The Wolfpacker

28 ■ THE WOLFPACKER could beat him made a difference, too. "We changed the strategy from the match in January a little bit — but I just had to go out there and wrestle to win the match." Gwiazdowski did just that, compiling a 20-match winning streak to cap his incred- ible season with 11 of those victories com- ing against nationally ranked opponents. He tallied more wins than any other grappler in the land and finished sixth for the NCAA's Most Dominant Wrestler Award, where re- sults are plugged into a mathematical for- mula and competitors earn an increasing amount of points for wins by major deci- sion, technical fall or pin, respectively. His 16 pins on the year are the fifth- highest total in a season for a Pack wrestler, representing an unheard-of number for a heavyweight, where the final scores usually reflect that of a soccer match. Bright Future Gwiazdowski's finish powered NCSU to a 19th-place showing, the Pack's first appearance in the top 25 since 2009, and realized a preseason goal. They were the second-highest finishers in the conference and made the biggest improvement in the country from last year's national finish, when the team placed 63rd. The Pack will return four of this year's five national qualifiers next season, including each wrestler that scored points by winning matches on college wrestling's biggest stage, and Gwiazdowski is one of six 2014 NCAA champions with eligibility remaining. "That's a confidence booster that will help everything," Popolizio said. "It helps morale, guys buy in more and it helps re- cruiting; it really helps in every aspect. "In the end, I think we overachieved if you look at all of the guys who quali- fied for nationals and especially a guy like Nick, who was the two seed. There was a lot of talk about why he was the two seed, but I think he put all of that to sleep. "They all won matches and beat guys they weren't supposed to. That's what you want to do, and that's when you know things are going in the right direction." Gwiazdowski will continue to train and compete in freestyle competitions during the offseason — but he's more focused on bringing a second gold medal back to his new home in Raleigh than what his future plans might include, whether that be the Olympics or Mixed Martial Arts, which has become the landing spot for many of college wrestling's best. "I think about the Olympics when we're training freestyle and competing, so it's in [the back of his mind], but I kind of take things as they come," he explained. "Right now is about taking this one in and thinking about another national championship." "You see it a lot in this sport — that guys are content where they're at," Popolizio added. "I don't think that's the case with him, but there are a lot of factors next year. There are always new guys, there are al- ways guys that are hungry, and there's the same thing Nelson went through — there can be a younger guy coming up that's just as good. "If he gets content where he's at — just like anyone else — he could get in trouble, but if he stays the course and keeps doing what he's doing, he'll be fine." Based on this year, Gwiazdowski will be more than fine; he'll be golden. ■ The First Five A look back at the Wolfpack's previous NCAA wrestling champions. 1980 — 167-pounder Matt Reiss NC State wrestling has developed a flair for the unexpected, and Reiss came out of nowhere to capture the Wolfpack's first-ever NCAA crown. The freshman did not win the ACC championship and entered the tournament unseeded, but climbed to the top of the podium with a 4-2 triumph over Iowa State's Perry Hummel. 1984 — Heavyweight Tab Thacker Thacker, who tipped the scales at more than 450 pounds, was one of the biggest heavyweights ever. However, he was surprisingly athletic and domi - nated on the mat. The four-time ACC champion was the first three-time All-American in program annals and is still just one of three. He went 31-0 as a senior and played a role in the NCAA establishing a weight limit for its heaviest class. 1988 — 150-pounder Scott Turner* Turner had probably the most dominant showing of any Pack wrestler at the NCAA Tournament. After placing third as a junior, he had to redshirt due to injury the following year. After returning, he allowed just one point in his six NCAA matches en route to the gold medal. He also avenged three regular-season losses to Iowa State's Tim Krieger in the championship bout. 1993 — Heavyweight Sylvester Terkay In 1992, Terkay was the runner-up to eventual Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle, who escaped with a 3-2 win and told Sports Illustrated after - wards: "He is the biggest, toughest, strongest guy I've ever wrestled." Angle's words proved prophetic when Terkay, a walk-on turned four-time ACC champion, rolled to a 41-0 campaign as a senior. The NCSU Hall of Famer still holds program records for career victo - ries (122), pins (64) and winning percentage (.897), and he was a three-time ACC Wrestler of the Year. 2009 — 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell* Caldwell's triumph over Iowa's Brent Metcalf ranks among the biggest upsets in NCAA history. Metcalf entered the bout on a 69-match winning streak, and the defending national champion was a heavy favorite, thanks to a 19-3 win over the NCSU junior in the NWCA All-Star Classic, a preseason event. Caldwell scored a takedown right off the bat and never looked back en route to an 11-6 win that shocked the wrestling world. He dominated his five matches in one of the toughest weight classes ever — the 33 wrestlers combined for 32 All-America honors and four NCAA crowns in their college careers — by a combined score of 52-12. — Ryan Tice * Named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of that year's NCAA Tournament In 1993, Sylves- t e r Te r k a y p u t together a 41-0 national champi- onship campaign. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Gwiazdowski, who is the Wolfpack's third NCAA champion heavyweight, finished the year with a 42-2 record, and was named ACC Wrestler of the Year. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP 26-28.Wrestling NCAA Champion.indd 28 4/29/14 12:02 PM

• Cover