Despite leading from start to finish, NC State wrestling needed to hold on for dear life at Stanford in a 21-20 win.
While the Cardinal’s (3-5, 1-1 ACC) record is middling, Stanford proved to be a fierce competitor, splitting five apiece with the Wolfpack (10-3, 2-0 ACC). Facing a battle-tested team three time zones away from the friendly confines of Reynolds Coliseum is the perfect setup for an upset, yet NC State clawed out with a scrappy victory.
“I thought our guys did well,” said head coach Pat Popolizio. “If you look at the way they competed, I thought everyone competed better than last week and we gotta continue to do that. It’s different, traveling to the west coast, time change, most of our guys are in bed right now and we’re out here wrestling.”
The Pack needed its stars to shine away from the friendly confines of Reynolds Coliseum, and they delivered. All five of NC State’s winning bouts came from ranked wrestlers. The Wolfpack’s hot start was critical, taking a 10-0 lead after the first two bouts. The bonus points earned became critical in securing the victory.
“We knew going into this, it was going to be really tough matches,” Popolizio said. “We started off with a bang, winning 141 and 149; those were highly level-ranked guys.”
The bang came from No. 12 Ryan Jack, pinning Stanford’s No. 17 Jack Consiglio. Despite suffering a first-period takedown, Jack reversed Consiglio before earning the fall to earn six quick points for the Pack.
“Anything can happen in this sport,” Jack said. “You take what you can get. I found the opportunity, and I wasn’t going to let it go.”
No. 2 sixth year Isaac Trumble earned the Wolfpack’s tech fall, which proved to be the match by tacking on five much-needed points. Battling Luke Duthie in the heavyweight bout, Trumble made it look far too easy. Throwing Duthie around like a ragdoll, Trumble secured his eighth win of the season, six of which included bonus points. Without the bonus points from Trumble, NC State would have left Palo Alto with a loss.
No. 5 redshirt sophomore Koy Buesgens maintained his impressive start with a top 10 victory, earning a dominant 14-5 major decision over No. 9 Aden Valencia. Buesgens is now up to 15-1 on the season, continuing to prove that he’s a superstar for the Wolfpack. Much like Jack’s victory, Buesgens laid the groundwork for NC State with momentum at the early stages of the night.
The night wasn’t perfect for NC State as No. 1 redshirt sophomore Vince Robinson suffered an upset late that left the door open for a Stanford comeback. Facing No. 13 Nico Provo, neither wrestler could pull away with the bout entering sudden death in overtime, where Provo picked up the bout’s only takedown.
Despite dropping the 133-pound match, Zach Redding put up a valiant effort against No. 7 Tyler Knox. With a win or even a loss by decision, Redding could keep the Pack on top. With no margin for error, as bonus points would give Stanford a win, Redding wrestled a low-scoring 5-3 loss — enough to keep NC State up 21-20 as a team and escape with a win.
“I thought against a really tough kid, he did a good job holding off bonus points,” Popolizio said. “I know he has expectations to win those matches and he’s not far off from doing that.”
Next up, NC State will remain on the west coast for a match against CSU Bakersfield in Gilroy, California. The dual meet is set for Sunday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m. with no streaming coverage available.
