As N.C. State’s wrestlers battled with Campbell in Reynolds Coliseum on Friday night, a Katy Perry song played in the background while State’s gymnastics team competed on the gym’s opposite end.
The N.C. State wrestling and gymnastics teams both recorded wins on Friday night in Reynolds Coliseum. The two teams competed simultaneously in the Wolfpack’s first ever “Beauty and the Beast” event. The promotion helped boost attendance for both squads to the delight of the athletes and coaches.
“It opens up the room to get more spectators,” sophomore gymnast Brittni Watkins said. “It’s easier to put on a show with more people watching.”
The women’s gymnastics team defeated William and Mary and Texas Women’s University, posting a final score of 194.05. The Texas Woman’s University Pioneers finished second with a score of 192.5 and the William & Mary Tribe was third with a score of 191.3.
Though not a perfect performance, the Wolfpack were carried to victory by its performance on the balance beam. Watkins, junior Lane Jarred, and senior Hannah Fallanca combined to post the top three scores in the event and swing the meet in the Pack’s favor.
Its impressive scores on the beam were enough to overcome the poor results on the uneven bars. Senior Diahanna Ham finished dead last in the event and none of the Wolfpack gymnasts finished in the top five. Freshman Courtney Bisbe also made her first start on the bars and posted a 9.075.
“I was a little disappointed in our bar team. We didn’t have a very good day on bars,” head coach Mark Stevenson said. “That doesn’t help us as we go down the line but we have plenty of time to replace those meets as we go down the line.”
Watkins was excellent, posting the top score on the balance beam and floor exercise along with the second best overall score. Watkins said she was happy with the result but sees room for improvement.
“My performance wasn’t the best, and I think the team’s wasn’t the best… but overall I think we came back strong,” Watkins said.
Perfect performance or not, the Wolfpack’s effort was enough for a hard fought victory and a chance to build momentum moving forward.
On the other side of the gym, three wrestlers won by fall for State on Friday, as the wrestling squad defeated Campbell by a score of 34-10. With the win, the Pack (11-3, 0-1 ACC) handed the Camels (3-1, 3-0 Big South) their first loss of the season.
“I feel pretty good [about the match],” head coach Pat Popolizio said. “Anytime you get you get falls, it’s big points.”
Freshmen No. 26 Brian Hamann (149), No. 20 Pete Renda (174) and Chris Wilkes (133) earned pins for the Pack. Wilkes, down most of his match, managed to pin his opponent with only two seconds left in the match.
A usual contender in the 149 and 157 weight classes, freshman Max Rohskopf earned his first start in the 165-weight class, where he was defeated by major decision, 2-10. Popolizio said the team has struggled at that weight.
“We’re waiting for someone to step up and earn that spot,” Popolizio said.
No. 5 redshirt sophomore Nick Gwiazdowski (285) improved his record to 28-2, including 13-0 in duals, with a win over a former State wrestler, No. 27 redshirt senior Eloheim Palma. The win marked Gwiazdowski’s third win over a ranked opponent this season.
No. 18 junior captain Tommy Gantt (157) he defeated his opponent by technical fall early in the third period of his match. The victory marked Gantt’s fifth by technical fall this season.
“I’m not really a pinner,” Gantt said. “I like to score a lot of points.”
Following the success of its trial run, a second “Beauty and the Beast” event has been planned for the 2015 season.
“I really enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast concept. I thought it was a lot of fun,” Stevenson said. “We had a really good crowd and they were loud and obnoxious which is what you want.”
Sophomore Aubrey Hine flips on the balance beam. N.C. State won the event with a team score of 194.05 at the Beauty and the Beast meet in Reynolds Colisium on Friday, Jan. 24, 2014.
