In his first season with the Pack, sophomore 149-pounder Bobby Ward narrowly missed out on All-American honors at last weekend’s NCAA Championships. Ward posted his 26th win of the season in an opening round victory over Michael Kessler of Rider, but fell 10-0 to eventual third place finisher Kyle Terry of Oklahoma, moving him into the wrestle-back bracket of the double elimination tournament. Ward’s Wolfpack-best 26-10 season ended when he was eliminated from the tournament after a 7-5 loss to Andrew Nadhir of Northwestern in the second round of the consolation bracket.
“He wrestled the best he’s wrestled all year and just fell a little short,” coach Carter Jordan said. “He basically just ran out of time. It was back and forth. Both kids wrestled really well. It was great experience for him once he realized how close he was to All-American.”
After the ACC Tournament, in which Ward finished third after entering as the No. 1 seed at 149 pounds, Ward and fellow freshman Eloheim Palma, a heavyweight, were the Pack’s only two wrestlers who received consideration for a trip to the national tournament. Palma was not granted an at-large bid after finishing fourth at the ACC Tournament.
“It was the first time in three years we haven’t had anyone in the quarters, semis, or finals, so it was a long weekend, but there was some great wrestling,” Jordan said. “It was great to get Bobby out there. I wish we could have gotten Dale [Shull] and Elohiem [Palma] out there. It is such a different experience. This is the first time he’s wrestled in front of a crowd this large.”
That Ward’s effort highlighted State’s trip to the NCAA Championships was not much of a surprise, as he began proving himself as one of the premier 149-pounders in both the ACC and nation soon after dropping down to that weight. Ward won six of his first nine matches of the season at 157 pounds, but quickly found even more success at the 149 pound class.
After changing weight classes, Ward went 17-4 in the regular season, including a 10-match win streak that ended with his last regular season match of the season, a 4-2 loss to Brennan Brumley of Old Dominion. And his success did not go unnoticed. In a conference in which three of six teams and 14 individuals entered the ACC tournament ranked in the top 20, Ward was the only nationally ranked 149-pounder.
Jordan said Ward’s quick adjustment from junior college to Division I wrestling made his success this season all the more impressive.
“Junior college is not the same,” Jordan said. “It is not nearly as physical and you don’t have to wrestle a full seven minutes. He’s been through a tremendous transition. He wrestled one year in junior college and had some good competition and throughout the year he’s gotten better and better. It’s very impressive because in the context of his career he is really a freshman.”
The transition included a quick adjustment to wrestling against the nation’s best in Omaha, Neb. Ward said anxiety caused by the crowd and level of competition at nationals was short-lived.
“I was real nervous at first, but when you think about it, it’s just another day wrestling,” Ward said. “I have been at a national tournament before, not as big as this, but I didn’t really let it bother me too much. I just went out there and wrestled, and it was great to be able to be there with the best of the best.”
Ward was one of a quartet of young wrestlers who have given Jordan reason for optimism regarding next season. Palma set the record for wins by a freshman heavyweight with 23, freshman 133-pounder Dale Shull went 18-16 and finished fourth at ACC’s and sophomore Scott Norris also took fourth place at the ACC Tournament.
“Bobby should be in line for All-American next year with his ability to get better and work,” Jordan said. “The depth that we are developing out of this for the future is phenomenal. Bobby will be a big part of that. He was one of our bright spots, obviously, with what we were dealing with this year.”
And Ward expects a similar season himself.
“I want to hopefully get All-American or place high and just have a good season and compete well as a team,” Ward said.
