The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544864
MAY/JUNE 2026 ■ 35 ishing atop the podium in his final meet was definitely a goal. Twelve months af- ter a fourth-place finish in 2025, he was able to fulfill that lofty ambition, be- coming the 10th individual champion in NC State history by claiming the heavy- weight title. As with his victory at the ACC meet, the process was at least as rewarding to Trumble as the title itself. That final col- legiate medal was a byproduct of count- less hours of training to battle back from a devastating injury he suffered a year earlier. Returning From Injury On two separate occasions early last year, Trumble tore ligaments in his knee. The first injury occurred prior to the ACC Tournament, while the second happened at the NCAA Championships. He gutted it out at NCAAs before undergoing a second surgical procedure to repair his knee. The goal coming out of that operation was simple: get healthy enough to both walk down the aisle of his wedding and win a national champi- onship in his final season. He had just under 12 months to accomplish the latter and was willing to endure plenty of hardship to make it happen. Wolfpack coach Pat Popolizio was co n f i d e n t t h a t Trumble would find a way to get healthy and return to peak form. "If there was anyone who was going to figure it out, it was Isaac," Popolizio said. "We knew it was going to be a pretty grueling and demanding rehab, but just knowing the type of person he is, he was going to put the time in. I was confident he was going to be ready." That meant rehabbing for six months, which included staying in Raleigh with NC State's coaches and trainers, but Trumble was on a mission. He took a pa- tient approach with his recovery, mindful of the need to avoid reinjuring his knee, but he still ached to get back in action. "I felt good about a month after sur- gery. I wanted to go wrestle," Trumble said. "Maybe it was the urge to get back on the mat because I was watching prac- tice every day, or maybe it's because I felt like I was healthy enough. But it really sucked not being able to do that then." Once he was cleared to resume wres- tling, Trumble made sure to take the necessary precautions. He wore a leg brace to keep his knee stabilized, and the training ramp-up was gradual, starting out with light sparring and drills before moving on to more rigorous activity. Each time he hit the mat, he did so at a different time than the rest of the team in an effort to avoid slipping on a wet spot. Everything he did was aimed at mini- mizing risk and improving his chances of making a successful comeback. He wanted to ensure that this was the last of his knee injuries. "It was such a long, grueling thing," Trumble said. "The surgery was worse than the pain I was in before. I didn't want to do that again." Winning A Title Trumble's recovery extended into his final campaign. NC State had no inten- tion of speeding up his timeline so that he could compete in the nonconference season or at the National Duals Invita- tional in mid-November. It was the end of the season that the Wolfpack priori- tized. "I talked with Pat, and we realized the only nationals that matter are the ones in March," Trumble said. "No one is going to care about the National Duals at the end of the year. The goal was to be able to come back and compete to the best of my ability in March, and that's what we did." Trumble, sporting a knee brace, made his return against Rutgers on Dec. 7, earning a 9-1 major decision in his open- ing bout. That victory kicked off a run that most wrestlers could only dream of. Entering the NCAA Tournament, he had posted a 16-0 record with 5 falls. By the time he reached Rocket Arena in Cleveland for his final attempt at winning a national title, Trumble didn't need the brace anymore. He had been continuing to wear it in competition, but that was mostly to provide a sense of comfort; he had been training without it for a while. Trumble entered the competition feeling confident. He was the second- seeded wrestler in the 285-pound class, but in his mind, he was the favorite. "Maybe I was delusional, but I'd con- vinced myself that I was going to win it," Trumble said. "Which was maybe good, maybe bad." Determined to pull off the five consec- utive wins he needed if he was going to come out on top, Trumble went to work. He earned a fall in his opening-round bat- tle before posting a major decision and a 4-0 shutout to reach the semifinals. From there, he continued his dominance with a 4-1 win over No. 3 Taye Ghadiali of Mich- igan, setting up a clash with top-seeded Yonger Bastida of Iowa State. Trumble worked past Bastida with ease, winning the championship in a 5-0 decision to cap his 21-0 final season with the Wolfpack. It was a comeback story " Any time you see someone commit and dedicate a big portion of their life to a goal and actually accomplish it, that's what it's about. In college athletics, you get rewarded with titles, and that's exactly what he was able to do." Wrestling coach Pat Popolizio on Trumble