#WrestleSTL: Day 1 Preview for @PackWrestle
3/15/2017 11:13:00 AM | Wrestling
@PackWrestle Preview | Popolizio Preview: Part 1 | Part 2
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| 2017 NCAAÂ Championships | |
| Day 1 | Thursday, March 16 |
| Time | Session 1: 12 p.m. (ET) Session 2: 7 p.m. (ET) |
| Location | St. Louis, Mo. |
| TV | ESPNU - 12 PM to 3:30 PM ESPN - 7 PM to 10:30 PM |
| Live Stream | ESPN3Â (8 different mat streams) |
| Live Scoring | TrackWrestling |
| Social Media | @PackWrestle |
NC State Thursday Matchups – Session 1 and Session 2
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125 (Match #16)
#12 seed R-So. Sean Fausz (25-6) vs. R-Fr. Noah Gonser (Eastern Michigan – 16-10)
Winner/Loser faces: #5 seed Tim Lambert (Nebraska – 28-6) or Brock Hudkins (Northern Illinois – 18-10)
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About Fausz
Second straight NCAA Championships trip … Went 1-2 last year unseeded at 125 pounds æ Enters the 2017 championships as the No. 12 seed … Earned back-to-back All-ACC honors by reaching the finals for the second straight year … Defeated NCAA #10 seed Mueller of UVA in the semifinals (8-5) … Moved down to 125 pounds for the second semester … Made his debut this season at 125 on Jan. 23 … 8-2 at 125 pounds this season, only losses were to #2 seed Dance of VT (12-3, 3-1 SV1) … In the National Duals, defeated two-time All-American Youtsey of Michigan 5-3 in OT … Spent the first semester of this season at 133 pounds … Went 16-4, including 4-1 in duals with eight bonus point wins … 2016 All-ACC after a second place finish at 125 pounds as a redshirt-freshman … A 2016 NCAA Automatic Qualifier, went 1-2 at the NCAA Championships.
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About Gonser
Ranked #25 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … 2017 at-large selection, first trip to NCAAs … Four ranked wins on the season, six pins as well … Was the fourth seed at the MAC Championships, placed sixth overall.
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133 (Match #41)
#15 seed R-So. Jamal Morris (41) vs. R-Sr. Joseph Palmer (Oregon State – 26-5)
Winner/Loser faces: #2 seed Seth Gross (South Dakota St. – 30-1) or Billy Rappo (Maryland – 16-13)
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About Morris
Second straight NCAA Championships trip … Went 2-2 last year unseeded at 133 pounds … Enters the 2017 championships as the No. 15 seed … Earned All-ACC honors for the first time in his career … Entered as the No. 3 seed and avenged a pair of dual losses to make the finals and earn the NCAA automatic bid (ACC had two at 133) … Claimed the Pack's starting job at 133 pounds at the start of the second semester … 20-9 overall on the year … Five of his last seven matches all against ranked foes, 2-3 in that span with back-to-back wins … Placed fifth at the prestigious Midlands Championships æ Went 5-2 overall, with only losses to a pair of top-11 wrestlers … Second in both the Southeast Open (3-1) and the Wolfpack Open (4-1) … A 2016 NCAA Automatic Qualifier, went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships including a 10-8 (SV1) decision over the No. 14 seed.
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About Palmer
Ranked #24 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … A three-time NCAA Qualifier: 2017, 2016 and 2014 … Went 2-2 at the NCAAs last year, both 1-point losses … 2017 PAC 10 champion, going 3-0 at the championship … Has won 10 straight matches.
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141 (Match #58)
#2 seed Jr. Kevin Jack (29-1) vs. R-Jr. Ronnie Perry (Lock Haven – 28-6)
Winner/Loser faces: #15 seed Tyler Smith (Bucknell – 28-8) or Russell Rohlfing (Cal State Bakersfield – 23-11)
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About Jack
Third straight trip to NCAA Championships at 141 pounds, seeded No. 3 last year and No. 2 in 2017 … Back-to-back ACC Champion … Named the 2017 ACC Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler, outscoring his two opponents 27-8, including a 10-4 win over NCAA #6 seed DiCamillo (UVA) in the finals … Against ACC foes in duals and in the ACC Championship, a perfect 7-0 outscoring them 103-25 … Didn't give up a single takedown, and five were ranked wins, including three in the top-7 … 29-1 on the season, perfect 12-0 in duals … 10-1 vs. ranked foes and 18 bonus point wins … Has won 27 straight matches, the third-longest streak nationally (matches this season only), and sixth-longest winning streak in school history … His career winning percentage of .851 (86-15) currenly is also sixth-best in school history … 10 wins versus ranked foes this season, including seven top-10 wins … Six of his last 10 victories all against ranked opponents … 2016 NCAA Automatic Qualifier, he was the No. 3 seed overall, and went 3-2 … 2015 All-American, entered unranked, but went 4-2 against seeded wrestlers and placed fifth.
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About Perry
Ranked #20 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … A two-time NCAA Qualifier … Reached the NCAAs in 2015 and redshirted last season … 2017 EWL Champion and named the EWL Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler … Ranks fourth in the NCAA with 10 tech fall wins this year vs. D1 opponents, has 15 overall.
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149 (Match #64)
#12 seed R-Sr. Sam Speno (22-8) vs. R-Jr. Andrew Crone (Wisconsin – 26-11)
Winner/Loser faces: #5 seed Brandon Sorensen (Iowa – 26-4) or Matthew Zovistoski (Appalachian State – 26-9)
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About Speno
His third trip to the NCAA Championships, but his first since 2014 … Was unseeded in 2013 at 133 pounds and unseeded in 2014 at 141 pounds … Has a career NCAA Championships record of 2-4, both wins in 2014 … As a senior, was an at-large selection and drew the No. 12 seed with a 22-8 record, 7-5 against ranked foes … In his first season at 149 pounds - in previous seasons was the starter at 133 and then 141 … Only dual loss this season was to NCAA #6 seed Chichko of Virginia Tech (8-3) … 7-5 mark against ranked foes, winning seven of his last 10 such matchups … Includes a pair of top-10 wins this season … Placed fifth at the prestigious Midlands Championships, went 5-2 … Wins over a pair of ranked foes - #18 and #19 … Redshirted last season to move up to 149 pounds … Went 19-5, including 4-2 at Midlands Championships with a ranked win … 2013 NCAA Automatic Qualifier at 133 pounds, 2014 NCAA Automatic Qualifier at 141 pounds.
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About Crone
Ranked #22 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … An at-large selection, first NCAA bid … Posted a recent dual win over NCAA #9 seed Oliver of Central Michigan, a 14-5 major decision.
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Earlier this season: Crone defeated Speno 7-5 in OT in the Wolfpack Open back in Novemeber.
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157 (Match #75)
Fr. Thomas Bullard (21-10) vs. #1 seed So. Jason Nolf (Penn State – 22-0)
Winner/Loser faces: #16 seed Victor Lopez (Bucknell – 27-7) or Timothy Rushcell (Wisconsin – 15-9)
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About Bullard
One of 18 true freshmen nationally to reach the NCAA Championships, was an at-large selection … Pulled out of redshirt in early December after the season-ending injury to No. 4 Max Rohskopf … Since becoming the Pack's starter, went 14-8 and 8-4 in duals … Was 7-2 in open tournaments as a redshirt in the first part of the season … The only Wolfpack starter to start each of the last 12 duals … His 12 starts also ties for the team-high … After the Michigan dual on 2/17, flew out to Colorado and placed first at the U.S. Collegiate Championships with a 4-0 mark, including two pins and a tech fall … A perfect 14-0 in bonus point matches - 10 pins, one tech fall, three major decisions … Faced five ranked opponents in the final six duals, going 3-3 during that span with two ACC wins … A consensus top-50 overall recruit, top-10 in his weight class. A 2015-16 ASICS All-America honorable mention selection at 170 pounds.
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About Nolf
Ranked #1 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Ranked #4 nationally in FloWrestling's pound-for-pound rankings … 2016 NCAA Finalist at 157 pounds as a freshman … InterMat Freshman of the Year last year … Named Big 10 Wrestler … Big 10 Champion … Among his 22 wins: 13 pins, 6 tech falls, 1 major.
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165 (Match #100)
R-Jr. Brian Hamann (20-11) vs. #14 seed R-So. Branson Ashworth (Wyoming – 35-7)
Winner/Loser faces: #3 seed Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State – 17-4) or Keaton Subjeck (Stanford – 22-7)
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About Hamann
Earned All-ACC honors by reaching the ACC finals for the first time in his career at 165 pounds, earned an NCAA automatic bid … 20-11 record overall, 6-4 in duals … Moved up to 165 pounds after redshirting last year, and competing at 149 his first two seasons (2014 & 2015) … Notched a pair of top-20 wins on the season: #19 Przybysz (App. St.) 2-1 and #17 Wright (ODU) 7-2 … Went 2-2 at the prestigious Midlands Championships, knocking off #17 Wright before falling to the #12 and #8 ranked wrestlers … Redshirted last season, splitting time between 157 and 165 pounds … Went 19-2 overall claiming first place at both The Citadel Open and the East Stroudsburg Open … Wrestled at 149 pounds as both a freshman and sophomore … Pack's starter as a freshman in 2014.
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About Ashworth
Ranked #14 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Placed fifth at the Big 12 Championship … Has won eight of his last nine duals … Finished second at Cliff Keen back in December, went 7-1 and posted three top-16 wins … His 35 wins are the second-most in the entire 2017 NCAA field.
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174 (Match #114)
Fr. Nick Reenan (20-11) vs. #4 seed R-Jr. Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech – 19-1)
Winner/Loser faces: #13 seed Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa – 27-4) or Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin – 20-17)
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About Reenan
One of 18 true freshmen nationally to reach the NCAA Championships, was an at-large selection … Went 2-2 at the ACC Championship, both losses to ranked foes … 20-11 on the season, including 7-5 in duals … His 12 dual starts ties for the team lead … Perfect 10-0 in bonus point matches with two pins, four tech falls, and four majors … Placed third at the Wolfpack Open, going 4-1 … Three of his five dual losses were to top-8 foes … A consensus top-10 recruit, ranked among the top-2 in his weight class … A 2015-16 ASICS All-America second-team selection at 195 pounds … Wrestled up two weights as a senior, competing at 195 pounds, as he was 175 pounds during the year … 2016 member of Junior World Team for Greco Roman … Appeared in the National Prep finals each year, winning the title in his junior season.
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About Epperly
Ranked #5 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … A two-time All-American, placed seventh in 2015 and third last year … 2017 ACC Champion … 10 of his 19 wins are for bonus points this year.
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Earlier this season: Epperly has won both matchups this season, 5-3 in the dual and 4-1 in the ACC Championship.
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184 (Match #136)
#10 seed R-Jr. Michael Macchiavello (24-6) vs. R-Sr. Ville Heino (Campbell – 26-7)
Winner/Loser faces: #7 seed T.J. Dudley (Nebraska – 27-4) or Michale Fagg-Dawson (Rider – 19-13)
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About Macchiavello
First trip to the NCAA Championships, he earned an automatic bid and the #10 seed at 184 pounds … Earned All-ACC honors for the first time in his career when he advanced to the conference finals … 23-6 on the season, including 10-3 in duals … All six losses have been to ranked foes, with five in the top-12 and three in top-8 … Went a combined 20-22 in his first two seasons before redshirting last season … A perfect 4-0 in ACC duals at 184 pounds, including over NCAA #5 seed Zavatsky of Virginia Tech 9-3 … His lone conference dual loss was when he wrestled up at 197 at UNC … 5-6 against ranked foes this season, he was 0-10 during his first two seasons … Redshirted last season at 184 pounds … Went 12-3 on the year in open tournaments … Won the Penn State Open, including a 6-4 win over McCutcheon of Penn State in the semifinals … The Pack's starter at 184 pounds as a freshman.
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About Heino
Ranked #17 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … A two-time NCAA Qualifier, also qualified last year … Went 7-0 in SoCon duals this year, was upset in the finals and placed second at the conference tournament.
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Earlier this season: Macchiavello pinned Heino in 0:59 back in December at the Journeymen Tussle.
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197 (Match #147)
R-So. Malik McDonald (21-10) vs. #3 seed R-Fr. Kollin Moore (Ohio State – 28-3)
Winner/Loser faces: #14 seed Corey Griego (Oregon State – 24-8) or Josh Marchok (Stanford (15-7)
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About McDonald
In his first season as a starter, earned an NCAA at-large bid at 197 pounds … 20-9 overall, 8-4 in duals … Has gone 10-1 in bonus point matches, a perfect 8-0 in major decisions … Went 3-1 in ACC duals, did not wrestle against North Carolina … Posted wins over Farinaro (Duke) 17-8, McClure (Virginia) 8-5, and Rizzo (Pitt) 10-2 … Only loss was to NCAA #3 seed Haught (Virginia Tech) 8-2 … Won seven of his final nine duals of the year, only losses were to Haught and #6 Smith of West Virginia (out injuried) … 3-5 against ranked foes this season, with wins over #13 Hines (Air Force) 10-6, #12 Mattiace (Penn) 7-6, and #32 Striggow (Michigan) 9-5 … Placed third at the Wolfpack Open with a 4-1 mark, including 10-6 win over #13 Hines … Pack's back-up at 197 pounds last year, he went 13-6 overall and 8-3 in duals - but did not see ACC action.
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About Moore
Ranked #2 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Big 10 Champion in his first season after a redshirt last year … Also named the Big 10 Freshman of the Year … Has won 13 of his last 14 matches entering the NCAAs.
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285 (Match #161)
R-Sr. Mike Kosoy (21-10) vs. #13 seed Collin Jensen (Nebraska – 28-11)
Winner/Loser faces: #4 seed Jacob Kasper (Duke – 27-3) or Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan – 25-13)
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About Kosoy
Making his first trip to the NCAA Championships, earned an automatic bid at 285 pounds … Has split time as the Pack's starter at 285 pounds this year, going 21-10 overall and 7-3 in duals … 2-1 mark in ACC duals with wins over #30 Daniel (UNC) 5-3 and Boddy (UVA) 12-4 … Has won 11 of his last 15 matches, all losses to ranked wrestlers and NCAA qualifiers … 12-2 in bonus point bouts this season, including seven pins … Has 17 pins in his career despite only being a two-year starter … Went 3-2 at the prestigious Midlands Championships, both losses to top-17 wrestlers … Was first at the Franklin & Marshall Open going 5-0 and second at the Wolfpack Open at 4-1 … Served as the Pack's back-up in both 2015 and 2016 to former All-American Nick Gwiazdowski, and redshirted his sophomore season in 2014 … Pack's starter at 285 pounds as a true freshman in 2013 … He went 3-1 at the ACC Championship and placed third.
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About Jensen
Ranked #12 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Four-time NCAA Qualifier, a career 4-6 record at the NCAAs … Placed fifth at the Big 10 Championships with a pin to secure his NCAA bid.
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Earlier this season: Jensen defeated Kosoy 7-4 at the Midlands Championships back in December. The two did not meet in the NC State-Nebraska dual in Raleigh.
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Players Mentioned
