This weekend the wrestling team traveled to Las Vegas to compete in the Cliff Kean Las Vegas Invitational, which is the second biggest competition that N.C. State competes in, besides the NCAA.

Over the course of Friday and Saturday, the team wrestled in an event that included 50 teams from across the country — finishing in 14th place with 52 points. This is one of the highest finishes the team has ever had, according to coach Carter Jordan.

“From a team standpoint, I was extremely pleased with everyone,” Jordan said. “From an individual standpoint, Darrion Caldwell and Joe Caramanica were just outstanding.”

Caldwell, a sophomore, won the championship at 149. He went into the tournament ranked sixth in the NCWA coaches polls and he defeated No. 2 Josh Churella from Michigan in the semifinals. He went on to defeat his second top-10 contender of the day, beating No. 3 J.P. O’Connor, from Harvard, to win the title.

“We had a strategy going in,” Jordan said. “Basically, not show much until the semifinals, and we made sure Darrion wrestling a full bout every time. He was very vanilla out there.”

Jordan also said Caldwell did a good job controlling his emotions, since it’s hard to hold back.

Joe Caramanica also had a high finish, placing third at 141. Caramanica was only a point away from placing second.

Jordan said he was impressed with Ryan Goodman. He wrestling at 189 and got pinned in the round of 16 by Nebraska’s Vince Jones.

“You also have to count Ryan Goodman in there too, because with only three days of practice, he got five matches in,” Jordan said. “Quite frankly it’s hard for us, the coaching staff, to get our heads around that.”

The tournament was a good learning experience for the team, according Jordan.

“It’s good to let the younger guys see firsthand what the coaching staff tells them to do in practice, and to realize what they really need to do and why,” Jordan said. “The team got a look at the success their teammates are getting, and know the effort that they are putting in.”

The team has a light wrestling schedule for the next month, due to exams.

“Right now academics take over,” Jordan said. “Wrestling practice will pick up again after exams are over — back to practices at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.”

Overall Jordan said he was pleased with his team’s 14th-place performance.

“We’re starting to come together — some are realizing that they have to pick it up in practice and that’s what you want to hear,” Jordan said. “Everyone on the team wrestled really well, but we can always get better and one way to do that is to practice harder.”