The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/743343
NOVEMBER 2016 ■ 111 BY RYAN TICE S ince fifth-year head coach Pat Popolizio was hired at NC State, he and his team have been looking to make a statement. They didn't want to just make noise regionally or win a conference title — which they did over a Virginia Tech squad that went on to place fourth at the NCAA Championships for an ACC squad's best-ever finish — they de- sired to put the entire wrestling community on notice. After going 23-1 and finishing the regular season at a program-best national ranking of No. 2, the Wolfpack accomplished its mis- sion. Now the work begins to make that a consistent result and turn NC State into a na- tional power in the sport. The Wolfpack will need to do so without three key contributors from last year — graduated All-Americans Nick Gwiazdowski and Tommy Gantt, plus senior Pete Renda, who placed third at the NCAA Championships but is redshirting this year. However, the nation's No. 1 recruiting class will help fill some of the gaps. Ad- ditionally, 149-pound fifth-year senior Sam Speno and 184-pound redshirt junior Michael Macchiavello, both coming off of mid-career redshirts — something the Pack has had great success with under Popolizio — were listed at No. 16 and No. 15, respectively, in their weight class by FloWrestling.org's national preseason rankings. "When you graduate a guy and a new guy comes in to the season ranked, or you red- shirt a guy and another guy is ranked — that shows you're starting to develop depth," the coach explained. "For the first time ever, we have to figure out our lineup, but it's a good problem to have. … We should have 10 guys across the board that can compete." Even with the new faces, Popolizio is quick to note the goals of his program don't change. "The bottom line is we want to win," he said. "It doesn't matter who you're putting in your lineup. I think if you prepare and train properly, you get guys ready. "Somebody new is going to be the name of our program. We lost two important guys, but there are going to be two new important guys that develop, and they will be the new faces. As time goes on this year, I'm excited to see who that is because it's wide open for anybody to take that role." The Pack should be led by a pair of All- America contenders and defending ACC champions in junior 141-pounder Kevin Jack and senior 157-pounder Max Rohs- kopf. After placing fifth at the NCAA Championships as a true freshman, Jack enjoyed a dominant regular season last year that included two weeks as the nation's top- ranked grappler in his weight class before a disappointing 3-2 showing at nationals. Rohskopf was similarly impressive in the regular season, earning the No. 5 seed at the NCAA Championships. However, he finished with an unfulfilling 16-4 mark after falling short on the big stage, going 1-2 at nationals. After competing at the ACC Champion- ships at 165 the last three years, he's down to his natural weight following Gantt's grad- uation and, like Jack, could find himself in the national title conversation. Both open the year ranked in the top five nationally by Flo. "It was a good season for him, just a disappointing finish — but I think that's going to motivate him," Popolizio said of Jack, although it could apply to both he and Rohskopf. "I don't think that feeling goes away until you get to wrestle in the national tournament again, so that fire will stay lit for a very long time, no matter what goes on this year." In total, the Wolfpack was represented in ■ PREVIEW WRESTLING RELOADED AND READY The Wolfpack Wants To Build Off Of Last Year's Historic Season Junior Kevin Jack placed fifth in the nation during his true freshman season and then enjoyed a dominant regular season last year en route to winning the ACC title. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP