The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1536961
40 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN T here's a world in which he doesn't claim a na- tional championship. One in which, instead of taking the crown, he's sitting at home watching his teammates compete at the NCAA Tournament. But that wasn't something NC State's Vince Robinson was going to let happen. It didn't matter if he lost a wrestle-off to open his red- shirt freshman season, suf- fered a torn right meniscus at the Cliff Keen Invitational in December or a sprained left knee, all in a three-month span. Robinson isn't wired to quit. He's built instead to over- come any obstacle standing in his way. NC State's 125-pound star entered the NCAA Tourna- ment at the Wells Fargo Cen- ter in Philadelphia with one goal in mind: to win a national championship. After all, wasn't that why he showed up? Another second- place finish, like the one he had in the Illinois high school state championships or the one at the ACC Championship less than two weeks prior, wasn't what Robinson was interested in. The Chicago native made quick work of his first four opponents at the NCAA Tournament — except for the second- round bout, which required a last-sec- ond takedown — and cruised into the championship tilt against Oklahoma State's Troy Spratley. The two had met in the regular season, and it was Rob- inson who emerged victorious, earning NC State its lone individual win on the road against one of the top powers in college wrestling. When it came time for his rematch with Spratley, Robinson was patient. He didn't want to commit an error that Spratley could exploit. Robinson ended up doing just enough to claim a 2-1 de- cision for his fifth consecutive victory in the three-day tournament. Robinson earned NC State's first indi- vidual national championship since Mi- chael Macchiavello won at 197 pounds in 2018. He became the first Wolfpack wrestler ever to claim the title at 125 pounds, which led to him being named The Wolfpacker's Male Athlete of the Year. For Robinson, who hadn't won a state title in his high school career, the tri- umph at nationals prompted an out- pouring of emotion unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. "It felt amazing," he said. "I've never had a feeling like that because I always came up short. … Having that feeling of winning, it felt good." Robinson was inserted into NC State's lineup for the first time after he redshirted dur- ing his true freshman sea- son in Raleigh. He impressed throughout the 2024-25 cam- paign, going 24-3 overall, 9-1 in dual meets and 4-1 against ACC competition. He was also 7-2 against ranked oppo- nents, including a pair of top- 10 wins, and finished with 11 bonus-point victories to cap his dominant campaign. Robinson isn't one to be de- nied. He didn't let anything get in the way of his quest through the regular season, and that mindset carried over to collegiate wrestling's big- gest stage. "I've got a lot of will to win," Robinson said shortly after claiming the title. "Nobody wants this more than me. … It's like somebody's trying to take everything I want." NC State coach Pat Popolizio knew Robinson wasn't going to let anything stop him from laying it all on the line in the championship bout. "He's shown that he believes in him- self," Popolizio said. "I don't think you ever see him not giving it his all on the competition side of things. He's a gamer. And he backs up everything he believes in." It didn't take long for Robinson to shift his focus to the 2025-26 season when he will be defending his crown. It's the first time he will have the rest of the country looking to overtake him, but Robinson has embraced the challenge that awaits. "Being the top guy, it's motivating me more because now they want to come and cut the snake's head off," he said. "I can't let them do that." ■ MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2024-25 YEAR IN REVIEW ATHLETES OF THE YEAR THE WILL TO WIN Vince Robinson's Perseverance Leads To An NCAA Championship With his triumph at 125 pounds, Robinson became the first NC State wrestler since 2018 to claim an individual national title. PHOTO BY CHRIS MORA/NC STATE ATHLETICS