NC State wrestling will look to continue its undefeated season Thursday night, as the No. 7 Pack will be taking on Old Dominion at the Ted Constant Center.
The Pack (3-0) is coming off a dominant start to the season, cruising past Davidson 47-6, Reinhardt 39-6 and a shutout win against UNC-Pembroke 40-0. Against Davidson, redshirt sophomores Thomas Bullard, Daniel Bullard, Nick Reenan and redshirt senior Malik McDonald recorded consecutive pins from the 165- to 197-pound weight classes, as the Pack ran away with the match.
NC State followed that up with strong victory over Reinhardt as redshirt freshman John Devine tallied a 12-2 major decision at 133 pounds. Finishing the day with a shutout over UNC-Pembroke, redshirt senior Jamel Morris completed a perfect 3-0 day with a major decision in his last match.
The Monarchs (0-1) are having a different start to the season than the Pack. After losing their first match to No. 6 Missouri 40-3, head coach Steve Martin commented on Old Dominion’s young roster.
“I think that there’s several results that can be changed when we host the conference tournament here in March,” Martin told Old Dominion Athletics. “Our kids are young so they’re constantly learning. That’s the thing about this group. They’re going to improve.”
The bright spot for Old Dominion is redshirt junior Larry Early who was recently awarded Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week. Early earned the 157-pound title at the Navy Classic after posting a perfect 5-0 record.
In order to hang with the Wolfpack, Old Dominion must keep its momentum rolling and be on the attack early. If the Monarchs do not, this could be another day at the office for the Pack. In order to run away with the lead, NC State needs big outings from Jamel Morris, who will look to continue his impressive campaign, and redshirt freshman Tariq Wilson who hopes to have another commanding match.
This match will also help head coach Pat Popolizio solidify his lineup.
“Old Dominion will be our first true test, putting our A-team out there,” Popolizio said. “As time goes on we’ll set our lineup to where it needs to be. That’s the luxury of being able to redshirt guys last year and getting a transfer in here, it’s keeping things right where we left off.”
After a 3-0 start at home, NC State will travel to the Ted Constant Center to face Old Dominion Thursday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.
