Junior heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski notched a school-record 42nd consecutive win, and the NC State wrestling team topped the Kent State Golden Flashes 26-13 Saturday during Alumni Weekend in Reynolds Coliseum.
In a back-and-forth dual meet, the Wolfpack (12-4 overall, 0-1 ACC) went down early but found success down the stretch, topping the Golden Flashes (6-10 overall, 2-2 MAC) in front of a number of former NC State wrestlers, including 1988 national champion Scott Turner.
The story of the day was Gwiazdowski (285), whose pin against No. 30 Mimmo Lytle (285) gave him his 42nd successive win. With the win, the NCAA national champion broke an NC State wrestling record for most consecutive wins in a career. The talented 285-pounder continues to build his legacy at NC State as he adds yet another accolade to his prestigious resume.
“That’s a pretty impressive accomplishment,” head coach Pat Popolizio said. “Wrestling in Division I in college and winning that many matches means that you are on your A-game that many times. That is extremely difficult to do and that just shows his commitment to this sport and to what he is trying to do.”
Gwiazdowski wasn’t the only member of the Pack to put on a strong performance for the wrestling alumni in attendance. Freshman 149-pounder Beau Donahue picked up his second career pin on the night, and sophomore 174-pounder Pete Renda had a dominant performance, winning by major decision, 12-1.
Popolizio was very impressed with the team’s performance as a whole and was glad to put on a show for the NC State alumni.
“Anytime you have people here that have been here and have been a part of this, you want to show a good product,” Popolizio said. “I feel very pleased that we were able to do that, and I am pleased with the turnout of alumni that were here. It shows that this program is building and people are buying in.”
The Golden Flashes opened the match with a major decision win in the 133-pound weight class. The Pack responded by winning back-to-back matches, with both junior Sam Speno (141) and Donahue recording wins.
Despite the two Pack victories, the Golden Flashes would not go away, as they posted two wins of their own to take a 10-9 lead.
NC State showed its resolve, however, combing back to win four of the last five matches between the two teams. Freshman Nicky Hall (184) and redshirt senior Joe Deangelo (125) also pitched in decision wins to help bolster the Pack’s score and help it grab the dual meet victory.
“We had a very solid outcome and I was pleased with the intensity,” Popolizio said. “The stuff we have been working on over the last couple of weeks is really starting to show in our competitions. I was very happy with a lot of the team’s performance.”
The Pack will start a road trip Sunday as it faces off against the North Carolina Tar Heels, the Old Dominion Monarchs and the Virginia Tech Hokies for their next three dual meets. The Tar Heels currently have a 5-3 record on the season and have lost their only conference dual meet this season.
The Monarchs currently stand at 9-3 on the season and are currently coming off of a win against the Golden Flashes as well, 25-10. Old Dominion is ranked 19th in the nation and will look to get a signature win against NC State.
The Wolfpack will finish off its road trip against conference opponent Virginia Tech. The Hokies are currently ranked ninth in the nation and have had an impressive start this year.
The Pack hasn’t fared well this season against ranked opponents but this dual meet offers the team a chance for a tournament-quality win.
The Pack will return to Reynolds Coliseum on Valentine’s Day to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers as it prepares for the conference tournament in March.
