There’s no better feeling for an athlete than to see hard work pay off. This is especially true for senior Nijel Jones, who has paid his dues during his time as a wrestler for the Wolfpack.
Jones captured his first individual title of the season at the Wolfpack Open on Nov. 17 at Reynolds Coliseum, finishing first in the 165-lb weight class. Jones, who finished third in 2011 Wolfpack Open and second in 2012, finally got over the hump at State’s home tournament.
The senior from Asheville was one of 11 Wolfpack wrestlers to place third or higher in their respective weight class at the tournament. Jones also joined sophomore teammate Nick Gwiazdowski as one of two first-place finishers for State.
“I definitely thought I wrestled well,” Jones said. “The competition was mixed. Some matches were tougher, some were easier. It didn’t go in any order.”
In the first round, Jones pinned George Bancroft of UNC-Pembroke, following that with a major decision victory over Virginia’s Greg Bacci. In the quarterfinals and semifinals, he won by a pair of decisions, first registering a 11-9 win over Ethan Ramos of UNC-Chapel Hill before defeating George Mason’s Matthew Stull 7-0. In the final, Jones pinned Newberry’s Blake Ridenour 3:15 into the match to take first place.
Jones was a three-sport athlete at T.C. Roberson High School. In addition to wrestling, he starred in football and track. But Jones said he always knew which sport was the right one for him.
“In football, I took only one college visit and didn’t get offered,” Jones said. “In track, I didn’t think I was fast enough to run at a college level.”
Jones said he didn’t have a hard time picking a school to continue his wrestling career.
“All of my coaches in high school went to State, and I grew up wanting to wrestle for the Wolfpack,” Jones said. “I still talk to my old coaches once or twice a week. They’re still pushing me to get better.”
After moving on to college wrestling, Jones said he continues to value his relationships with his coaches, most notably Wolfpack assistant coach Jamill Kelly. Kelly was a former standout at Oklahoma State, which has one of the nation’s finest wrestling programs.
“Coach Kelly is like a father figure for me,” Jones said. “We always talk after practice and outside of it. He always puts my head on straight.”
Another person Jones said he credits as a catalyst for his State career is former Wolfpack head coach Bob Guzzo, who had a distinguished 30-year career with State before retiring in 2004. He now serves as the director of high school and alumni relations for the program.
“Coach Guzzo used to come to my practices in high school,” Jones said. “It’s nice having a familiar face here seeing how far I’ve come.”
As with all NCAA athletes, Jones’ status as a varsity wrestler comes with an additional burden of balancing a full course load with time on the mat and in the weight room. But he said he takes it all in stride.
“It’s definitely challenging, but it’s all part of being a student-athlete,” Jones said. “It’s all about finding balance. I actually think improving in wrestling is more difficult than keeping up in school.”
Jones and the Wolfpack return to action on Sunday as State hosts the Wolfpack Duals at Cardinal Gibbons High School. The Pack will welcome Gardner-Webb, Lindsey Wilson College, and UNC-Pembroke to the all-day event.
