Bryan Murphy
Redshirt freshman Jamal Morris lunges for his opponent's legs in the Wolfpack's meet against No. 17 Virginia. While Morris lost his bout, the Wolfpack were able to rout Virginia 35-7 at Dorton Arena Jan. 17 in Raleigh.
The No. 3 NC State wrestling team will face the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes in the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals following an announcement from the NWCA Monday.
The decision comes on the heels of NC State’s weekend against two top-10 opponents, which it split with a loss to the Virginia Tech Hokies 19-14 and win against the No. 5 Missouri Tigers 18-17.
The selection to face the Hawkeyes is all part of what has been a historic season for the Wolfpack. State’s had the best season in program history, finishing with a record of 22-1, including a 7-1 record against team’s in the NWCA top-25 and a perfect 6-0 away from Raleigh.
The Hawkeyes have been a perennial wrestling power for decades and will be the toughest challenge to date for the Wolfpack this season. Since 1975, the Hawkeyes have won 23 national championships, including three straight from 2008-2010.
The Hawkeyes finished their season with a 16-0 record, winning matches by double digits in all but the season opener against the Oklahoma State Cowboys 18-16.
The Hawkeyes have scored 30 points or more in 11 matches this season. They have also shutout opponents five times this season, scoring a combined 252 points in the shutouts.
The Wolfpack will face the Hawkeyes at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa Jan 22.