The No. 7 NC State wrestling team shut down Appalachian State 29-9 in Reynolds Coliseum on Tuesday night.
The Pack won the first eight bouts, struggling only in the heaviest two weight classes, behind a six-point fall from fifth-ranked 184-pound wrestler redshirt sophomore Nick Reenan. Redshirt freshman Zurich Storm and redshirt sophomore Hayden Hidlay also scored big with four-point major decisions.
The first bout set the tone for the night as Storm dominated Appalachian State’s Andy Richard in the 125-pound weight class.
“We need guys going out, wrestling aggressive,” head coach Pat Popolizio said. “That’s something we’ve been working on with everybody across the board. He went out and scored points right away. That sets the tone for the individual match and you get momentum going.”
Storm collected eight points in the first period using two takedowns and one four-point near fall. He also timed almost four minutes in total riding time throughout the match and put NC State on top early 4-0 with a 16-3 major decision.
Wolfpack star redshirt sophomore Tariq Wilson was next on the mat and won a hard-fought match against Codi Russell. Wilson was in control most of the matchup, losing some control in the third period and bring it down to the end. With the riding time point, the No. 4 133-pound wrestler in the country finished on top 5-2, extending the Pack’s lead to 7-0.
No. 12 redshirt senior Jamal Morris got off to a quick start, scoring six points in the first period, but allowed a last-second takedown to Irvin Enriquez to make 6-4. The score remained until the last 10 seconds when Morris scored one point on an escape, two on a takedown and one final point for riding time. Morris won the match 10-4 and scored three team points.
The team lead was extended to 13-0 by graduate Justin Oliver, the 12th ranked wrestler in the 149-pound weight class. Oliver also won a close battle with Matt Zovistoski, scoring a two-point takedown late in the third period to extend his lead to 6-3.
NCAA Championship runner-up Hidlay took the mat in the 157-pound class, controlling Angel Naja in a 10-2 major decision. NC State took a 17-0 lead at the halfway mark of the match.
Popolizio and his squad continued their dominance after the short break. 165-pound wrestler redshirt sophomore Thomas Bullard continued the Pack shutout, defeating Joe Accousti 10-4 and extending the lead to 20-0.
Redshirt sophomore Daniel Bullard faced off in a similar match, controlling Thomas Flitz for most of the match, not letting Flitz string anything together. Already up 6-2 in the third period, the 174-pound wrestler passed one minute in riding time and prevented a last-second push, winning 7-5.
Reenan made short work of his 184-pound match, scoring a six-point fall early in the first period after Mountaineer Alan Clothier was pinned down. The Pack then lead Appalachian State 29-0 with two bouts to go.
“He’s a dangerous guy to wrestle; he can score from any position,” Popolizio said. “He’s one of those guys that, if you blink, you’re going to miss out on some big moves.”
In a low-scoring 197-pound match, redshirt senior Malik McDonald had to fight from behind after allowing a 3-0 hole. Using two one-point escapes to climb closer, McDonald could not come all the back to steal a victory as the Mountaineers scored their first team points of the night. The Pack led 29-3 heading into the heavyweight match.
Freshman Deonte Wilson represented NC State in the last match, fighting from a 3-0 deficit as McDonald did. Deonte Wilson couldn’t compete with the speed on Appalachian State wrestler Cary Miller, who earned six points for the Mountaineers, bringing the final score to 29-9.
“I need someone at heavyweight this year that going to go out there, compete, and do something good for us,” Popolizio said. “For dual meets, it’s going to matter a lot.”
NC State will be able to rest up before its first ranked matchup of the season against No. 11 Nebraska on Dec. 16 at Reynolds Coliseum.
“We gotta get back to being 100 percent healthy,” Popolizio said. “We’ve been training hard, a little banged up, but we’ve got to be ready for that. It’s going to be a big time matchup.”
