The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545830
44 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY NOAH FLEISCHMAN A fter wrestling his way to a fourth- place finish on a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus at the 2025 NCAA Championships, NC State's Isaac Trumble had his knee surgery as soon as possible. It wasn't so that he could return to the mat in a timely manner. Rather, Trumble wanted to walk down the aisle at his own wedding. But a year after he worked his way through the pain of that previous tour- nament appearance, the veteran heavy- weight from Springfield, Neb., capped a bounce-back season with the biggest victory of his collegiate career. Seeded second at nationals, Trumble topped Iowa State's top-seeded Yonger Bas- tida, 5-0, in the final at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. "It's been a long jour- ney to get here. I've been doubted my entire life, coming from Nebraska," Trumble said after earn- ing the championship. "I haven't really soaked it in yet. But I will say it was incredible to see my tea m m a te s t h e re , cheering me on, and my coaches, and my wife right next to me. I wouldn't be able to do it without her and my teammates pushing me to be where I am today. Great coaches, great training staff. They're incredible." Trumble's 21-0 undefeated final season at NC State earned him The Wolfpacker's Male Athlete of the Year award for 2025-26. It was a remarkable bounce-back campaign, the culmina- tion of a long recovery process and lots of careful planning. NC State coach Pat Popolizio used an intentional approach to make sure Trumble was at his best at the end of the season. The coaching staff took great care not to rush him back onto the mat, holding him out of the National Duals Invitational in mid-November. "I talked with Pat, and we realized the only nationals that matter are the ones in March," the ACC Wrestler of the Year said. "No one is going to care about the National Duals at the end of the year." Sporting a knee brace, Trumble made his return against Rutgers on Dec. 7, earning a 9-1 major decision. It kicked off a run that most dream of in wres- tling; he posted a 16-0 record with 5 falls entering the NCAA Champion- ships. While Trumble hadn't lost going into nationals, he was still seeded second. But despite not being the favorite, he believed he was going to emerge on top once the matches were said and done. "Maybe I was delusional, but I had convinced myself that I was going to win it," Trumble said. "Which was maybe good, maybe bad." Trumble earned a fall in his opening- round battle before posting a major de- cision followed by a 4-0 win to reach the semifinals. From there, he contin- ued his dominance with a 4-1 victory over No. 3 Taye Ghadiali of Michigan to reach the title bout. With his win over Bas- tida for the title, Trumble became the 10th individ- ual champion in program history. One of those predecessors was two- time heavyweight champ Nick Gwiazdowski, with w h o m T r u m b l e f r e - quently trains in Raleigh. After winning his title, Trumble was quick to give Gwiazdowski credit for helping him reach the pin- nacle of college wrestling. "He helps me with my technique. He goes live with me. He's got two kids. He's my landlord. He's just an incredible mentor for me," Trumble said. "He's got a lot going on in his life, and he's willing to sacrifice his time to get on the mat with me and give back to a program that he did so much for. He's just been incredible the last three years for me." While Trumble basked in the joy of winning a national title, Popolizio was just as thrilled, beaming with pride after the standout heavyweight completed his collegiate journey. "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," Popolizio said. "In col- lege athletics, you get rewarded with titles, and that's exactly what he was able to do." ■ MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 2025-26 YEAR IN REVIEW ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Trumble finished atop the podium at nationals after defeating Iowa State's top-seeded Yonger Bastida in the heavyweight final. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS GOLD STANDARD Isaac Trumble's Comeback Ends With An NCAA Championship