Wolfpack wrestling got its season started off on the right foot, claiming six of the 10 weight classes at The Citadel Open. This comes as no surprise to many, with the Pack entering the tournament as the No. 5 program in the nation, according to the preseason NWCA Coaches Poll.
The Pack had a solid day throughout, with all weight classes contributing to the 15 top-three finishes for the red and white. Those top-three finishers included a tournament title for freshman Stevo Poulin, whose 3-0 record was good enough for the top spot in the 125-pound weight class. Poulin outscored his opponents 31-4 on the day, capping off his title run with an 8-1 victory over Quinn Melofchik of Air Force.
Freshman Ryan Jack was another member of the Pack who made his presence known, claiming a title in his first tournament since moving up to the 141-pound weight class from the lighter 133-pound class. Jack’s record on the day was a perfect 4-0 with a point margin of 34 to his opponents’ 11, also claiming three of his wins by way of bonus points.
The 157-pound bracket saw the lightest Pack vs Pack final of the day, with freshmen AJ Kovacs and Ed Scott squaring off for the title. Kovacs would ultimately come out on top in this one, improving his record to 5-0 on the day behind a point margin of 55 to his opponents’ 11 and beating Scott by way of a 9-8 decision to cap off his run.
Freshman Joey Milano joined his 125-pound counterpart, Poulin, as the second true freshman to win a title in their weight class in their first tournament with the program. Milano’s title came in the 184-pound class as a result of a 3-0 record on the day. Despite a slightly less convincing, but impressive point margin of 26-11, Milano showed plenty of promise to start out his wrestling career with the Pack.
The tournament saw another Pack vs Pack final, this time in the 197-pound weight class with freshman Isaac Trumble proving victorious over junior Jacob Ferreira, winning 4-2. Like all the other title holders to this point, Trumble finished his day with a perfect record, his 4-0 run was sustained by a point margin of 18-8 including a pin.
Rounding out the tournament performances was redshirt freshman Owen Trephan’s impressive day in the 285-pound class. Trephan managed a pair of wins over ranked opponents during his 4-0 run through the heavyweight bracket, one of which came against his teammate, junior Deonte Wilson. Trephan prevailed in the Pack vs Pack final against Wilson in 10-3 fashion after defeating the No. 30 wrestler in the class in the semifinals, Citadel’s Michael McAleavy.
All-in-all it was a strong performance from the Pack at all levels, with the program seemingly ready to continue the dominance it has become accustomed to in recent years. After participating in the Wolfpack Wrestling Club Open in Carmichael Gymnasium on Nov. 14 the Pack will have to continue to earn its respect, with a matchup against West Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 21 in Raleigh.
