The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 ■ 43 there was a little less stress on my back," Trumble said recently. "I was competing more for myself. I was able to wrestle a lot more freely, and it showed. I competed really well, and it made it a lot of fun to go out there and just wrestle." First, Trumble won gold via a technical fall victory over Moldova's Radu Lefter at the U23 World Championships (97 kilo- grams) in Albania last October. That per- formance — the first gold-medal finish in any age division by a Wolfpack wrestler — seemed to prove he was more than ca- pable of handling himself in big moments. Eight months later, he followed it up with an impressive showing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in State College, Pa. Trumble battled his way through the challenge tournament, knocking off Jonathan Aiello, who previously beat him in his career, and former Ohio State All- American Kollin Moore. Those wins earned Trumble a spot in the best-of-three final against Kyle Sny- der, a two-time Olympic medalist (gold in 2016, silver in 2020). Snyder ended up winning both matches without conceding a point — 5-0 and 4-0 — but the mat time against one of the best in the world proved to the Wolfpack wrestler he belonged at heavyweight. "I use it as confidence," said Trumble, who competed at 197 pounds in his first two seasons at NC State. "Kyle Snyder is a three-time NCAA champ, and if I'm able to compete with him after he'd been grad- uated for so long, then I can compete with anyone in the country right now. … I know that I can compete with everyone in the heavyweight division, no matter the size." The main difference between Trumble, who is ranked ninth in the NCAA heavy- weight division this season by FloWres- tling, and a top-five wrestler in the world, in his eyes, lies in the ability to attack an elite defender. Trumble's defense was similar to Snyder's, but when he was able to get to the four-time All-American's legs, Trumble couldn't find a way to score. Even so, after reaching a point where he was just one opponent away from the Olympic Games, Trumble knows he can compete. For NC State coach Pat Popolizio, Trumble's experience — and success — during his redshirt season epitomizes what the program is all about. "It's always rewarding when an athlete who commits and works extremely hard, who dedicates a full year to getting better, sees the results come full circle," Popolizio said. "I think that's always what you strive for as an athlete and what our program is built upon — a lot of hard work and com- mitment." That year of development could set Trumble up for a big season with the Wolfpack taking the mat in search of its seventh consecutive ACC title. In Popo- lizio's experience, those who redshirt with previous collegiate mat time have a more fruitful result after their year away from consistent competition. Both of NC State's most recent in- dividual NCAA champions — Nick Gwiazdowski (2014 and 2015 at heavy- weight) and Mike Macchiavello (2018 at 197) — did it coming off a redshirt season. Popolizio, NC State's 13th-year coach, believes that the redshirt year could do wonders for Trumble and red- shirt sophomore Matty Singleton, who placed third at the U20 World Champi- onships at 79kg and is in a similar posi- tion as the U23 world champion. "You've gained the growth and un- derstanding of the grind you go through as an athlete, then you have a year to slow things down and process the im- provements and why things are hap- pening," Popolizio said. "You get to see a different perspective of it. I've always seen guys come off the redshirt year with a lot of confidence. I expect the same from Isaac and Matty." Trumble is searching for his first indi- vidual ACC championship and also has aspirations of claiming the NCAA title this season. His success in international competition will help the Wolfpack, which enters the 2024-25 campaign with a target on its back. "He's going to be in the line of fire, and there's not a bigger tournament than the World Championships," Popo- lizio said. "He's proven and shown that he can go out and compete at the world level. We're going to continue that mo- mentum into the college season." ■ " It's always rewarding when an athlete who commits and works extremely hard, who ded- icates a full year to getting better, sees the results come full circle. I think that's always what you strive for as an athlete and what our program is built upon — a lot of hard work and commitment. Head coach Pat Popolizio on Trumble While redshirting last season, Trumble (top) reached the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials at 97 kilograms. He didn't make the team that competed in Paris, but he gained confidence with his success against elite opponents. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS