In less than a month, the NC State wrestling team will begin its 2015-2016 campaign in Troy, New York against Sacred Heart, Army and Minnesota.
The Wolfpack had a stellar 2014-2015 campaign, including a 16th overall finish at the NCAA tournament, redshirt senior Nick Gwiazdowski finishing with his second national championship in just as many years and the rise of promising sophomore Kevin Jack among others.
This year, the Pack’s schedule will pit them against some of the best teams in the country, including matchups with seven teams ranked in FloWrestling’s top-20: Edinboro (No. 16), Old Dominion (No. 15), UNC-Chapel Hill (No. 11), Nebraska (No. 10), Missouri (No. 7), Virginia Tech (No. 5) and Oklahoma State (No. 2).
Despite the tough schedule, the team is ready for the challenge. The Pack has started the season ranked ninth in the country by FloWrestling, with Gwiazdowski slotting in at second in the pound-for-pound rankings behind Oklahoma State senior Alex Dieringer (165).
Beside Gwiazdowski, who holds the top rank in the heavyweight division, the Wolfpack also has four other wrestlers listed in the top-20 of their respective class: sophomore Kevin Jack (no. 4 at 141 pounds), redshirt senior Tommy Gantt (no. 8 at 157 pounds), junior Pete Renda (no. 18 at 184 pounds) and junior Max Rohskopf (no. 10 at 163 pounds).
The team had breakout performances from Rohskopf and Jack during the season. Jack finished with the record for wins by a freshman with 31 wins and even finished in fifth place at nationals. Rohskopf also had a breakout year for the team, with an overall win-loss record of 25-16, including a streak when he won 18 out of 21 matches.
Head coach Pat Popolizio has been a major catalyst for the success for the Wolfpack as well. Since his hiring in 2012 from the University of Cincinnati, the Wolfpack has finished better in nationals every year, culminating in the team’s 16th-place finish at the national championship in 2015, the school’s best finish since 1993.
The recent success of the Pack has not gone unnoticed either. In addition to current members such as Gwiazdowski and Jack, NC State also landed a stellar recruiting class that included twin brothers Thomas and Daniel Bullard, as well as Hayden Hidlay and Kellen Devlin, all of whom were ranked top-60 prospects by FloWrestling.
With a mixture of talented young wrestlers, strong leadership from Gantt and Gwiazdowski, and steady progress under Popolizio, the Wolfpack looks primed for a strong season and another run for the national championship.
The wrestling team will make its first appearance at 3 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Brickyard, when the team hosts its outdoor wrestle-offs.
