As the 2015-16 wrestling season kicks off this weekend in Troy, New York, sophomore Kevin Jack and redshirt senior Nick Gwiazdowski will both look to continue their excellent careers as NC State wrestlers.
For Jack, 2014-15 was a breakout year. The Danbury, Connecticut native competed at both the 141-pound and the 149-pound weight class during the 2014-2015 season, notching a 31-9 record, the best mark for a freshman in school history. He then went off on a tear at the NCAA tournament, finishing in fifth place. In his own words, the potential to win a national championship is there.
“I definitely feel like I have a shot at it this year,” Jack said. “It’s always a goal you have for the season, but I definitely feel like I have a shot at it this year.”
This season, FloWrestling has Jack ranked as the preseason third best wrestler in the 141-pound weight class. Head coach Pat Popolizio recognized that Jack won’t have the element of surprise like he did last season.
“He’s got a lot to prove still,” Popolizio said at Brickyard Bash in October. “He’s not gonna sneak up on anyone this year, but winners find ways to win and [Kevin] is a winner.”
Junior Max Rohskopf thinks that Jack is ready for the challenge as well.
“He’s a gamer; he’s gonna show up to compete when it’s time to compete,” Rohskopf said. “I think, mentally and physically, he’s matured. He’s going to be going into every match prepared.”
Jack has also been making plenty of preparations following his breakout season.
“Nobody knew about me last year,” the sophomore said. “I got the target on my back now, so we’re gonna stick to what I’m best at.”
Even Gwiazdowski, a two-time NCAA champion, has been taking notice at the progress that Jack has made this year, and his potential to be a leader after he leaves NC State.
“People will always follow whoever’s winning,” Gwiazdowski said. “If he’s winning, people will always follow what he does.”
As for Gwiazdowski, the Delanson, New York native will look to improve on a stellar 2014-2015 season. The redshirt senior won his second straight national championship, becoming the first to appear in the finals in back-to-back years since Wolfpack heavyweight wrestler Sylvester Terkay did it in 1992 and 1993.
Gwiazdowski also spent time this summer competing for a spot on the national wrestling team. Gwiazdowski competed in Spain for a spot on the team, as well as taking on some of the world’s best talent. Even though “Gwiz” missed making the team by one spot, he viewed the experience as good preparation for the season.
“It’s my third year competing with those guys,” Gwiazdowski said. “It exposes me a little bit, and it’s a reminder that I need to improve and get better.”
Just this past weekend, however, Gwiazdowski took first place at the Bill Farrell Memorial Tournament, a qualifying event for Olympic trials. With his win over 2009 Junior World champion Dom Bradley, Gwiazdowski will have the chance to compete for a spot on the U.S. Olympic squad in Iowa City, Iowa on April 9-10 of next year.
As a repeating national champion, Gwiazdowski, along with fellow redshirt senior Tommy Gantt, will be seen as the leaders for Wolfpack wrestling during the season for a young roster. Popolizio views them as leaders by example.
“A lot of them lead by example, work ethic, attitude, confidence; confidence goes a long way in our sport,” Popolizio said. “We’ve basically had freshman and sophomores throughout the past few years, so it’s nice to have some seniors who have been through the grind of the season, and guys that can pull these younger guys back into it.”
The younger wrestlers on the team are taking notice too, as Rohskopf and Jack have been paying attention to how Gwiazdowski leads the team.
“Nick shows that you have to really focus on the small details and doing the little things right,” Rohskopf said. “I thought that I was really good at that, but after watching [Nick] do it, I realized that I still have a lot to improve on.”
Despite competing at vastly different weight classes, Jack pulls inspiration from Gwiazdowski’s success at such an elite level.
“I definitely feel like he’s the kind of guy who leads by example,” Jack said. “When you see a guy go out and win two national titles, you kind of want to see what he’s doing and be able to do what he’s doing. You wanna get to the level that he’s at.”
Gwiazdowski has been one of the best wrestlers in program history, notching a spectacular 77-2 record, a 97.4 win percentage, during his time with the Wolfpack. Despite this being his last year, Gwiazdowski remains hopeful that the program will remain successful after his departure.
“The ‘Skipper’ Pat works really hard,” Gwiazdowski said. “He and all the assistant coaches want to see the program do well, and we are not satisfied with where the program is at right now.”
