North Carolina State University Athletics
NC State
Cornell
#8 Wrestling Inches Past Cornell in Final Dual of the Season
2/20/2026 11:28:00 PM | Wrestling
RALEIGH – Eighth-ranked NC State wrestling defeated Cornell 19-18 at home for its final dual of the 2025-26 season to finish 15-4 overall and 5-1 in the ACC.
In his 14 years at the helm, Pat Popolizio has secured 12 total seasons with a dual record of at least 10 wins, the two outlying seasons being his first in Raleigh and COVID.
The Wolfpack and Big Red split the dual, claiming five bouts apiece, proving bonus points to be crucial. NC State won the first four bouts while Cornell took the final four.
Technical falls by sixth-years Isaac Trumble and Zach Redding help boost the Pack to a 16-0 lead before dropping the first match for the red-and-white.
At 149 lbs, Koy Buesgens had the highlight of the night, defeating No. 2 Jaxon Joy for the highest-ranked win of his career and shutting down Joy's undefeated season.
Matty Singleton dropped a tight match with No. 2 Simon Ruiz at 174 lbs by a 8-6 decision despite jumping out to a 6-2 lead at the start.
Up Next
The Wolfpack prepares for the ACC Championship, which will be held at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va. on Sunday, March 8.
Results
#8 NC State 19, Cornell 18
Location: Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C.
Attendance: 2,657
197 | Patrick Brophy (NCSU) dec. Carson Crace (CORN), 6-1 // 3-0
285 | #2 Isaac Trumble (NCSU) tech fall Cy Kruse IV (CORN), 19-3 (5:53) // 8-0
125 | #5 Vincent Robinson (NCSU) dec. Greg Diakomihalis (CORN), 5-1 // 11-0
133 | #25 Zach Redding (NCSU) tech fall Joe Sciarrone (CORN), 22-6 (4:17) // 16-0
141 | #7 Vince Cornella (CORN) dec. #13 Ryan Jack (NCSU), 5-3 // 16-3
149 | #8 Koy Buesgens (NCSU) dec. #2 Jaxon Joy (CORN), 6-3 // 19-3
157 | #2 Meyer Shapiro (CORN) tech fall Luca Felix (NCSU), 20-2 (4:50) // 19-8
165 | Benny Rogers (CORN) major dec. Jason Kwaak (NCSU), 12-3 // 19-12
174 | #2 Simon Ruiz (CORN) dec. #6 Matty Singleton (NCSU), 8-6 // 19-15
184 | Louie Cerchio (CORN) dec. Don Cates (NCSU), 8-2 // 19-18
*Individual rankings according to InterMat (2/17/26)
@WolfpackWrestling || @PackWrestle || #PackMentality
Players Mentioned
