DURHAM, N.C. — NC State wrestling’s run of dominance in the ACC was put on a temporary hold Sunday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium. For the first time since 2018, the Wolfpack failed to win the ACC after finishing third in the ACC Championships. With just one individual champion, redshirt sophomore Matty Singleton, the result was unfamiliar for many.
The Wolfpack performed up to its lofty standards in the quarterfinals and semifinals, sending five wrestlers into championship bouts. However, the red-and-white entered as the lower seed in all five matches and finished 1-4 in finals matches. With the NCAA Tournament on the horizon, the Wolfpack will have to bounce back quickly.
Singleton proved to be the Pack’s biggest bright spot, running through the 174 pound bracket for his first individual ACC title. As the No. 4 seed in the bracket, Singleton faced a challenging path, but handled it well. Most impressively, Singleton knocked off the No. 1 seed, UNC-Chapel Hill’s Joshua Ogunsanya in the semifinals. Leading for most of the match, Singleton found himself in a heated battle late, but successfully held on for a 7-6 victory. The win proved to be revenge for Singleton after losing to Ogunsanya earlier this season.
“Those matches during the season really sting,” Singleton said. “I don’t know if I would’ve wrestled as good as I did today if I didn’t have those.”
In the 174-pound championship, Singleton faced Pitt’s Luca Augustine — the No. 3 seed. With two underdogs facing off, Singleton seized control of the bout in the second period with a four-point near fall. Singleton didn’t look back and led the rest of the way for a 5-2 victory. Two years after falling short in the same event, Singleton finally reached the ACC’s mountaintop, a testament to the work Singleton has put in.
“It was heartbreaking two years ago, leaving here with two broken hands and no bid to NCAAs,” Singleton said. “But I’m glad that I got that experience two years ago to be able to put me in that spot now.”
The most stunning result of the weekend came in the heavyweight bracket. Redshirt junior Isaac Trumble suffered a semifinals upset to eventual champion, Pitt’s Dayton Pitzer. The Panther wrestler proved to be an underrated competitor entering the match, winning both the heavyweight ACC title and the ACC’s Most Outstanding Wrestler Award. Following the loss to Pitzer, Trumble injury defaulted in the consolation bracket. Trumble will now look to prepare for the NCAA Tournament and a potential at-large bid.
The Wolfpack earned four second place finishes, most notably from redshirt freshman Vince Robinson in the 125 pound championship. Facing Virginia Tech’s Eddie Ventresca, Robinson took the eventual champion to the wire, forcing overtime. However, Ventresca proved to be too much and earned a late takedown with just seconds remaining in the extra period.
In his final appearance at the ACC Championships, redshirt senior Kai Orine also took the eventual champ to an extra period. Nearly taking down Virginia Tech’s Connor McGonagle in overtime, Orine came incredibly close to a third ACC title. However, Orine’s day came to a close when McGonagle turned the tables and eliminated Orine. The Wolfpack star enjoyed a strong run prior, including a 6-2 win over No. 1 seed, Ethan Oakley from UNC.
No. 2 seed and redshirt sophomore Dylan Fishback came close to earning his first ACC Championship in the 184 pound bracket, suffering an overtime loss to Pitt’s Reece Heller. With dominant wins in the first two rounds against Duke’s David Hussey and UNC’s Gavin Kane, Fishback entered the championship with plenty of momentum. However, facing an elite talent in Heller is never easy and Fishback’s run ended in a 4-1 overtime defeat.
The Pack’s final second place finish came from senior Ed Scott in the 157 pound bracket. Taking a 7-3 defeat at the hands of Virginia Tech’s Rafael Hipolito, Scott was simply outmatched by the Hokie. Scott previously earned a tech fall in the quarterfinals and a come from behind victory in the semifinals, but could not quite seal the deal in the championship bout.
The Wolfpack will now wait to find out who will be headed to the NCAA Tournament this week. With several automatic qualifiers, and potential for at-large bids, expect there to be plenty of red-and-white in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Tournament will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from March 20 to 22.
