Last night junior Darrion Caldwell was invited to compete in the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic, hosted this year by Ohio State University. This is the first time any wrestler from N.C. State has competed in the NWCA All-Star Classic since Sylvester Terkay in 1993. Terkay participated in 1992 and 1993, winning both times.

The NWCA All-Star Classic matches up the top two wrestlers in each weight-class. No. 4 Caldwell, wrestling in the 149 weight-class, lost to No. 1 Brent Metcalf of Iowa 18-3.

This is not the first meeting between Metcalf and Caldwell. Monday night marked the anniversary of Caldwell and Metcalf’s first meeting, a dual match in Lakewood, Ohio, where Caldwell pinned Metcalf late in the first period.

According to coach Carter Jordan the match was pretty intense.

“It was pretty hot and heavy for the first period,” Jordan said. “Unfortunately Metcalf got a pin combination and turned Darrion on his back, [gaining a five point lead]. The match kind of got away from us at that point.”

Although Caldwell lost the match, it is considered an exhibition and doesn’t count towards official standings. According to Jordan the point of Monday’s match was just the fact of being invited to wrestle in a high profile tournament.

“It’s a huge thing for our program to be involved with something like this,” Jordan said. “Darrion didn’t want the outcome to be like this, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Caldwell has been training for this tournament for the past week and said he was displeased with the way the match turned out.

“I know what I’m capable of doing, and that wasn’t my best match,” Caldwell said. “But [Metcalf] is a good competitor and I can’t take anything away from that.”

Metcalf is the reigning national champion and, according to Jordan, the best wrestler in the nation under age 25, regardless of weigh-class.

Jordan also said he is disappointed for Caldwell’s defeat because he knew how much it meant to him.

“He’s got no where to go but up from here,” Jordan said. “[Metcalf] went out there with something to prove tonight and that’s what he did. Now we have some film on him and we can learn a lot from this match for next time.”

The wrestling team will compete next on Nov. 29 in Newberry S.C. before competing in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 5-6.