Friday, February 17
Raleigh, N.C.
7 p.m.
NC State
vs
Michigan - NWCA National Duals
@PackWrestle Hosts #16 Michigan for NWCA National Duals
2/16/2017 9:04:00 AM | Wrestling
NWCA National Duals | Probable Lineups | Watch Live | Tickets
RALEIGH, N.C. - Being ranked in the top-10 all season in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll and finishing the regular season with a 12-2 dual mark, netted the No. 7 Wolfpack a second straight at-large bid to the NWCA National Duals Championship Series.
Last year, NC State went to No. 2 Iowa and handed the Hawkeyes its first ever loss to an ACC school, 21-17, and this year the Pack will try to recapture that magic when No. 16 Michigan comes to Reynolds Coliseum Friday night.
Last year's NWCA National Duals win at Iowa was the start to one of the best postseasons in school history. Two weeks after the win in Iowa City, NC State captured the 2016 ACC Championship behind four individual titles. Two weeks after that, the Pack placed 11th at the NCAA Championships tying a school record with three All-Americans.
The Pack has picked up where it left off last year, and enters the final dual of the season with a 12-2 mark with all 10 starters currently ranked in the NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings. For the second year in a row, NC State went 4-1 in ACC duals.
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Quick Takedowns
• For the 14th consecutive poll to open the 2016-17 season, NC State is ranked in the top-10 in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. NC State is currently ranked a season-best No. 7 this week. The Pack was No. 8 the three previous weeks, and spent seven weeks at No. 9 and three weeks at No. 10.
• With a 12-2 start in duals in 2016-17, NC State has won 35 of its last 38 duals dating back to the beginning of last season (23-1 last year). The Pack's lone losses have been to No. 8 Virginia Tech (19-14) last season, and No. 7 Nebraska (22-10) and No. 5 Virginia Tech (20-14) this season.
• NC State has all 10 starters ranked in the latest NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings.
• In the first RPI, NC State has eight ranked, including four in the top-10 and Kevin Jack at No. 1 at 141 pounds. The only two Pack starters not ranked in the RPI do not have enough matches this year yet.
• Kevin Jack's current 24-match winning is the seventh-longest winning streak in school history, and one more win would tie as the sixth-best streak. Five of his last eight wins have all been versus ranked foes, including four top-10 wins.
• Both Jack (5-0) and Michael Macchiavello (4-0 at 184 pounds) made it through ACC duals with a perfect record. Jack was the second-most dominate wrestler in the ACC this season, racking up 21 team points in outscoring his conference foes 76-17 without giving up a single takedown.
• Macchiavello is currently the Co-ACC Wrestler of the Week after he defeated #5 Zavatsky of Virginia Tech 9-3 - his first career top-five win. This season, NC State claimed five ACC Wrestler of the Week honors.
• In the Pack's probable lineup vs. Michigan, only R-So. Sean Fausz (125), R-So. Jamal Morris (133) and Jr. Kevin Jack (141) are returning starters from last year's ACC Championship squad. In addition to those three, NC State has two true freshmen, three others that redshirted 2015-16, and a pair that were back-ups last year among its 2016-17 starters.
• Fausz, a 2016 NCAA Qualifier, made his season debut at 125 pounds on Jan. 23 at UNC and is 6-1 at that weight. He previously went 16-4 at 133 pounds during the first semester this season.
Probable Lineups:
#7 NC State Wolfpack (12-2)
125: #23 R-So. Sean Fausz (22-5)
133: #16 R-So. Jamal Morris (18-7)
141: #2 Jr. Kevin Jack (26-1)
149: #10 R-Sr. Sam Speno (20-6) -OR- R-Jr. Beau Donahue (18-8)
157: #24 Fr. Thomas Bullard (17-7)
165: #28 R-Jr. Brian Hamann (19-10) -OR- R-Jr. Chad Pyke (13-8)
174: #33 Fr. Nick Reenan (18-8)
184: #10 R-Jr. Michael Macchiavello (21-5)
197: #25 R-So. Malik McDonald (17-8)
285: #20 R-Sr. Mike Kosoy (19-8)
#16 Michigan Wolverines (8-6)
125: R-Sr. Conor Youtsey (3-3)
133: #7 R-Fr. Stevan Micic (19-4)
141: R-Fr. Sal Profaci (12-11)
149: R-So. Malik Amine (11-5) -OR- R-So. Zac Hall (14-7)
157: #10 Sr. Brian Murphy (10-6)
165: #2 R-Fr. Logan Massa (24-1)
174: #9 R-Fr. Myles Amine (21-4)
184: R-Jr. Ernest Battaglia (3-8)
197: #32 R-Fr. Jackson Striggow (11-9)
285: R-Jr. Payne Hayden (0-0)
Key Matchup
125: #23 Sean Fausz (22-5) vs. Conor Youtsey (3-3)
If the two teams decide to start at the traditional 125-pound match, the first bout could be the key to who wins the dual. Fausz has only been at 125 pounds since Jan. 23, and is 6-1 at the weight this year. Fausz has split his last two matches - defeating #29 Bentley of Pitt 10-5, and falling to #4 Dance of Virginia Tech 12-3. Youtsey is just 3-3 on the season, but he is a two-time NCAA All-American, placing fifth last year and sixth in 2015. He does not have enough matches to be ranked in the Coaches' Rankings, but is currently ranked in the top-20 nationally by both InterMat and FloWrestling.
The Series vs. Michigan
NC State and Michigan will be facing each other for the first time since a 1993 neutral site dual, won by the Wolverines 27-16.
Last Year in the NWCA National Duals
An injury default in the dual's final bout, gave NC State a 21-17 road win at No. 2 Iowa in the NWCA National Duals Championships Series. A close dual that saw five lead changes came down to the final bout. NC State became the first ACC team ever to defeat Iowa, as the Hawkeyes were 12-0 against the conference.
Here is how this year's probables fared:
125: #2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) major dec. #20 Sean Fausz; 15-5 - 0-4
133: #3 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. #30 Jamal Morris; 9-3 - 0-7
141: #3 Kevin Jack (NCSU) technical fall Brody Grothus; 18-3 - 5-7
149: #2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) major dec. Beau Donahue; 13-4 - 5-11
* - Team Ranking according to USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll
* - Individual Rankings according to NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings
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RALEIGH, N.C. - Being ranked in the top-10 all season in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll and finishing the regular season with a 12-2 dual mark, netted the No. 7 Wolfpack a second straight at-large bid to the NWCA National Duals Championship Series.
Last year, NC State went to No. 2 Iowa and handed the Hawkeyes its first ever loss to an ACC school, 21-17, and this year the Pack will try to recapture that magic when No. 16 Michigan comes to Reynolds Coliseum Friday night.
Last year's NWCA National Duals win at Iowa was the start to one of the best postseasons in school history. Two weeks after the win in Iowa City, NC State captured the 2016 ACC Championship behind four individual titles. Two weeks after that, the Pack placed 11th at the NCAA Championships tying a school record with three All-Americans.
The Pack has picked up where it left off last year, and enters the final dual of the season with a 12-2 mark with all 10 starters currently ranked in the NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings. For the second year in a row, NC State went 4-1 in ACC duals.
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| #7 NC State (12-2) vs. #16 Michigan (8-6) | |
| Date | Friday, Feb. 17 |
| Time | 7 p.m. |
| Location | Reynolds Coliseum |
| Live Stream | ACC Network Extra |
| Live Scoring | TrackWrestling.com |
| Social Media | @PackWrestle |
| Tickets | $7 adults, $5 students/youth |
Quick Takedowns
• For the 14th consecutive poll to open the 2016-17 season, NC State is ranked in the top-10 in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. NC State is currently ranked a season-best No. 7 this week. The Pack was No. 8 the three previous weeks, and spent seven weeks at No. 9 and three weeks at No. 10.
• With a 12-2 start in duals in 2016-17, NC State has won 35 of its last 38 duals dating back to the beginning of last season (23-1 last year). The Pack's lone losses have been to No. 8 Virginia Tech (19-14) last season, and No. 7 Nebraska (22-10) and No. 5 Virginia Tech (20-14) this season.
• NC State has all 10 starters ranked in the latest NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings.
• In the first RPI, NC State has eight ranked, including four in the top-10 and Kevin Jack at No. 1 at 141 pounds. The only two Pack starters not ranked in the RPI do not have enough matches this year yet.
• Kevin Jack's current 24-match winning is the seventh-longest winning streak in school history, and one more win would tie as the sixth-best streak. Five of his last eight wins have all been versus ranked foes, including four top-10 wins.
• Both Jack (5-0) and Michael Macchiavello (4-0 at 184 pounds) made it through ACC duals with a perfect record. Jack was the second-most dominate wrestler in the ACC this season, racking up 21 team points in outscoring his conference foes 76-17 without giving up a single takedown.
• Macchiavello is currently the Co-ACC Wrestler of the Week after he defeated #5 Zavatsky of Virginia Tech 9-3 - his first career top-five win. This season, NC State claimed five ACC Wrestler of the Week honors.
• In the Pack's probable lineup vs. Michigan, only R-So. Sean Fausz (125), R-So. Jamal Morris (133) and Jr. Kevin Jack (141) are returning starters from last year's ACC Championship squad. In addition to those three, NC State has two true freshmen, three others that redshirted 2015-16, and a pair that were back-ups last year among its 2016-17 starters.
• Fausz, a 2016 NCAA Qualifier, made his season debut at 125 pounds on Jan. 23 at UNC and is 6-1 at that weight. He previously went 16-4 at 133 pounds during the first semester this season.
Probable Lineups:
#7 NC State Wolfpack (12-2)
125: #23 R-So. Sean Fausz (22-5)
133: #16 R-So. Jamal Morris (18-7)
141: #2 Jr. Kevin Jack (26-1)
149: #10 R-Sr. Sam Speno (20-6) -OR- R-Jr. Beau Donahue (18-8)
157: #24 Fr. Thomas Bullard (17-7)
165: #28 R-Jr. Brian Hamann (19-10) -OR- R-Jr. Chad Pyke (13-8)
174: #33 Fr. Nick Reenan (18-8)
184: #10 R-Jr. Michael Macchiavello (21-5)
197: #25 R-So. Malik McDonald (17-8)
285: #20 R-Sr. Mike Kosoy (19-8)
#16 Michigan Wolverines (8-6)
125: R-Sr. Conor Youtsey (3-3)
133: #7 R-Fr. Stevan Micic (19-4)
141: R-Fr. Sal Profaci (12-11)
149: R-So. Malik Amine (11-5) -OR- R-So. Zac Hall (14-7)
157: #10 Sr. Brian Murphy (10-6)
165: #2 R-Fr. Logan Massa (24-1)
174: #9 R-Fr. Myles Amine (21-4)
184: R-Jr. Ernest Battaglia (3-8)
197: #32 R-Fr. Jackson Striggow (11-9)
285: R-Jr. Payne Hayden (0-0)
Key Matchup
125: #23 Sean Fausz (22-5) vs. Conor Youtsey (3-3)
If the two teams decide to start at the traditional 125-pound match, the first bout could be the key to who wins the dual. Fausz has only been at 125 pounds since Jan. 23, and is 6-1 at the weight this year. Fausz has split his last two matches - defeating #29 Bentley of Pitt 10-5, and falling to #4 Dance of Virginia Tech 12-3. Youtsey is just 3-3 on the season, but he is a two-time NCAA All-American, placing fifth last year and sixth in 2015. He does not have enough matches to be ranked in the Coaches' Rankings, but is currently ranked in the top-20 nationally by both InterMat and FloWrestling.
The Series vs. Michigan
NC State and Michigan will be facing each other for the first time since a 1993 neutral site dual, won by the Wolverines 27-16.
Last Year in the NWCA National Duals
An injury default in the dual's final bout, gave NC State a 21-17 road win at No. 2 Iowa in the NWCA National Duals Championships Series. A close dual that saw five lead changes came down to the final bout. NC State became the first ACC team ever to defeat Iowa, as the Hawkeyes were 12-0 against the conference.
Here is how this year's probables fared:
125: #2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) major dec. #20 Sean Fausz; 15-5 - 0-4
133: #3 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. #30 Jamal Morris; 9-3 - 0-7
141: #3 Kevin Jack (NCSU) technical fall Brody Grothus; 18-3 - 5-7
149: #2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) major dec. Beau Donahue; 13-4 - 5-11
* - Team Ranking according to USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll
* - Individual Rankings according to NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings
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Players Mentioned
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