In its toughest test of the year, No. 10 NC State wrestling fell short in a 26-10 loss at Ohio State.
The No. 2 Buckeyes (8-0) are as talented as any team in America and proved it by dominating the No. 9 Wolfpack (5-3). With nine wrestlers ranked in the top 15 nationally, Ohio State presented every member of the Pack’s lineup with an intense challenge. The Wolfpack took three of 10 bouts, but never truly felt like it was in the match.
Despite the tough showing, the Wolfpack did pull off some notable wins. The biggest came in the heavyweight bout when No. 2 sixth-year Isaac Trumble easily disposed of No. 3 Nick Feldman, a 2024 All-American. Trumble appears to be in midseason form despite only competing in his second bout of the season, after recovering from a knee injury late last season.
No. 19 freshman Will Denny pulled off an upset in the 165-pound bout. Taking on two-time NCAA qualifier No. 11 Paddy Gallagher, Denny forced the Buckeye into overtime and secured a 6-5 sudden-death victory. The win continues an impressive start to Denny’s collegiate career.
Joining Trumble and Denny in the win column, No. 1 redshirt sophomore Vince Robinson earned a major decision in the 125-pound bout. With his win, the Wolfpack took a 4-0 lead to open the match before the Buckeyes won the next four bouts to jump ahead 15-4
Former Wolfpack star No. 6 Dylan Fishback made his presence felt against NC State in the 184-pound bout with a major decision over sixth-year Don Cates. Fishback gave the Pack multiple great years, emerging as a star before transferring to Ohio State this offseason.
Taking his first loss of the season, No. 7 redshirt sophomore Koy Buesgens suffered a 4-3 decision to No. 6 Ethan Stiles in the 141-pound bout. Despite trailing 4-1 in the final period, Buesgens fought back with a reversal but was unable to complete the comeback.
No. 3 Matty Singleton also took his first loss of the year in an 8-4 decision to No. 5 Carson Kharchla. While the bout remained scoreless after the first period, Kharchla seized the opportunity in the next two periods with a pair of takedowns and a reversal. All of Singleton’s points came via escape.
The Pack was non-competitive in its other four bouts, suffering a tech fall, two major decisions and one decision. The closest of these bouts came in the 133-pound match, where sixth-year Zach Redding suffered a 7-1 defeat to No. 2 Ben Davino. Scoring a takedown in both the first and second periods, Davino built a comfortable 7-0 lead heading into the final period and keeping Redding at bay.
Next up, NC State will return home for a quad-meet featuring George Mason, The Citadel and Buffalo. The event is set for Dec. 21 with matches at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. It’s the final tune-up for the Wolfpack before conference play begins with a dual meet against Virginia on Jan. 9.
