No. 5 NC State wrestling visited Blacksburg, Virginia to take on No. 8 Virginia Tech on Friday, Jan. 20. The two teams traded decisions, but a point deduction and one major decision ended up being the difference maker as the Pack ultimately lost 16-14.
The Wolfpack (10-1, 0-1 ACC) had been perfect in dual matches up to this point, but the Hokies (7-2, 1-0 ACC) hosted a record crowd of nearly 6,000 fans, which rattled the red-and-white.
First up was No. 29 redshirt junior Jarrett Trombley in the 125-pound weight class. Neither he or his opponent could get the upper hand at first as the match went into overtime with a 1-1 score. Finally, Trombley scored a takedown to put the first points on the board for the Pack, pushing ahead 3-0.
With the score tied 3-3 after the Hokies won the next bout by decision, No. 6 sophomore Ryan Jack squared off against VT’s No. 12 Tom Crook in 141. Jack found himself in a 1-1 tie at the end of his bout, but his riding time of over a minute made the difference and won him the decision.
NC State dropped its next two matches, going down 10-6 to the Hokies, but No. 32 freshman Matty Singleton claimed another overtime victory with a takedown in 165. Singleton beat his 20th ranked opponent and, after a team deduction, the Wolfpack cut the deficit to 10-8.
After a loss to the third-ranked wrestler in the 174-pound class, it was time for No. 3 redshirt junior Trent Hidlay, who lined up against No. 7 Hunter Bolen with his team down 13-8. Down 3-0, Hidley muscled his way to a 5-3 decision win, cutting Virginia Tech’s lead to 13-11.
After giving up another decision, the Pack needed a huge score to overcome the Hokies’ 16-11 lead, and No. 12 redshirt sophomore Owen Trephan stood as the last competitor for the Pack. While he won his bout in yet another OT decision, it was not enough for the Pack to win as a team.
The Wolfpack will continue conference action when it returns to Reynolds Coliseum to take on the Duke Blue Devils. The important match will even host the NC State Pep Band to help cheer on the Pack. The match is set for Friday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.
