The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534227
MAY/JUNE 2025 ■ 43 was trending upward. But he found himself facing another setback when he tore the meniscus in his right knee at the Cliff Keen Invitational in early Decem- ber. Forced to undergo surgery, he was sidelined for a month and missed out on an opportunity to face then-No. 1 Matt Ramos of Purdue. Robinson returned to the lineup in mid-January. His first opponent was Spratley, then ranked second in the country. Inside a hostile Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., the Wolfpack wrestler came out firing, earning a 7-3 decision for the first top-five win of his career. "A lot of guys come off those inju- ries and don't believe in themselves and question their ability," Popolizio said. "There's no more confidence you need than getting that win." Robinson won his next five bouts, including a 10-4 victory over North Carolina's Spencer Moore on Jan. 31 that clinched NC State's 19-16 dual-meet triumph. But in a practice session following the emotional win, Robinson sprained his left knee. An- other stint on the shelf followed. "That was like, 'Here we go again,'" Robinson recalled. Just as he had earlier in the season, Robinson worked through the ups and downs of his injury. All the while, he kept reminding himself that the Wolf- pack was going to need him to be back at full strength for the ACC and NCAA Championships. Looking Ahead Robinson fell to Virginia Tech's Ed- die Ventresca, 4-1, in the champion- ship bout at the ACC meet, but he soon turned his attention to the NCAA Tour- nament. He earned the No. 4 seed and made quick work of his early-round op- ponents, cruising into the final. Matched up again with Spratley, Rob- inson was feeling even better than he did during their regular-season battle. He used that confidence to win a tacti- cal match against the Oklahoma State star in which both wrestlers were deter- mined to avoid making a mistake. Robinson's individual NCAA title was the Wolfpack's first since Michael Ma- chiavello won the 197-pound crown in 2018. "It felt amazing," said Robinson, a Chicago native who hadn't won an Il- linois state title during his high school career. "I've never felt a feeling like that because I always came up short. … It felt good." Robinson's title was a result of his self-belief. Popolizio has seen that same trait in the two other national champi- ons he has coached at NC State — Ma- chiavello and Nick Gwiazdowski, the latter having won the 285-pound title in 2014 and '15. "All those guys that can win have the talent, but sometimes the separation from some guys is the blind confidence that they have in themselves," Popolizio said. "Vinny has shown that he believes in himself. I don't think you ever see him not giving it his all on the competi- tion side of things. He's a gamer. And he backs up everything he believes in." Now, Robinson's goal is to defend his championship next season. He's reached the top of the podium and wants to experience that same feeling again. Associate head coach Zack Es- posito is optimistic he can do it. "I think he looks at it more as an op- portunity to not only be cemented in the history of NC State, but to make himself one of the best to ever come through here and one of the best ever in NCAA history," said Esposito, who won the 149-pound title as a junior at Oklahoma State. Robinson will find himself in a new role next season. He's no longer the under-the-radar wrestler chasing af- ter the champion. Instead, he's the one with the target on his back. And he's already embracing it. "Being the top guy, it's motivating me more because now they want to come and cut the snake's head off," Robinson said. "I can't let them do that." ■ " I've got a lot of will to win. Nobody wants it more than me. It's like somebody's trying to take every- thing I want." Robinson Robinson went into the NCAA Tournament seeded fourth after finishing as runner-up at the ACC meet, but he won five consecutive matches to claim the national championship. PHOTO BY CHRIS MORA/NC STATE ATHLETICS