The NC State wrestling team capped off another successful season this past weekend, finishing in 17th place at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis for a school-record fourth straight top-20 finish.
The Wolfpack finished its regular season with an impressive record of 13-2 (4-1 ACC). State won 10 of its last 11 duels of the year to end on a hot stretch heading into the ACC Championships, where the Pack finished in second place behind Virginia Tech. The Pack also became one of just two schools to qualify all 10 starters to the NCAA Championships.
Junior Kevin Jack was the best and most consistent wrestler for State all season, finishing with an incredible 35-2 record and capturing All-American honors at the NCAA Championships. Jack took home the ACC title for the 141-pound division for the second year in a row and won bronze at the NCAAs.
This was Jack’s second All-American nod in the past two seasons, making him just the ninth member of the Pack to ever accomplish the feat twice. Jack led the team in wins and tech falls while going undefeated in ACC duals. Jack also shined against the nation’s best, finishing with a 10-1 record against ranked opponents.
Another highlight for the Pack this season was redshirt junior Michael Macchiavello, who wrestled his way to a 26-7 record. Macchiavello led the team in major decisions and finished as the runner-up in the 184-pound class at the ACC Championships. Macchiavello competed in the NCAAs, falling just short of All-American status.
Redshirt sophomore Sean Fausz also came just short of becoming an All-American, but had a strong season regardless. Fausz finished the year 11-4 at the 125-pound weight class and was a runner-up in the division at the ACC Championships.
Other standouts for the Pack were redshirt seniors Sam Speno and Mike Kosoy. Speno finished the year at 22-10, including a winning record of 7-5 against ranked opponents. Kosoy wrestled his way to a 22-12 record, leading the team with seven pins.
As a team, State started the season strong, going 3-0 in duals before losing a fight against Nebraska in early December. The defeat to Nebraska was just the second loss in 28 duels for the Pack, a mark that stretched back to the start of the previous season.
State rebounded well from the loss, winning its next nine duals which included four conference victories. A 34-6 thrashing of Duke started this streak that also saw the Pack get strong victories over rival UNC-Chapel Hill and a ranked Pittsburgh team. State would fall to Virginia Tech on the road to end the nine-dual winning streak.
The final dual of the year proved to be the highlight of the regular season for the Pack, as State defeated Michigan, 23-15, in the NWCA National Duals thanks in part to a 23-second pin from Kosoy. This marked the second consecutive year the Pack got a National Duals win after upsetting Iowa last season.
State would carry that momentum into the ACC Championships, as five members of the Pack earned All-ACC honors and Jack took home an individual title. Redshirt junior Brian Hamann, redshirt sophomore Jamal Morris, Fausz and Macchiavello all finished second in their respective weight classes.
The season for State drew to an end at the NCAA Championships, as a team-record 10 members of the team traveled to St. Louis to participate in the biggest meet of the year. Highlighted by the performances of Jack, Macchiavello and Fausz, the Wolfpack solidified its solid campaign with the top-20 finish.
