For the first time since 2018, NC State wrestling has a national champion.
As time expired in the 125-pound national championship, redshirt freshman Vince Robinson emerged victorious. With fans cheering and coaches leaping for joy, Robinson climbed to the mountaintop, conquering the 125-pound bracket. Embracing his coaches then doing flips on the mat, the celebration was on in Philadelphia as Robinson was crowned the best lightweight in college wrestling.
Robinson’s national championship bout showed that the redshirt freshman cannot be fazed. Wrestling in front of a crowd of over 18,000, which included the President of the United States, Robinson turned in one of his best performances. Facing Oklahoma State’s Troy Spratley, Robinson fought to a 1-1 tie after three periods. With no winner after three, Robinson took the mat for the highest stakes overtime of his career.
Neither wrestler could break the tie till the fifth period, in which Robinson quickly earned a point via escape. Holding a 2-1 lead, Robinson maintained his lead in a defensive battle that saw zero takedowns and earned his second career victory over Spratley.
From heartbreaking defeats to a torn meniscus, Robinson endured everything this season. Many wrestlers would have given up by mid-season, but Robinson had other plans. The Chicago native tore through ACC competition but fell just short of the conference title due to a narrow loss to Virginia Tech’s Eddie Ventresca. With a chip on his shoulder, Robinson saved his best for last and posted a 5-0 record in the NCAA Tournament to finish as a national champion.
With Robinson leading the charge, the Wolfpack posted a strong showing that included three All-American finishes. Robinson earned his first All-American honors along with his national championship. Redshirt junior Isaac Trumble and redshirt sophomore Matty Singleton also earned their first All-American titles.
Despite battling a knee injury late in the season, Trumble showed out in the NCAA Tournament. With his injury visibly bothering him, Trumble couldn’t secure an auto bid in the ACC Tournament but turned things around to claim fourth place in the national tournament.
The Wolfpack heavyweight worked his way to the quarterfinals before falling at the hands of eventual national champion Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State. However, working through the consolation bracket, Trumble eventually earned a bout for a spot in the top four against Lehigh’s Owen Trephan. If that name sounds familiar it should — Trephan was a star at the Wolfpack’s heavyweight spot for years before transferring.
Former teammates, roommates and even both being a part of NC State’s ROTC program, Trumble and Trephan delivered a must-see match. Trumble pulled off a narrow 4-3 decision over Trephan to punch his ticket to the third-place match. Trumble’s season came to a close in a loss to Arizona State’s Colton Schultz, landing Trumble in fourth place. In his first season at heavyweight and competing with a knee injury, a fourth-place finish is very impressive.
Singleton also showed out, earning seventh place in the 174-pound bracket. After redshirting last season, Singleton burst into stardom this season. As the Wolfpack’s only ACC champion this year, Singleton entered the NCAA Tournament with momentum as the No. 14 seed.
Singleton capitalized on the opportunity in his first NCAA Tournament appearance. Working his way through the consolation bracket on Saturday, Singleton earned multiple impressive wins. The Georgia native pulled off one of his best wins in a 5-3 decision over No. 6 seed Brevin Cassella from Binghamton.
Singleton finished the season on a high note against Navy’s No. 7 seed Danny Wask. Despite Wask’s impressive seed, Singleton handled business in a 3-1 decision. The win clinched a seventh-place finish for Singleton in his best collegiate season yet.
Along with its three All-Americans, the Pack had five more wrestlers competing in the NCAA Tournament. Redshirt sophomore Dylan Fishback was the closest of the bunch to reach All-American status, with impressive wins over UNC’s No. 17 seed Gavin Kane and the No. 7 seed Isaac Dean from Rider.
Despite being a “down year,” NC State’s NCAA Tournament was a successful showing. The Wolfpack placed eighth in the tournament with a score of 46.5. Finishing behind Cornell and ahead of Northern Iowa — two of the more consistent programs nationally — NC State has plenty to be proud of this season. A national champion, a top-10 finish and three All-Americans are impressive achievements for the Wolfpack to celebrate.
