Led by four champions, NC State wins ACC Championships, with Virginia Tech in second
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by ACC and NC State
Charlottesville, Virginia — Led by individual titles by Kevin Jack, Thomas Gantt, Max Rohskopf and Nick Gwiazdowski second-ranked NC State claimed its first Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championship since 2007 and 15th overall, as the Wolfpack totaled 90 points in winning the 2016 ACC Wrestling Championship at Virginia’s John Paul Jones Arena Sunday night.
Virginia Tech finished second with 81.5 points, followed by North Carolina (56.5), Virginia (44), Duke (33) and Pitt (31),
“An ACC Championship means a lot to this program,” said NC State head coach Pat Popolizio. “From coming in last place a year ago, to winning the title this year, its been a long time coming.
“For all of the work that we put in each day, we are seeing the results and looking forward to the NCAAs.”
Gwiazdowski, a senior from Delanson, N.Y., was named the Most Valuable Wrestler of the Championship, continuing his nation’s-best unbeaten streak to 84 consecutive matches. He is the No. 1 rated wrestler at 285 and a two-time national champion. The title for Gwiazdowski was his third straight
“Being recognized by all of the coaches from one of the premier wrestling conferences is really special,” said Gwiazdowski. “It is an award for the team, the hard work and the fight we gave out there in bringing home the title.”
Jack, a sophomore from Danbury, Conn., defeated Virginia Tech’s Solomon Chishko, 3-2, to take the ACC title at 141 pounds. Gantt, a redshirt senior from Cahokia, Ill, claimed the title at 157 pounds, downing Tech’s Nick Brascetta, 3-1. Rohskopf, a junior from Kilbuck, Ohio, defeated North Carolina’s John Michael Staudenmeyer, 1-0, to capture the 165-pound crown. Rohskopf’s win was his second of the year by a 1-0 score over Staudenmeyer.
Virginia’s George DiCamillo also captured his third ACC wrestling title at 133 pounds. DiCamillo, a redshirt junior from highland Heights, Ohio, won ACC crowns at 133 in 2013 and 2015, in addition to his win this year.
Virginia Tech’s Joey Dance, a redshirt junior from Christiansburg, Virginia, wrestling at 125 pounds, was one of three wrestlers who won their second ACC wrestling title. He was joined by North Carolina’s Evan Henderson (149), a junior from New Florence, Pennsylvania, and Duke’s Conner Hartmann (197), a senior from Orchard Park, Washington.
North Carolina, which finished third in the team competition, had two ACC titlists with sophomore Ethan Ramos, Joining Henderson. Ramos captured the individual championship at 174 pounds.
Virginia Tech led all ACC teams with seven wrestlers named to the All-ACC Wrestling team, which was composed of all wrestlers who earned a berth in the finals. NC State was second with six All-ACC honorees, followed by North Carolina (3), Duke (2) and Pitt and Virginia with one each.
A total of 34 ACC wrestlers earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, which will be held March 17-19 in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Earning automatic NCAA bids were:
125—Joey Dance, Virginia Tech, Sean Fausz, NC State; LJ Bentley, Pitt; Nick Herrmann, Virginia.
133—George DiCamillo, Virginia; Dom Forys, Pitt; Jamal Morris, NC State.
141—Kevin Jack, NC State; Solomon Chishko, Virginia Tech, Joey Ward, North Carolina; Zach Finesilver, Duke.
149--Evan Henderson, North Carolina; Mitch Finesilver, Duke
157—Thomas Gantt, NC State; Nick Brascetta, Virginia Tech; Robert Henderson, North Carolina.
165—Max Rohskopf, NC State; john Michael Staudenmeyer, North Carolina; David McFadden, Virginia Tech; Cody Wiercioch, Pitt; Jake Faust, Duke.
174—Ethan Ramos, North Carolina; Zach Epperly, Virginia Tech.
184—Zach Zavatsky, Virginia tech; Pete Renda, NC State; Alex Utley, North Carolina.
197—Conner Hartmann, Duke; Jared Haught, Virginia Tech; Michael Boylkin, NC State; Zach Nye, Virginia; Nick Bonaccorsi, Pitt.
285—Nick Gwiazdowski, NC State; Ty Walz, Virginia Tech; Ryan Solomon, Pitt.
Team Scores
NC State 90
Virginia Tech 81.5
North Carolina 56.5
Virginia 44
Duke 33
Pitt 31
125 Results
1st Place Match
Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 2-0, Jr. over Sean Fausz (NC State) 1-1, RS Fr. (Dec 5-1).
3rd Place Match
Nick Herrmann (Virginia) 3-1, Sr. over Lorenzo Bentley (Pittsburgh) 2-2, Fr. (Dec 6-5).
133 Results
1st Place Match
George DiCamillo (Virginia) 2-0, RS Jr. over Dom Forys (Pittsburgh) 1-1, So. (Dec 8-4).
3rd Place Match
Jamal Morris (NC State) 2-1, RS Fr. over Dennis Gustafson (Virginia Tech) 1-2, Jr. (Dec 10-4).
141 Results
1st Place Match
Kevin Jack (NC State) 2-0, So. over Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech) 1-1, So. (Dec 3-2).
3rd Place Match
Joseph Ward (North Carolina) 3-1, RS Jr. over Zach Finesilver (Duke) 25-12, So. (Dec 4-0).
149 Results
1st Place Match
Evan Henderson (North Carolina) 2-0, RS Sr. over Mitch Finesilver (Duke) 28-7, So. (Dec 8-3).
3rd Place Match
Christopher Yankowich (Virginia) 3-1, RS Jr. over Beau Donahue (NC State) 1-2, RS So. (SV-1 8-6).
157 Results
1st Place Match
Thomas Gantt (NC State) 2-0, RS Sr. over Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) 1-1, RS Sr. (Dec 3-1).
3rd Place Match
Robert Henderson (North Carolina) 2-1, RS Sr. over Ronnie Garbinsky (Pittsburgh) 1-2, RS Sr. (SV-1 8-6).
165 Results
1st Place Match
Max Rohskopf (NC State) 2-0, Jr. over John Staudenmayer (North Carolina) 2-1, RS Sr. (Dec 1-0).
3rd Place Match
David McFadden (Virginia Tech) 3-1, Fr. over Cody Wiercioch (Pittsburgh) 1-2, RS Jr. (Dec 4-2).
5th Place Match
Jake Faust (Duke) 17-8, RS Jr. over Garrett Peppelman (Virginia) 0-3, RS Fr. (Dec 11-4).
174 Results
1st Place Match
Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) 2-0, RS So. over Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) 1-1, RS So. (Dec 3-2).
3rd Place Match
Tyler Askey (Virginia) 3-1, RS So. over Nicky Hall (NC State) 1-2, So. (Dec 5-3).
184 Results
1st Place Match
Zachary Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) 2-0, So. over Pete Renda (NC State) 1-1, Jr. (Dec 5-2).
3rd Place Match
Alex Utley (North Carolina) 3-1, RS Sr. over Trey Adamson (Duke) 15-16, RS Sr. (Dec 4-2).
197 Results
1st Place Match
Conner Hartmann (Duke) 26-1, RS Sr. over Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) 1-1, RS So. (Dec 4-2).
3rd Place Match
Michael Boykin (NC State) 3-1, So. over Zachary Nye (Virginia) 2-2, RS Sr. (SV-1 3-1).
5th Place Match
Nick Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) 1-2, RS Sr. over Chip Ness (North Carolina) 0-3, So. (Dec 6-5).
285 Results
1st Place Match
Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) 2-0, RS Sr. over Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) 1-1, RS Jr. (Dec 6-2).
3rd Place Match
Ryan Solomon (Pittsburgh) 3-1, RS Jr. over Patrick Gillen (Virginia) 2-2, RS Sr. (Fall 4:23).
@PackWrestle Wins 2016 ACC Championship and Four Individual Titles
NC State also ties school record with advancing eight to NCAA Championships
By Brian Reinhart, NC State
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. - The NC State wrestling team continued its historic season, as the Wolfpack claimed the 2016 ACC Championship Sunday night in Charlottesville, Va. The conference title is the first for NC State since 2007, and the 15th in school history. NC State, who finished No. 2 in the final coaches poll of the season, finished ahead of Virginia Tech, 90-81.5.
The Wolfpack’s four individual titles are the most for an NC State team since 2007 (five). Redshirt seniors Tommy Gantt (157 pounds) and Nick Gwiazdowski (285), along with junior Max Rohskopf (165) and sophomore Kevin Jack (141) all took top honors on the podium. In addition, junior Pete Renda (184) and redshirt freshman Sean Fausz (125) both advanced to the finals and were runner-ups. In third place, sophomore Michael Boykin (197) and redshirt freshman Jamal Morris (125). Of the 10 Pack wrestlers, nobody finished lower then fourth.
Nick Gwiazdowksi was voted the ACC’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, the 12th Wolfpack wrestler to win the award and the first since 2007.
NC State also secured eight automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, tying the school record.
“This title means a lot to this team,” said Pat Popolizio. “From coming in last a season ago, to winning the title this year, its been a long time coming. The effort out there today shows the hard work that we put in everyday, and we are ow looking forward to the NCAA Championships.”
FINALS RECAP
Going into the finals, NC State held a 78-75.5 lead in the team race. Virginia Tech had seven grapplers in the finals, while NC State had six. There were also five head-to-head championship bouts to determine the 2016 ACC Champion.
• 125 - R-Fr. Sean Faust - ACC Runner-Up
Coming in as the No. 2 seed, Sean Fausz brought home a second place finish at 125 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Faust started the scoring with an escape, but Dance answered with a takedown in the second. Dance escaped to start the third, and his second takedown made the final 5-1 . With Fausz reaching the finals, he earns a NCAA Automatic bid.
• 141 - So. Kevin Jack - ACC Champion
Kevin Jack brought home the Pack’s first ACC Championship of the night, claiming top honors at 141 pounds. After a scoreless first, scored an escape in the second but was followed by an escape by Virginia Tech to start the third. The lone takedown of the bout was by Jack with 1:28 left, and after a VT escape, Jack hung on for the 3-2 win and his first ACC Championship. Jack is the Pack’s first ACC Champion at 141 pounds since Darrion Caldwell in 2007.
• 157 - R-Sr. Tommy Gantt - ACC Champion
Redshirt senior Tommy Gantt won his first ACC title, claiming top honors at 157 pounds. After a scoreless first, VT opened the second with an escape. Gantt then fired in on a shot, and scored the lone takedown of the match with 10 seconds left in the second. Gantt’s escape to start the third concluded the scoring at 3-1. Gantt goes into the NCAA Tournament with a perfect 24-0 record on the season.
• 165 - Jr. Max Rohskopf - ACC Champion
Max Rohskopf made it back-to-back ACC titles with his win at 165 pounds. After a scoreless first, Rohskopf started the second period on top and rode out UNC the entire two minutes. To start the third, Rohskopf chose down. After 1:44 with UNC on top, Rohskopf finally pulled through with the escape point, and came away with the 1-0 win. Against ACC foes this season, Rohskopf went a combined 6-0, recording a pin and then going a combined 25-0 against the other five opponents.
• 184 - Jr. Pete Renda - ACC Runner-up
Pete Renda came home with a second place finish at 184 pounds. VT started the offense with a takedown in the first followed by a Renda escape. Another Renda escape to start the second tied the score 2-2 entering the third. Already down the ride time point, Renda went in for a late shot, but VT scored the decisive takedown and got the 5-2 win. Renda also locked up a NCAA automatic bid for the third straight year, the first at 174 pounds.
• 285 - R-Sr. Nick Gwiazdowski - ACC Champion
In his third and final ACC Championship, Nick Gwiazdowski won his third straight title at heavyweight. Going against the nation’s #2 wrestler at the same weight, Gwiazdowski scored a 6-2 win. He had a takedown in the first and third period for the final score. Gwiazdowski enters the NCAAs with a perfect record for the second straight year, 29-0 this season.
CONSOLATION FINALS RECAP
Jamal Morris became the eighth and final Wolfpack wrestler to earn a NCAA automatic bid, as he placed third at 133 pounds. Coming strong in the first period with a 6-2 lead and two minutes of ride time, Morris kept the pressure on and avenged a regular season loss to Virginia Tech with a 10-4 win to earn the weight’s third NCAA bid. Sophomore Michael Boykin also brought home a third place finish, as he scored a 3-1 OT win at 197 pounds.
In other third place matches, Beau Donahue fell 8-6 in OT at 149 pounds, and Nicky Hall fell 5-3 at 174 pounds.
CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS RECAP
The Pack had three wrestlers in this round, as Jamal Morris earned a bye because Duke did not have a wrestler at 133 pounds.
Michael Boykin picked up his second win of the day, and with his 3-2 win at 197 pounds he earned a NCAA automatic bid. Beau Donahue started the Pack with an exciting match, scoring a pin with just six seconds left. With the match tied 7-7 late in the third, Donahue hit a takedown with 10 seconds left and immediately turned it into a pin. Nicky Hall also came back from an earlier loss and picked up a win, as he scored a 3-0 win in his match - thanks in large part to riding out the entire third period.
SEMIFINALS RECAP
Eight Pack wrestlers saw action in this round, with six advancing to the finals with a win - the most for NC State in the finals since 2007 (8).
Sean Faust started out with a 4-2 win at 125 pounds (2:13 ride time), followed by Kevin Jack’s 8-3 decision at 141 pounds (3:44 ride time). Tommy Gantt (157) and Max Rohskopf brought home back-to-back wins, with Gantt’s 14-9 win and Rohskopf’s 7-0 victory. NC State closed the round with a pair of bonus point wins - 12-0 with 4:55 of ride time for Pete Renda at 184 pounds, and a first period pin at 285 pounds for Nick Gwiazdowski.
Jamal Morris nearly pulled off the top upset of the day, as he fell to the nation’s #6 wrestler George DiCamillo 14-13. Morris caught DiCamillo in the first and turned him for back points multiple times and built a 11-2 lead. But DiCamillo scored a late takedown in the third to advance. At 197 pounds, Michael Boykin narrowly missed an upset with a 2-0 to #5 ranked Conner Hartmann of Duke.
After the semifinals, the Hokies were up 68.5-63 over the Pack.
FIRST ROUND RECAP
Six Pack wrestlers had first round byes, so four were in action in the first round. Jamal Morris started the Pack off with a pin just 26 seconds into his bout at 133 pounds. The Pack then suffered back-to-back losses, Beau Donahue pinned at 149 pounds and Nick Hall fell 4-1 at 174 pounds. Another exciting match ended the first round for NC State, as Michael Boykin scored the bout’s only takedown just nine seconds into OT to score a 3-1 win at 197 pounds.
UP NEXT
NC State will next be in action March 17-19 at the NCAA Championships in New York. Seed and at-large bids will be announced this week. After today’s action, NC State is will have a school-record eight wrestlers at the NCAAs as they all earned automatic bids today.
Virginia Tech finished second with 81.5 points, followed by North Carolina (56.5), Virginia (44), Duke (33) and Pitt (31),
“An ACC Championship means a lot to this program,” said NC State head coach Pat Popolizio. “From coming in last place a year ago, to winning the title this year, its been a long time coming.
“For all of the work that we put in each day, we are seeing the results and looking forward to the NCAAs.”
Gwiazdowski, a senior from Delanson, N.Y., was named the Most Valuable Wrestler of the Championship, continuing his nation’s-best unbeaten streak to 84 consecutive matches. He is the No. 1 rated wrestler at 285 and a two-time national champion. The title for Gwiazdowski was his third straight
“Being recognized by all of the coaches from one of the premier wrestling conferences is really special,” said Gwiazdowski. “It is an award for the team, the hard work and the fight we gave out there in bringing home the title.”
Jack, a sophomore from Danbury, Conn., defeated Virginia Tech’s Solomon Chishko, 3-2, to take the ACC title at 141 pounds. Gantt, a redshirt senior from Cahokia, Ill, claimed the title at 157 pounds, downing Tech’s Nick Brascetta, 3-1. Rohskopf, a junior from Kilbuck, Ohio, defeated North Carolina’s John Michael Staudenmeyer, 1-0, to capture the 165-pound crown. Rohskopf’s win was his second of the year by a 1-0 score over Staudenmeyer.
Virginia’s George DiCamillo also captured his third ACC wrestling title at 133 pounds. DiCamillo, a redshirt junior from highland Heights, Ohio, won ACC crowns at 133 in 2013 and 2015, in addition to his win this year.
Virginia Tech’s Joey Dance, a redshirt junior from Christiansburg, Virginia, wrestling at 125 pounds, was one of three wrestlers who won their second ACC wrestling title. He was joined by North Carolina’s Evan Henderson (149), a junior from New Florence, Pennsylvania, and Duke’s Conner Hartmann (197), a senior from Orchard Park, Washington.
North Carolina, which finished third in the team competition, had two ACC titlists with sophomore Ethan Ramos, Joining Henderson. Ramos captured the individual championship at 174 pounds.
Virginia Tech led all ACC teams with seven wrestlers named to the All-ACC Wrestling team, which was composed of all wrestlers who earned a berth in the finals. NC State was second with six All-ACC honorees, followed by North Carolina (3), Duke (2) and Pitt and Virginia with one each.
A total of 34 ACC wrestlers earned automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament, which will be held March 17-19 in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Earning automatic NCAA bids were:
125—Joey Dance, Virginia Tech, Sean Fausz, NC State; LJ Bentley, Pitt; Nick Herrmann, Virginia.
133—George DiCamillo, Virginia; Dom Forys, Pitt; Jamal Morris, NC State.
141—Kevin Jack, NC State; Solomon Chishko, Virginia Tech, Joey Ward, North Carolina; Zach Finesilver, Duke.
149--Evan Henderson, North Carolina; Mitch Finesilver, Duke
157—Thomas Gantt, NC State; Nick Brascetta, Virginia Tech; Robert Henderson, North Carolina.
165—Max Rohskopf, NC State; john Michael Staudenmeyer, North Carolina; David McFadden, Virginia Tech; Cody Wiercioch, Pitt; Jake Faust, Duke.
174—Ethan Ramos, North Carolina; Zach Epperly, Virginia Tech.
184—Zach Zavatsky, Virginia tech; Pete Renda, NC State; Alex Utley, North Carolina.
197—Conner Hartmann, Duke; Jared Haught, Virginia Tech; Michael Boylkin, NC State; Zach Nye, Virginia; Nick Bonaccorsi, Pitt.
285—Nick Gwiazdowski, NC State; Ty Walz, Virginia Tech; Ryan Solomon, Pitt.
Team Scores
NC State 90
Virginia Tech 81.5
North Carolina 56.5
Virginia 44
Duke 33
Pitt 31
125 Results
1st Place Match
Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 2-0, Jr. over Sean Fausz (NC State) 1-1, RS Fr. (Dec 5-1).
3rd Place Match
Nick Herrmann (Virginia) 3-1, Sr. over Lorenzo Bentley (Pittsburgh) 2-2, Fr. (Dec 6-5).
133 Results
1st Place Match
George DiCamillo (Virginia) 2-0, RS Jr. over Dom Forys (Pittsburgh) 1-1, So. (Dec 8-4).
3rd Place Match
Jamal Morris (NC State) 2-1, RS Fr. over Dennis Gustafson (Virginia Tech) 1-2, Jr. (Dec 10-4).
141 Results
1st Place Match
Kevin Jack (NC State) 2-0, So. over Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech) 1-1, So. (Dec 3-2).
3rd Place Match
Joseph Ward (North Carolina) 3-1, RS Jr. over Zach Finesilver (Duke) 25-12, So. (Dec 4-0).
149 Results
1st Place Match
Evan Henderson (North Carolina) 2-0, RS Sr. over Mitch Finesilver (Duke) 28-7, So. (Dec 8-3).
3rd Place Match
Christopher Yankowich (Virginia) 3-1, RS Jr. over Beau Donahue (NC State) 1-2, RS So. (SV-1 8-6).
157 Results
1st Place Match
Thomas Gantt (NC State) 2-0, RS Sr. over Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) 1-1, RS Sr. (Dec 3-1).
3rd Place Match
Robert Henderson (North Carolina) 2-1, RS Sr. over Ronnie Garbinsky (Pittsburgh) 1-2, RS Sr. (SV-1 8-6).
165 Results
1st Place Match
Max Rohskopf (NC State) 2-0, Jr. over John Staudenmayer (North Carolina) 2-1, RS Sr. (Dec 1-0).
3rd Place Match
David McFadden (Virginia Tech) 3-1, Fr. over Cody Wiercioch (Pittsburgh) 1-2, RS Jr. (Dec 4-2).
5th Place Match
Jake Faust (Duke) 17-8, RS Jr. over Garrett Peppelman (Virginia) 0-3, RS Fr. (Dec 11-4).
174 Results
1st Place Match
Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) 2-0, RS So. over Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) 1-1, RS So. (Dec 3-2).
3rd Place Match
Tyler Askey (Virginia) 3-1, RS So. over Nicky Hall (NC State) 1-2, So. (Dec 5-3).
184 Results
1st Place Match
Zachary Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) 2-0, So. over Pete Renda (NC State) 1-1, Jr. (Dec 5-2).
3rd Place Match
Alex Utley (North Carolina) 3-1, RS Sr. over Trey Adamson (Duke) 15-16, RS Sr. (Dec 4-2).
197 Results
1st Place Match
Conner Hartmann (Duke) 26-1, RS Sr. over Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) 1-1, RS So. (Dec 4-2).
3rd Place Match
Michael Boykin (NC State) 3-1, So. over Zachary Nye (Virginia) 2-2, RS Sr. (SV-1 3-1).
5th Place Match
Nick Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) 1-2, RS Sr. over Chip Ness (North Carolina) 0-3, So. (Dec 6-5).
285 Results
1st Place Match
Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) 2-0, RS Sr. over Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) 1-1, RS Jr. (Dec 6-2).
3rd Place Match
Ryan Solomon (Pittsburgh) 3-1, RS Jr. over Patrick Gillen (Virginia) 2-2, RS Sr. (Fall 4:23).
@PackWrestle Wins 2016 ACC Championship and Four Individual Titles
NC State also ties school record with advancing eight to NCAA Championships
By Brian Reinhart, NC State
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. - The NC State wrestling team continued its historic season, as the Wolfpack claimed the 2016 ACC Championship Sunday night in Charlottesville, Va. The conference title is the first for NC State since 2007, and the 15th in school history. NC State, who finished No. 2 in the final coaches poll of the season, finished ahead of Virginia Tech, 90-81.5.
The Wolfpack’s four individual titles are the most for an NC State team since 2007 (five). Redshirt seniors Tommy Gantt (157 pounds) and Nick Gwiazdowski (285), along with junior Max Rohskopf (165) and sophomore Kevin Jack (141) all took top honors on the podium. In addition, junior Pete Renda (184) and redshirt freshman Sean Fausz (125) both advanced to the finals and were runner-ups. In third place, sophomore Michael Boykin (197) and redshirt freshman Jamal Morris (125). Of the 10 Pack wrestlers, nobody finished lower then fourth.
Nick Gwiazdowksi was voted the ACC’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, the 12th Wolfpack wrestler to win the award and the first since 2007.
NC State also secured eight automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, tying the school record.
“This title means a lot to this team,” said Pat Popolizio. “From coming in last a season ago, to winning the title this year, its been a long time coming. The effort out there today shows the hard work that we put in everyday, and we are ow looking forward to the NCAA Championships.”
FINALS RECAP
Going into the finals, NC State held a 78-75.5 lead in the team race. Virginia Tech had seven grapplers in the finals, while NC State had six. There were also five head-to-head championship bouts to determine the 2016 ACC Champion.
• 125 - R-Fr. Sean Faust - ACC Runner-Up
Coming in as the No. 2 seed, Sean Fausz brought home a second place finish at 125 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Faust started the scoring with an escape, but Dance answered with a takedown in the second. Dance escaped to start the third, and his second takedown made the final 5-1 . With Fausz reaching the finals, he earns a NCAA Automatic bid.
• 141 - So. Kevin Jack - ACC Champion
Kevin Jack brought home the Pack’s first ACC Championship of the night, claiming top honors at 141 pounds. After a scoreless first, scored an escape in the second but was followed by an escape by Virginia Tech to start the third. The lone takedown of the bout was by Jack with 1:28 left, and after a VT escape, Jack hung on for the 3-2 win and his first ACC Championship. Jack is the Pack’s first ACC Champion at 141 pounds since Darrion Caldwell in 2007.
• 157 - R-Sr. Tommy Gantt - ACC Champion
Redshirt senior Tommy Gantt won his first ACC title, claiming top honors at 157 pounds. After a scoreless first, VT opened the second with an escape. Gantt then fired in on a shot, and scored the lone takedown of the match with 10 seconds left in the second. Gantt’s escape to start the third concluded the scoring at 3-1. Gantt goes into the NCAA Tournament with a perfect 24-0 record on the season.
• 165 - Jr. Max Rohskopf - ACC Champion
Max Rohskopf made it back-to-back ACC titles with his win at 165 pounds. After a scoreless first, Rohskopf started the second period on top and rode out UNC the entire two minutes. To start the third, Rohskopf chose down. After 1:44 with UNC on top, Rohskopf finally pulled through with the escape point, and came away with the 1-0 win. Against ACC foes this season, Rohskopf went a combined 6-0, recording a pin and then going a combined 25-0 against the other five opponents.
• 184 - Jr. Pete Renda - ACC Runner-up
Pete Renda came home with a second place finish at 184 pounds. VT started the offense with a takedown in the first followed by a Renda escape. Another Renda escape to start the second tied the score 2-2 entering the third. Already down the ride time point, Renda went in for a late shot, but VT scored the decisive takedown and got the 5-2 win. Renda also locked up a NCAA automatic bid for the third straight year, the first at 174 pounds.
• 285 - R-Sr. Nick Gwiazdowski - ACC Champion
In his third and final ACC Championship, Nick Gwiazdowski won his third straight title at heavyweight. Going against the nation’s #2 wrestler at the same weight, Gwiazdowski scored a 6-2 win. He had a takedown in the first and third period for the final score. Gwiazdowski enters the NCAAs with a perfect record for the second straight year, 29-0 this season.
CONSOLATION FINALS RECAP
Jamal Morris became the eighth and final Wolfpack wrestler to earn a NCAA automatic bid, as he placed third at 133 pounds. Coming strong in the first period with a 6-2 lead and two minutes of ride time, Morris kept the pressure on and avenged a regular season loss to Virginia Tech with a 10-4 win to earn the weight’s third NCAA bid. Sophomore Michael Boykin also brought home a third place finish, as he scored a 3-1 OT win at 197 pounds.
In other third place matches, Beau Donahue fell 8-6 in OT at 149 pounds, and Nicky Hall fell 5-3 at 174 pounds.
CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS RECAP
The Pack had three wrestlers in this round, as Jamal Morris earned a bye because Duke did not have a wrestler at 133 pounds.
Michael Boykin picked up his second win of the day, and with his 3-2 win at 197 pounds he earned a NCAA automatic bid. Beau Donahue started the Pack with an exciting match, scoring a pin with just six seconds left. With the match tied 7-7 late in the third, Donahue hit a takedown with 10 seconds left and immediately turned it into a pin. Nicky Hall also came back from an earlier loss and picked up a win, as he scored a 3-0 win in his match - thanks in large part to riding out the entire third period.
SEMIFINALS RECAP
Eight Pack wrestlers saw action in this round, with six advancing to the finals with a win - the most for NC State in the finals since 2007 (8).
Sean Faust started out with a 4-2 win at 125 pounds (2:13 ride time), followed by Kevin Jack’s 8-3 decision at 141 pounds (3:44 ride time). Tommy Gantt (157) and Max Rohskopf brought home back-to-back wins, with Gantt’s 14-9 win and Rohskopf’s 7-0 victory. NC State closed the round with a pair of bonus point wins - 12-0 with 4:55 of ride time for Pete Renda at 184 pounds, and a first period pin at 285 pounds for Nick Gwiazdowski.
Jamal Morris nearly pulled off the top upset of the day, as he fell to the nation’s #6 wrestler George DiCamillo 14-13. Morris caught DiCamillo in the first and turned him for back points multiple times and built a 11-2 lead. But DiCamillo scored a late takedown in the third to advance. At 197 pounds, Michael Boykin narrowly missed an upset with a 2-0 to #5 ranked Conner Hartmann of Duke.
After the semifinals, the Hokies were up 68.5-63 over the Pack.
FIRST ROUND RECAP
Six Pack wrestlers had first round byes, so four were in action in the first round. Jamal Morris started the Pack off with a pin just 26 seconds into his bout at 133 pounds. The Pack then suffered back-to-back losses, Beau Donahue pinned at 149 pounds and Nick Hall fell 4-1 at 174 pounds. Another exciting match ended the first round for NC State, as Michael Boykin scored the bout’s only takedown just nine seconds into OT to score a 3-1 win at 197 pounds.
UP NEXT
NC State will next be in action March 17-19 at the NCAA Championships in New York. Seed and at-large bids will be announced this week. After today’s action, NC State is will have a school-record eight wrestlers at the NCAAs as they all earned automatic bids today.
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FINAL DAY: Elections to be held for USA Wrestling Standing Committees Positions; Nomination...
Three wrestle-offs for U.S. ANOC World Beach Games Team set for June 24 at Rathbun Lake in Mystic, Iowa
Steveson, Gray, Schultz among winners of first bout of their Final X Series; second matches set for 6 p.m. ET
19 National Team true third matches added prior to Final X in Newark, N.J., June 10
