What started as a picture perfect day for No. 7 NC State wrestling quickly unraveled at the National Duals, featuring most of the nation’s top wrestling squads.
With several elite wrestlers, the Wolfpack (2-2) entered the National Duals with high hopes. The event offered an opportunity for the Pack to make a statement and announce its presence on the national scene. Instead, the Wolfpack was served a slice of humble pie and learned it has plenty to work on this season.
NC State’s afternoon began with an impressive victory over No. 14 Northern Iowa. Unranked freshman Will Denny pulled off one of the season’s biggest upsets by stunning No. 5 Ryder Downey in the 165 pound bout. Trailing in the final 10 seconds 4-3, Denny showed patience and resilience, waiting for the perfect time to strike. As precious seconds ticked away, Denny made his move and dominated Downey for a takedown, potentially setting the tone for his season.
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Elsewhere, No. 5 redshirt junior Matty Singleton defeated No. 10 Jared Simma, No. 18 6th-year Zach Redding upset No. 12 Julian Farber and No. 10 redshirt sophomore Koy Buesgens topped No. 14 Cabel Rathjen. The Wolfpack ran away with the match early taking a 27-0 lead before Northern Iowa took the 197-pound and heavyweight bouts to make it 27-8 and somewhat save face. With a dominant win, NC State punched its ticket to the quarterfinals and secured a shot at No. 5 Oklahoma State.
Despite dropping the match to the Cowboys 23-11, the Pack showed moments of greatness. In a national championship rematch, No. 1 Vince Robinson squeaked out a 3-2 victory over No. 2 Troy Spratley. Robinson’s stardom is shining early as he is proving he has the talent to repeat as a national champion. Robinson now has three wins over Spratley in the past two seasons.
Buesgens also maintained his impressive start by earning a signature win over No. 3 Casey Swiderski. In a 2-1 decision, Buesgens announced his presence on the national scene as the Wolfpack’s latest rising super star. Watch for Buesgens to be an ACC title favorite this year.
Unfortunately for the Pack, the red-and-white ran out of steam, especially in the heavier weight classes. From the 157 pound bout through the heavyweight bout, NC State lost five of six bouts, with Singleton earning the lone win in that group, defeating No. 17 Alex Facundo by a pin.
Dropping to the consolation bracket, NC State lost again, this time to ACC foe No. 10 Virginia Tech. As usual, the Wolfpack and the Hokies are the clear favorites for the ACC championship this season and in the first matchup the Hokies looked the part. Robinson dropped a bout 4-1 to No. 4 Eddie Ventresca, setting an ominous tone for the match.
The Wolfpack only took three of the match’s 10 bouts, with No. 7 Ryan Jack picking up NC State’s lone ranked win of the dual. Notably, Buesgens and Singleton also won, finishing 3-0 on the day. No. 4 Jackson Arrington suffered an upset loss to unranked Noah Nininger in the 157 pound match, putting one final blow to a tough finish for the Pack in the 25-9 loss to the Hokies.
Next up, NC State will return to the state of North Carolina for a road dual meet at App State on Sunday Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. The Wolfpack holds a 12 match winning streak over the Mountaineers, most recently winning 34-12 in Raleigh last season.
