The NC State wrestling team gave students a unique look at the team Wednesday. Members of the team wrestled throughout the day in the brickyard outside of D.H. Hill Library in an event the team calls “The Brickyard Bash.”
Students gathered to watch and interact with the Wolfpack wrestlers. The season starts next month for the team and the event is a good way for the team to reach out to the student body. Wrestlers and coaches hung out around the event talking to students and handing out team schedules. The event is a great way to let people know what the wrestling team is all about, according to head coach Pat Popolizio.
“We just want to promote awareness for our upcoming season,” Popolizio said. “It puts an end to our preseason so it’s kind of just a last day event. It makes an exciting atmosphere for the guys.”
The event is a way for the team to try and expand its fan base. Popolizio believes the fan presence at home matches is a huge advantage for the team and is a crucial part of the atmosphere and excitement of the matches. Having a passionate fan base at duals is also an important aspect to the performance of the wrestlers according to redshirt sophomore Jamal Morris.
“The more you see the crowd with you, you can feed off of that,” Morris said. “It is like you get an extra boost of energy with the crowd pumping you up behind your back.”
The Wolfpack is coming off of one of its best seasons in program history. During the 2015–16 season, the Pack won the ACC Championship for the first time since 2007 and four individual wrestlers won the conference championship for their weight class. The team finished the year with a 23-1 record, including starting the season off with 21-straight victories. The hot start for the Wolfpack last year was the longest win streak to start a season in program history, smashing the previous record of nine.
Along with the regular season and ACC success, State sent eight wrestlers to the NCAA Championship. The Pack finished 11th at the event held in New York City. State ended the season ranked No. 2 in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest the team had ever finished in the rankings.
Given the recent success of the team, Popolizio mentioned that the expectations coming into the new season are pretty high.
“We want to continue to get better,” Popolizio said. “There’s always room for improvement. Obviously we set the standard pretty high and we have to do the work to maintain that. It’s a tall order but our guys have been working hard and they’re up for the challenge. We want to win everything we compete in.”
The Wolfpack season kicks off next month at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic in Troy, New York Nov. 13. The Pack will host UNC-Pembroke and Air Force at the Wolfpack Duals held in Cary Nov. 19 for its first home matches of the season. State will also hold its first match in the newly renovated Reynolds Coliseum Nov. 30 against Appalachian State.
