Friday, March 18
New York, N.Y.
All Day
NC State
vs
NCAA Championships
#WrestleNYC: Gwiazdowski Wins 88th in a Row and Advances to Third Straight Final
3/18/2016 11:49:00 PM | Wrestling
READ: Session 3 Recap
NEW YORK, N.Y. - For the third straight year, NC State heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski will be wrestling for an NCAA title. The two-time defending NCAA champion will have his final collegiate bout will take place in his home state, at Madison Square Garden, and will be the featured and final match on ESPN tomorrow night.
Winner of 88 straight now, Gwiazdowski advanced past tonight's semifinals with a 3-2 win over #5 Adam Coon of Michigan, a rematch of last year's championship match. Gwiazdowski scored a takedown in the first period, the lone of the match for either wrestler.
"It was the fourth time we wrestled, so again real familiar and I knew what he was going to come with and I know what I'm capable of doing," said Gwiazdowski. "I have a lot of motivation, I looked in the crowd, people I know and people that I didn't know were coming and are here, and that just pushes me to work hard and try to do my best."
In his four wins to the finals this weekend, Gwiazdowski outscored his opponents 43-7, and has not been taken down this tournament, all the points came on escapes.
Gwiazdowski will face #2 Kyle Snyder of Ohio State in tomorrow night's finals. The 285-pound match will be the final match of the night tomorrow night, with the finals starting at 8 p.m.
"I want to wrestle the best guy," said Gwiazdowski. "If you want to be the NCAA champ you have got to wrestle the best guy, so we are the two best guys at this point. So tomorrow night we will find out and either way I think it's good for the media attention, also for both of us."
SESSION 4 RESULTS - SEMIFINALS
184: #1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. #13 Pete Renda - 9-4
285: #1 Nick Gwiazdowski dec. #5 Adam Coon (Michigan) - 3-2
After a 3-0 start and earning All-American honors, with upsets of the #4 and then #5 seeds, Pete Renda suffered his first loss. Renda fell to #1 and defending national champion Gabe Dean of Cornell 9-4. Dean scored a pair of first period takedowns, and after his reversal to start the second was up 6-2. Dean added another takedown, paired with an escape to start the third and a ride time point for the 9-4 final.
Renda will return to action tomorrow morning against #9 Matthew Miller of Navy, with Renda guaranteed at least a fifth place finish at 184 pounds.
WRESTLEBACKS - Round of 12
141: #8 Joey Ward (UNC) dec. #3 Kevin Jack - 3-2
157: #2 Tommy Gantt dec. #12 Brian Murphy (Michigan) - 6-2
WRESTLEBACKS - Consolation Quarterfinals
157: #8 Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) dec. Tommy Gantt - 7-4
Redshirt senior Tommy Gantt became NC State's third All-American at the 2016 NCAA Championships with a 6-2 win over #12 Brian Murphy of Michigan. After a scoreless first period, Murphy had an escape as the lone point entering the third. Gantt's final period included an escape and two takedowns - the winner with 58 seconds left - and with the ride time point he claimed the 6-2 win.
Gantt fell in his second match of the night, dropping a 7-4 contest to #8 Nick Brascetta of Virginia Tech. Bascetta scored both takedowns of the first period and was up 4-2. After a Gantt escape closed it to 4-3, Brascetta scored another takedown, and both wrestlers exchanged escape points to make the final 7-4
In Gantt's last trip to the NCAAs back in 2014, he was one win away from All-American honors. Gantt will return to action tomorrow, and wrestle #6 Joseph Smith of Oklahoma State in the 7th/8th place match at 157 pounds.
After earning All-American honors last year as a freshman, Kevin Jack fell one win short in 2016. He fell to #8 Joey Ward of North Carolina 3-2. Ward scored the bout's only takedown, in the first period. Jack escaped in the first and again to start the second to tie it 2-2. But Ward chose neutral to start the third, and with no more scoring, Ward's 1:02 of ride time gave him the final point.
UP NEXT
NC State will have three wrestlers in action tomorrow. Gwiazdowski will be wrestling in the finals starting at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Gantt and Renda will both be in the consolation round, wrestling for top-eight spots at each weight.
NEW YORK, N.Y. - For the third straight year, NC State heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski will be wrestling for an NCAA title. The two-time defending NCAA champion will have his final collegiate bout will take place in his home state, at Madison Square Garden, and will be the featured and final match on ESPN tomorrow night.
Winner of 88 straight now, Gwiazdowski advanced past tonight's semifinals with a 3-2 win over #5 Adam Coon of Michigan, a rematch of last year's championship match. Gwiazdowski scored a takedown in the first period, the lone of the match for either wrestler.
"It was the fourth time we wrestled, so again real familiar and I knew what he was going to come with and I know what I'm capable of doing," said Gwiazdowski. "I have a lot of motivation, I looked in the crowd, people I know and people that I didn't know were coming and are here, and that just pushes me to work hard and try to do my best."
In his four wins to the finals this weekend, Gwiazdowski outscored his opponents 43-7, and has not been taken down this tournament, all the points came on escapes.
Gwiazdowski will face #2 Kyle Snyder of Ohio State in tomorrow night's finals. The 285-pound match will be the final match of the night tomorrow night, with the finals starting at 8 p.m.
"I want to wrestle the best guy," said Gwiazdowski. "If you want to be the NCAA champ you have got to wrestle the best guy, so we are the two best guys at this point. So tomorrow night we will find out and either way I think it's good for the media attention, also for both of us."
SESSION 4 RESULTS - SEMIFINALS
184: #1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. #13 Pete Renda - 9-4
285: #1 Nick Gwiazdowski dec. #5 Adam Coon (Michigan) - 3-2
After a 3-0 start and earning All-American honors, with upsets of the #4 and then #5 seeds, Pete Renda suffered his first loss. Renda fell to #1 and defending national champion Gabe Dean of Cornell 9-4. Dean scored a pair of first period takedowns, and after his reversal to start the second was up 6-2. Dean added another takedown, paired with an escape to start the third and a ride time point for the 9-4 final.
Renda will return to action tomorrow morning against #9 Matthew Miller of Navy, with Renda guaranteed at least a fifth place finish at 184 pounds.
WRESTLEBACKS - Round of 12
141: #8 Joey Ward (UNC) dec. #3 Kevin Jack - 3-2
157: #2 Tommy Gantt dec. #12 Brian Murphy (Michigan) - 6-2
WRESTLEBACKS - Consolation Quarterfinals
157: #8 Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) dec. Tommy Gantt - 7-4
Redshirt senior Tommy Gantt became NC State's third All-American at the 2016 NCAA Championships with a 6-2 win over #12 Brian Murphy of Michigan. After a scoreless first period, Murphy had an escape as the lone point entering the third. Gantt's final period included an escape and two takedowns - the winner with 58 seconds left - and with the ride time point he claimed the 6-2 win.
Gantt fell in his second match of the night, dropping a 7-4 contest to #8 Nick Brascetta of Virginia Tech. Bascetta scored both takedowns of the first period and was up 4-2. After a Gantt escape closed it to 4-3, Brascetta scored another takedown, and both wrestlers exchanged escape points to make the final 7-4
In Gantt's last trip to the NCAAs back in 2014, he was one win away from All-American honors. Gantt will return to action tomorrow, and wrestle #6 Joseph Smith of Oklahoma State in the 7th/8th place match at 157 pounds.
After earning All-American honors last year as a freshman, Kevin Jack fell one win short in 2016. He fell to #8 Joey Ward of North Carolina 3-2. Ward scored the bout's only takedown, in the first period. Jack escaped in the first and again to start the second to tie it 2-2. But Ward chose neutral to start the third, and with no more scoring, Ward's 1:02 of ride time gave him the final point.
UP NEXT
NC State will have three wrestlers in action tomorrow. Gwiazdowski will be wrestling in the finals starting at 8 p.m. on ESPN. Gantt and Renda will both be in the consolation round, wrestling for top-eight spots at each weight.
On to the FINALS for the 3rd straight year! @NGWIZZZ enters his final collegiate match with 88 straight wins! pic.twitter.com/c81GsPgr3Z
— NC State Wrestling (@PackWrestle) March 19, 2016
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