The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/896287
118 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY RYAN TICE T he list of NC State firsts accom- plished under sixth-year head coach Pat Popolizio is impressive. It in- cludes the Wolfpack's first multi- ple-time national champion (heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski), the squad's first wins at powerhouse programs Iowa and Okla- homa State, the school's highest-ever regu- lar-season finish in the coaches' poll (No. 2 in 2016) and the program's first-ever world medalist (Gwiazdowski). The Pack is in the midst of its first four- year streak of top-20 national finishes since doing so in five straight campaigns from 1980-84, the school's only other such stretch longer than three in a row. Eleven grapplers have earned NCAA seeds the past two years — the same number that had done so in Raleigh during the 23 years prior to 2016. Yet, Popolizio isn't satisfied, and he's convinced he has the roster to break re- cords set during the past few seasons and accomplish some more firsts. The team opens the year No. 8 in the coaches' poll. "This is by far the most experienced and most talented team I've been a part of," he said. "… I like the product that we're going to put on the mat this year. "I think it's going to be a fun and enter- taining team to watch." It all starts with a pair of seniors who open the year ranked among the top three at their respective weight classes — 141-pounder Kevin Jack, already a two-time All-Amer- ican after last year's third-place finish, and 184-pounder Pete Renda, who placed third nationally in 2016 but redshirted last year. "He looks better than ever in our room," Popolizio said of Jack. "His mindset is to win a national title. I like his determination this year — it's different than ever before. "He has all the skills he needs, and he's got everything to win a national title. It comes down to belief." The coach noted that Renda, especially with the year off last season, is in position to also win a national title if he believes in himself. Popolizio — who wrestled at pow- erhouse Oklahoma State from 1997-2002 alongside current UFC world champion Daniel Cormier and a roster that went 92- 9-1 in duals during his time on campus — doesn't hesitate to rank Renda among the best grapplers he's ever been around. "He's as good as anybody I've seen wrestling in college," the coach noted. "With his technique and as powerful as he is, it's mental with that next jump that ev- eryone needs to win a national title. That's something he's been growing on." The two headliners aren't the only ones vying for a place on the NCAA podium, which requires a top-eight finish at the year-end tournament. Popolizio doesn't think they're the only ones on the roster that can win a national title, either. Two who finished last year one match shy of earning All-America honors — ■ PREVIEW WRESTLING Continuing to Climb The Wolfpack Has Posted Four Straight Top-20 National Finishes, But Is Far From Satisfied Senior 141-pounder Kevin Jack went 35-2 last year en route to placing third nationally. He lost one time during the opening (in overtime) and final (by one point) weekends of the season, but avenged the latter loss in the NCAA consolation finals. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE MEDIA RELATIONS Rookie To Watch NC State patiently waited to get 157-pound red- shirt freshman Hayden Hidlay, the No. 6 overall re- cruit from the class of 2016, into the lineup. Hidlay redshirted and went 22-3 in open tournaments last year with every loss against an NCAA qualifier and the largest margin of defeat being three points to eventual third-place finisher Michael Kemerer of Iowa. Hidlay placed fourth in the junior freestyle division at the U.S. Open this summer, higher than 2016 All-American David McFadden of Virginia Tech (who he beat 5-2 at the event) and 2017 ACC cham - pion Taleb Rahmani of Pitt.