34 ■ THE WOLFPACKER
BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN
hortly after claiming his first ACC champi-
onship in early March, Isaac Trumble walked
into his Raleigh-area home to an unexpected
sight.
His medal was in the case that had been
issued by the conference, sitting on the
coffee table in his living room. But instead
of being revered as a prized possession, it
had been turned into a coaster for a Zevia drink by
his wife, Annabel.
For Trumble, the scene presented an op-
portunity for reflection. While the journey to
that medal-winning moment seemed large,
it was just part of a bigger picture.
"It's crazy the amount of pressure and
stress you put on your body to go and
achieve those things," he said, "when
not even a week later, you're using it
as a coaster for your drink."
The ACC title added another
line to Trumble's illustrious ré-
sumé, but it wasn't what he
wanted his sixth year to be
remembered for. He had
his sights set on the big-
gest prize in collegiate
wrestling: a national
championship.
Trumble looked to
cap his career on a
high note, and fin-
S
Returning from a knee
injury that waylaid his
title hopes in 2025,
Trumble went 21-0 in
his final season at NC
State and claimed the
285-pound NCAA crown in
his last collegiate match.
PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS
GOING OUT GOING OUT
ON TOP ON TOP
Isaac Trumble Finds Redemption
By Winning The Heavyweight
National Championship
