North Carolina State University Athletics
Gwiazdowski in Action at Final X Saturday Night
6/19/2018 7:51:00 AM | Wrestling
Reigning World medalist vies for another spot on U.S. World Team
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RALEIGH, N.C. – Former NC State two-time national champion and reigning World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski will be in action this weekend, taking on Adam Coon Saturday night at Final X from Lehigh. The winner of the best-of-3 championship format will earn a spot on the U.S. World Team and compete at the 2018 UWW World Championships Oct. 20-28 in Budapest, Hungary.
Action starts at 7 p.m., and all the matches will be streamed on FloWrestling.
"Anytime these guys wrestle each other it's definitely a battle, you have to be ready to wrestle," said NC State head coach Pat Popolizio. "Where Nick is at in his career right now he knows what he needs to do. He is working extremely hard, and continuing to get better. His experiences wrestling internationally have helped him tremendously.
"I know Nick will be at his best, because he as looked his best training in our room. Nick is very motived to prove he is the best at his weight in this country, if not the world right now."
Gwiazdowski received an automatic bid to the Final X as a reigning World medalist, capturing the bronze at 125 kg last year in Paris at the World Championships. Gwiazdowski is coming off of a gold medal performance at the Pan American Championships earlier this spring.
His opponent at Final X will be former Michigan wrestler Adam Coon. Coon, a three-time All-American for Michigan, was the 2018 U.S. Open champion in freestyle and the runner-up in Greco-Roman. In 2014, Coon won Junior World bronze medals in both styles.
Coon qualified for Final X by winning the best-of-three finals at the World Team Trials back in May. Coon defeated former NCAA champion Tony Nelson, who Gwiazdowski beat for his first NCAA title, 6-1 and 10-4.
Gwiazdowski and Coon faced each other three times during their collegiate careers, with Gwiazdowski holding a 2-1 all-time series lead. Coon won the first matchup at the 2013 Cliff Keen Invite, 3-1. Gwiazdowski then won the next two meetings, enroute to his two NCAA titles; in the 2015 NCAA finals (7-6) and then in the 2016 NCAA semifinals (3-2). In their three matches, the score was a total of 11-11.
This will be the final of three Final X events, with 20 competitors in the 10 weight classes on the men's side. With current NC State redshirt-sophomore Nick Reenan competing in last weekend's Final X at Penn State, NC State is one of only four schools nationally (Cornell, Ohio State, Nebraska) that has at least two competitors in Final X this year.
Each Final X matchup will be a best-of-three series, and the order of bouts will be the same for the first round and the second round of competition. If any weight classes are forced to a deciding third match in their series, the bouts in round three will stay in order, with a minimum waiting time of 30 minutes from the end of bout two. The bout schedule is below.
FINAL X AT LEHIGH
Saturday, June 23 at Grace Hall, Bethlehem, Pa.
Bout One - Men's freestyle 61 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Joe Colon, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Nahshon Garrett, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
Bout Two - Women's freestyle 50 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Victoria Anthony, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
Bout Three - Men's freestyle 92 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - J'den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion –Hayden Zillmer, Crosby, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Bout Four - Women's freestyle 53 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Sarah Hildebrandt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC)
Bout Five - Women's freestyle 65 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Julia Salata, Bristol, Tenn. (New York AC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Forrest Molinari, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC)
Bout Six - Men's freestyle 125 kg
2017 World bronze medalist – Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (New York AC/Michigan RTC)
RALEIGH, N.C. – Former NC State two-time national champion and reigning World bronze medalist Nick Gwiazdowski will be in action this weekend, taking on Adam Coon Saturday night at Final X from Lehigh. The winner of the best-of-3 championship format will earn a spot on the U.S. World Team and compete at the 2018 UWW World Championships Oct. 20-28 in Budapest, Hungary.
Action starts at 7 p.m., and all the matches will be streamed on FloWrestling.
"Anytime these guys wrestle each other it's definitely a battle, you have to be ready to wrestle," said NC State head coach Pat Popolizio. "Where Nick is at in his career right now he knows what he needs to do. He is working extremely hard, and continuing to get better. His experiences wrestling internationally have helped him tremendously.
"I know Nick will be at his best, because he as looked his best training in our room. Nick is very motived to prove he is the best at his weight in this country, if not the world right now."
Gwiazdowski received an automatic bid to the Final X as a reigning World medalist, capturing the bronze at 125 kg last year in Paris at the World Championships. Gwiazdowski is coming off of a gold medal performance at the Pan American Championships earlier this spring.
His opponent at Final X will be former Michigan wrestler Adam Coon. Coon, a three-time All-American for Michigan, was the 2018 U.S. Open champion in freestyle and the runner-up in Greco-Roman. In 2014, Coon won Junior World bronze medals in both styles.
Coon qualified for Final X by winning the best-of-three finals at the World Team Trials back in May. Coon defeated former NCAA champion Tony Nelson, who Gwiazdowski beat for his first NCAA title, 6-1 and 10-4.
Gwiazdowski and Coon faced each other three times during their collegiate careers, with Gwiazdowski holding a 2-1 all-time series lead. Coon won the first matchup at the 2013 Cliff Keen Invite, 3-1. Gwiazdowski then won the next two meetings, enroute to his two NCAA titles; in the 2015 NCAA finals (7-6) and then in the 2016 NCAA semifinals (3-2). In their three matches, the score was a total of 11-11.
This will be the final of three Final X events, with 20 competitors in the 10 weight classes on the men's side. With current NC State redshirt-sophomore Nick Reenan competing in last weekend's Final X at Penn State, NC State is one of only four schools nationally (Cornell, Ohio State, Nebraska) that has at least two competitors in Final X this year.
Each Final X matchup will be a best-of-three series, and the order of bouts will be the same for the first round and the second round of competition. If any weight classes are forced to a deciding third match in their series, the bouts in round three will stay in order, with a minimum waiting time of 30 minutes from the end of bout two. The bout schedule is below.
FINAL X AT LEHIGH
Saturday, June 23 at Grace Hall, Bethlehem, Pa.
Bout One - Men's freestyle 61 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Joe Colon, Fresno, Calif. (Titan Mercury WC/Valley RTC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Nahshon Garrett, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
Bout Two - Women's freestyle 50 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Whitney Conder, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Army WCAP)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Victoria Anthony, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids)
Bout Three - Men's freestyle 92 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - J'den Cox, Columbia, Mo. (Titan Mercury WC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion –Hayden Zillmer, Crosby, Minn. (Minnesota Storm)
Bout Four - Women's freestyle 53 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Sarah Hildebrandt, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Haley Augello, Lockport, Ill. (New York AC)
Bout Five - Women's freestyle 65 kg
2018 U.S. Open champion - Julia Salata, Bristol, Tenn. (New York AC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Forrest Molinari, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Titan Mercury WC/OTC)
Bout Six - Men's freestyle 125 kg
2017 World bronze medalist – Nick Gwiazdowski, Raleigh, N.C. (Titan Mercury WC/Wolfpack RTC)
2018 WTT Challenge Tournament champion – Adam Coon, Fowlerville, Mich. (New York AC/Michigan RTC)
Players Mentioned
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