@PackWrestle Eyes the Postseason Prize
2/29/2016 1:22:00 PM | Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C. - A college wrestling season can almost be broken down into three parts - dual season, conference championship and then the NCAA Championships. While NC State enjoyed the most successful dual season in school history, the Wolfpack now looks ahead to the postseason and a time where trophies are given out.
The Pack's second season begins this Sunday, as NC State will be one of six conference schools vying for the ACC Championship at Charlottesville, Va.
The ACC was as competitve as it has ever been this season. A pair of schools were ranked in the top-three at the end of the regular season for the first time in history, and both of those schools claimed victories on the road in the NWCA National Duals Championships Series. All six conference schools finished ranked in the top-30 of the final NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Wolfpack finished 23-1 in duals - a mark that set a new school and ACC record and led the nation this year. NC State was ranked No. 2 in the final NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in school history, thanks in large part to a 9-1 record against ranked teams, including a perfect 3-0 mark against schools ranked in the top-5 (wins at #2 Iowa and at #4 Oklahoma State and at home vs. #5 Missouri).
Virginia Tech was just a step behind, as the Hokies (16-2) were ranked No. 3 in the final poll. North Carolina (13-5) was the third conference school to be ranked at the end of the season, at No. 14. Pittsburgh, Virginia (last year's ACC Champion), and Duke all received votes to close out the year.
The Pack enjoyed a strong ACC dual season, finishing 4-1 - its best showing since also finishing 4-1 in 2004. NC State outscored its ACC foes 139-49 (27.8-9.8 avg.) this year, and won 35 of the 50 matches with 18 bonus point wins.
A total of four Wolfpack grapplers made it through the ACC dual season with a perfect conference mark. Kevin Jack (141), Tommy Gantt (157) and Nick Gwiazdowski (285) all went a perfect 5-0 in conference action. Max Rohskopf (165) was 4-0, as he missed the dual at Duke, and was the only undefeated wrestler at 165.
NC State will be looking for its first ACC title since 2007, and the 15th in school history.
Aside from trying to win a team championship and individual titles, one of the main aspects for eyeing success at your conference tournament is trying to earn an automatic NCAA bid. Last week, the NCAA announced the qualifier allocations for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, and the ACC was awarded with a total of 34 over the 10 weight classes.
Simply put, for each weight class, your finish at the ACC Championship will determine if you receive an automatic NCAA bid this Sunday.
For example, the 125-pound weight class in the ACC was awarded four NCAA bids. Meaning, if redshirt-freshman Sean Fausz finishes within the top four on Sunday, he will get one of those bids. The same holds try for all 10 weight classes.
Each of the last two seasons, NC State has had five NCAA Qualifiers - the most in a single season since six in 2004. The school record for NC State is eight qualifiers, a mark only achived once, in 1996.
It appears that Sunday will be another exciting day of college wrestling in the ACC.
If you can not make the trip to Charlottesville, ESPN3 will broadcast all the action starting with the first round at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The finals are tentatively schedule to begin at 7 p.m. You can also follow NC State Wrestling on twitter at @PackWrestle.
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The Pack's second season begins this Sunday, as NC State will be one of six conference schools vying for the ACC Championship at Charlottesville, Va.
The ACC was as competitve as it has ever been this season. A pair of schools were ranked in the top-three at the end of the regular season for the first time in history, and both of those schools claimed victories on the road in the NWCA National Duals Championships Series. All six conference schools finished ranked in the top-30 of the final NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Wolfpack finished 23-1 in duals - a mark that set a new school and ACC record and led the nation this year. NC State was ranked No. 2 in the final NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in school history, thanks in large part to a 9-1 record against ranked teams, including a perfect 3-0 mark against schools ranked in the top-5 (wins at #2 Iowa and at #4 Oklahoma State and at home vs. #5 Missouri).
Virginia Tech was just a step behind, as the Hokies (16-2) were ranked No. 3 in the final poll. North Carolina (13-5) was the third conference school to be ranked at the end of the season, at No. 14. Pittsburgh, Virginia (last year's ACC Champion), and Duke all received votes to close out the year.
The Pack enjoyed a strong ACC dual season, finishing 4-1 - its best showing since also finishing 4-1 in 2004. NC State outscored its ACC foes 139-49 (27.8-9.8 avg.) this year, and won 35 of the 50 matches with 18 bonus point wins.
A total of four Wolfpack grapplers made it through the ACC dual season with a perfect conference mark. Kevin Jack (141), Tommy Gantt (157) and Nick Gwiazdowski (285) all went a perfect 5-0 in conference action. Max Rohskopf (165) was 4-0, as he missed the dual at Duke, and was the only undefeated wrestler at 165.
NC State will be looking for its first ACC title since 2007, and the 15th in school history.
Aside from trying to win a team championship and individual titles, one of the main aspects for eyeing success at your conference tournament is trying to earn an automatic NCAA bid. Last week, the NCAA announced the qualifier allocations for the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, and the ACC was awarded with a total of 34 over the 10 weight classes.
Simply put, for each weight class, your finish at the ACC Championship will determine if you receive an automatic NCAA bid this Sunday.
For example, the 125-pound weight class in the ACC was awarded four NCAA bids. Meaning, if redshirt-freshman Sean Fausz finishes within the top four on Sunday, he will get one of those bids. The same holds try for all 10 weight classes.
Each of the last two seasons, NC State has had five NCAA Qualifiers - the most in a single season since six in 2004. The school record for NC State is eight qualifiers, a mark only achived once, in 1996.
It appears that Sunday will be another exciting day of college wrestling in the ACC.
If you can not make the trip to Charlottesville, ESPN3 will broadcast all the action starting with the first round at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The finals are tentatively schedule to begin at 7 p.m. You can also follow NC State Wrestling on twitter at @PackWrestle.
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