The NC State wrestling team (16-6 overall, 3-2 conference) fell to the No. 6 Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-3 overall, 3-0 Big 12) Sunday in Reynolds Coliseum, 20-12.
The Wolfpack came into the match riding a two-game win streak, defeating the Pittsburgh Panthers and Virginia Cavaliers on its way to becoming ranked No. 20 in the nation. The Pack was looking to continue its impressive streak in front of a packed house for Military Appreciation Day and Senior Night.
The match started slowly for the Pack. NC State dropped its first three matches of the night. Sophomore Pete Renda, freshman Nicky Hall and freshman Michael Boykin all had tight matches that ended in the Cowboys favor.
The tables turned, as defending national champion heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski was able to come up with a big win over fifth-ranked Cowboys heavyweight Austin Marsden. This win provided the Pack with some much-needed momentum, and Gwiazdowski with a strong test before the NCAA championships.
“I like that win,” Gwiazdowski said. “I feel like I controlled a lot of the match, and that is important, especially come postseason. That can be the semifinal of the national tournament, so there is a couple of fine tune things I can do, but I am wrestling well and I like where I am at.”
The win by Gwiazdowski fired up senior Joe DeAngelo who was able to come up with an upset victory over the eighth-ranked Eddie Klimara. DeAngelo was able to use his quick standup game to notch some impressive takedowns and score enough points to come away victorious in his final home match for the Pack.
“Before the match I was very excited,” said DeAngelo. “I knew with this huge crowd that it was going to get me pumped up. At the end, even after they raised my hand, it is still unbelievable to me that this is real, that this all really actually happened. It is an incredible experience.”
Freshmen Kevin Jack and Beau Donahue were the only other two members of the Wolfpack to come out with wins on the night. Jack was able to top the 16th-ranked 141-pounder in the country in freshman Dean Heil for the Cowboys. Donahue defeated freshman Davey Dolan in overtime with an impressive double leg shot.
The Pack was able to score 12 team points on the night against a team that many consider to be at the top of the sport.
“Winning four matches off of Oklahoma State, I think, is a pretty big accomplishment for us right now with our young team,” said head coach Pat Popolizio. “Not having their same type of history and going out and competing against that is really impressive for our guys.”
If Military Appreciation Night and Senior Night weren’t enough to motivate the Pack, the attendance of United Fighting Championship Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez sufficed. Velasquez currently holds a 13-1 record in the UFC and is considered by many to be the No. 1 heavyweight fighter in the world. The heavyweight champ was a wrestler himself, wrestling for three seasons for the Arizona State Sun Devils. The champion was able to provide Wolfpack fans and wrestlers with a spark they needed to compete with Oklahoma State.
In two weeks, NC State will travel to Pittsburgh to compete in the ACC Championships. This will be the last time State will wrestle before the team tries to make a statement in the NCAA Championships in four weeks.
