNC
NC State and North Carolina will be facing each other in a dual for the 97th time since the start of ACC competition. The Tar Heels currently lead the overall series, 51-43-2, with NC State winning the last two matchups (19-16 in 2014 and 22-18 last season).
Last Year vs. UNC
Facing an 18-7 deficit with only three bouts left, the NC State wrestling team got 15 team points in those final three bouts and claimed a 22-18 comeback win at North Carolina on Feb. 1, 2015.
Nicky Hall started the final stretch with a pin at 184 pounds. Classmate then-freshman Michael Boykin followed with a 10-5 decision, which made the team score 18-16 UNC going into the 285 matchup. NC State's Nick Gwiazdowski scored a second-period pin, and completed the Wolfpack comeback.
Here is how NC State probables fared last year:
149: Christian Barber (UNC) dec. Sam Melikian; 4-3 - 7-9
165: #21 Ethan Ramos (UNC) dec. #17 Max Rohskopf; 3-1 - 7-15
174: #29 John Michael Staudenmayer (UNC) dec. #17 Pete Renda; 8-2 - 7-18
184: Nicky Hall (NCSU) fall Scott Marmoll; 1:35 - 13-18
197: Michael Boykin (NCSU) dec. Chip Ness; 10-5 - 16-18
285: #2 Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) fall Frank Abbondanza; 3:48 - 22-18
Competing Against the Best
NC State is a perfect 17-0 in 2015-16, the most consecutive wins to start a season in school history. The 17 wins lead the NCAA and the Pack has the nation's longest winning streak currently. In addition, NC State is one of just three undefeated teams remaining. The 17 wins are also the third-most in NC State history in a season (18 in 1985, 19 in 1988).
The Pack will be tested the rest of the way, as six of the final seven duals are all against teams ranked in the top-25 in this week's USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll. The Wolfpack started the season-ending stretch with a 35-7 win over #17 Virginia. NC State is 4-0 against ranked teams this season having defeated #16 Minnesota (31-3), #4 Oklahoma State (19-15), and #24 Old Dominion (26-15), and #17 UVA last time out. In those four duals, the Pack has won 28 of the 40 matches, with 12 being for bonus points.
Gwiazdowski Dominating as Usual
Two-time defending NCAA Champion Nick Gwiazdowski has been dominant since he joined the Wolfpack for the 2013-14 season. He currently holds an NCAA-best 75 match-winning streak, with his last loss coming in Jan. 2014. He is 20-0 this, following up a perfect 35-0 campaign in 2014-15 and 42-2 in his first season in 2013-14. In his three-year NC State career, Gwiazdowski is 97-2, including a perfect 48-0 in duals.
In ACC duals, Gwiazdowski stands at 13-0 all-time, with 12 of those wins being bonus point victories. In both of his regular season matchups with UNC, Gwiazdowski has recorded a pin. Over his last eight ACC duals, he has seven pins and one tech fall victory.
Pair of Streaks
Two NC State wrestlers remain undefeated thus far in 2015-16, as Tommy Gantt is 15-0 and Nick Gwiazdowski is 20-0 in their redshirt senior seasons. NC State is one of seven schools nationally with at least two wrestlers still undefeated, and only Virginia Tech (Ty Walz of Va. Tech at 285) is the only school in the ACC with another undefeated wrestler.
ACC Dominance
Early in the ACC portion of the schedule, no conference team has been as dominant in conference duals as NC State. The Pack has recorded a 34-9 win at Duke and 35-7 win over #17 Virginia to start its conference slate. NC State has won 15 of its 20 dual matches, with 11 being bonus point victories.
Popolizio Sets New Win Total to Start Career
Head coach Pat Popolizio set a new mark for NC State wrestling head coaches, as his 52 wins in his first four seasons are the most for any Wolfpack coach to start their Wolfpack careers. His current winning percentage of .732 also is the top mark among former Pack coaches.
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* - Team Rankings according to USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll
* - Individual Rankings according to 1/21 Coaches Panel Rankings
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@PackWrestle Making History | #ChampionshipTradition Q&A
RALEIGH, N.C. - Continuing in ACC action, the No. 3 ranked NC State wrestling team will host conference rival #14 North Carolina Monday night at 7 p.m. at the NC State Fairgrounds Dorton Arena. Admission is FREE, and the dual will be streamed on GoPack.com.
Just like the last dual vs. Virginia, parking is on the North side of Dorton Arena, and the entrance for Dorton Arena will be through the North Entrance (near the fountain) facing towards the Fairgrounds.
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| #3 NC State (17-0) vs. #14 North Carolina (9-2) | |
| Date | Monday, Jan. 25 |
| Time | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Dorton Arena |
| Live Scoring | TrackWrestling.com |
| Live Stream | GoPack.com |
| Social Media | @PackWrestle |
The Wolfpack (17-0, 2-0 ACC) remains No. 3 in this week's USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll for the fifth straight poll dating back to Dec. 15, while the Tar Heels (9-2, 0-1) check in at a season-best No. 14 after being ranked No. 15 for four straight polls. The Pack is also No. 3 according to both FloWrestling and InterMat and No. 4 by WIN Magazine.
Eight From @PackWrestle Ranked in First NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings
The NCAA released Thursday the first of four coaches' panel rankings for the 2015-16 wrestling season with eight members of the NC State wrestling team making the list. The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine the qualifiers for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
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| Weight | Wrestler | Ranking | Record |
| 125 | R-Fr. Sean Fausz | #24 | 12-4 |
| 133 | R-Fr. Jamal Morris | #28 | 9-3 |
| 141 | So. Kevin Jack | #3 | 14-3 |
| 157 | R-Sr. Tommy Gantt | #4 | 15-0 |
| 165 | Jr. Max Rohskopf | #7 | 7-1 |
| 184 | Jr. Pete Renda | #15 | 16-3 |
| 197 | So. Michael Boykin | #17 | 11-5 |
| 285 | R-Sr. Nick Gwiazdowski | #1 | 20-0 |
Both teams are also well represented in the polls this week, as the Pack has six starters ranked among the top-20 nationally (four in top-10) while UNC has five nationally ranked starters (also with four in top-10).
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| Wrestler | Weight | AWN | FLO | InterMat | OpenMat | WIN |
| Kevin Jack | 141 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Tommy Gantt | 157 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Max Rohskopf | 165 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
| Pete Renda | 184 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 17 |
| Michael Boykin | 197 | 15 | 18 | 18 | NR | 15 |
| Nick Gwiazdowski | 285 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
#3 NC State Wolfpack Probables
125: #24 R-Fr. Sean Fausz (12-4)
133: #28 R-Fr. Jamal Morris (9-3)
141: #3 So. Kevin Jack (14-3)
149: R-So. Beau Donahue (7-7) -or- So. Sam Melikian (9-4)
157: #4 R-Sr. Tommy Gantt (15-0)
165: #7 Jr. Max Rohskopf (7-1)
174: So. Nicky Hall (10-5)
184: #15 Jr. Pete Renda (16-3)
197: #17 So. Michael Boykin (11-5)
285: #1 R-Sr. Nick Gwiazdowski (20-0)
#14 North Carolina Tar Heels Probables
125: R-So. Cody Karns (1-4) -or- R-Fr. Anthony Bosco (4-10)
133: Fr. James Szymanski (7-11)
141: #11 R-Jr. Joey Ward (10-2)
149: #7 R-Sr. Evan Henderson (15-4)
157: R-Sr. Robert Henderson (8-7) -or- R-Fr. Jack Clark (5-6) -or- R-Sr. Christian Barber (9-4)
165: #10 R-Sr. John Michael Staudenmayer (15-5)
174: #3 R-So. Ethan Ramos (14-2)
184: #17 R-Sr. Alex Utley (17-5)
197: #23 So. Chip Ness (15-6) -or- R-Jr. Scott Marmoll (3-4)
285: R-Fr. Cory Daniel (6-11)
Key Matchups
141: #3 Kevin Jack vs. #11 Joey Ward
Jack has won eight straight matches dating back to Dec. 29, including a 5-2 win over #4 Ashnault of Rutgers at the Midlands Championships. Ward's lone losses this year have been to #4 and #11, and his last three wins have all been in duals for bonus points. Jack and Ward split a pair of postseason matchups last season, as Ward won 6-1 in the semifinals of the ACC Championships, while Jack won 6-5 in the second round of the NCAA Championships.
165: #7 Max Rohskopf vs. #10 John Michael Staudenmayer
After being out of the Pack's lineup for a month, Rohskopf has returned and gone 5-0 with three pins and a major decision since Jan. 9. Rohskopf is a perfect 7-0 at 165 this season, his lone loss was 7-2 to #2 Crutchmer at Oklahoma State at 174. Staudenmayer just made the switch from 174 pounds to 165 for the Southern Scuffle, where he placed third, and is 9-1 at his new weight - his only loss to #1 Dieringer of Oklahoma State. This will be the first career matchup between Rohskopf and Staudenmayer
184: #15 Pete Renda vs. #17 Alex Utley
Renda's move up to 184 pounds has paid off thus far, with his only losses coming to top-10 foes but he also has three wins over ranked foes. In ACC duals, Renda has made quick work of his foes for a pair of bonus point wins - 17-1 tech fall at Duke and a pin vs. Virginia. Utley is 0-4 against ranked opponents this season, but has won his UNC-NCSU dual matchups the last two times out. Both grapplers lost to #2 Jack Dechow of Old Dominion in OT this season. This will be the first career matchup between Renda and Utley.
The Series vs. UNC
NC State and North Carolina will be facing each other in a dual for the 97th time since the start of ACC competition. The Tar Heels currently lead the overall series, 51-43-2, with NC State winning the last two matchups (19-16 in 2014 and 22-18 last season).
Last Year vs. UNC
Facing an 18-7 deficit with only three bouts left, the NC State wrestling team got 15 team points in those final three bouts and claimed a 22-18 comeback win at North Carolina on Feb. 1, 2015.
Nicky Hall started the final stretch with a pin at 184 pounds. Classmate then-freshman Michael Boykin followed with a 10-5 decision, which made the team score 18-16 UNC going into the 285 matchup. NC State's Nick Gwiazdowski scored a second-period pin, and completed the Wolfpack comeback.
Here is how NC State probables fared last year:
149: Christian Barber (UNC) dec. Sam Melikian; 4-3 - 7-9
165: #21 Ethan Ramos (UNC) dec. #17 Max Rohskopf; 3-1 - 7-15
174: #29 John Michael Staudenmayer (UNC) dec. #17 Pete Renda; 8-2 - 7-18
184: Nicky Hall (NCSU) fall Scott Marmoll; 1:35 - 13-18
197: Michael Boykin (NCSU) dec. Chip Ness; 10-5 - 16-18
285: #2 Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) fall Frank Abbondanza; 3:48 - 22-18
Competing Against the Best
NC State is a perfect 17-0 in 2015-16, the most consecutive wins to start a season in school history. The 17 wins lead the NCAA and the Pack has the nation's longest winning streak currently. In addition, NC State is one of just three undefeated teams remaining. The 17 wins are also the third-most in NC State history in a season (18 in 1985, 19 in 1988).
The Pack will be tested the rest of the way, as six of the final seven duals are all against teams ranked in the top-25 in this week's USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll. The Wolfpack started the season-ending stretch with a 35-7 win over #17 Virginia. NC State is 4-0 against ranked teams this season having defeated #16 Minnesota (31-3), #4 Oklahoma State (19-15), and #24 Old Dominion (26-15), and #17 UVA last time out. In those four duals, the Pack has won 28 of the 40 matches, with 12 being for bonus points.
Gwiazdowski Dominating as Usual
Two-time defending NCAA Champion Nick Gwiazdowski has been dominant since he joined the Wolfpack for the 2013-14 season. He currently holds an NCAA-best 75 match-winning streak, with his last loss coming in Jan. 2014. He is 20-0 this, following up a perfect 35-0 campaign in 2014-15 and 42-2 in his first season in 2013-14. In his three-year NC State career, Gwiazdowski is 97-2, including a perfect 48-0 in duals.
In ACC duals, Gwiazdowski stands at 13-0 all-time, with 12 of those wins being bonus point victories. In both of his regular season matchups with UNC, Gwiazdowski has recorded a pin. Over his last eight ACC duals, he has seven pins and one tech fall victory.
Pair of Streaks
Two NC State wrestlers remain undefeated thus far in 2015-16, as Tommy Gantt is 15-0 and Nick Gwiazdowski is 20-0 in their redshirt senior seasons. NC State is one of seven schools nationally with at least two wrestlers still undefeated, and only Virginia Tech (Ty Walz of Va. Tech at 285) is the only school in the ACC with another undefeated wrestler.
ACC Dominance
Early in the ACC portion of the schedule, no conference team has been as dominant in conference duals as NC State. The Pack has recorded a 34-9 win at Duke and 35-7 win over #17 Virginia to start its conference slate. NC State has won 15 of its 20 dual matches, with 11 being bonus point victories.
Popolizio Sets New Win Total to Start Career
Head coach Pat Popolizio set a new mark for NC State wrestling head coaches, as his 52 wins in his first four seasons are the most for any Wolfpack coach to start their Wolfpack careers. His current winning percentage of .732 also is the top mark among former Pack coaches.
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| Coach | 1st 4 years | Record | Pct. |
| Pat Popolizio | 2013-pres. | 52-19 | .732 |
| Carter Jordan | 2005-08 | 41-30-2 | .575 |
| Bob Guzzo | 1975-78 | 48-18 | .727 |
| Jerry Daniels | 1968-71 | 32-18-2 | .635 |
| Al Crawford | 1947-50 | 21-16-2 | .564 |
* - Team Rankings according to USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll
* - Individual Rankings according to 1/21 Coaches Panel Rankings
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