DURHAM, N.C. Virginia fell behind 9-0 to start the match,
but won five matches in a row, including a pair of first-minute pins, and went
on to record a 30-12 victory over NC State in Atlantic Coast Conference
wrestling action. The bout was held at Durham’s Riverside High School.
Virginia improved to 17-4 in dual matches, including a 2-1
mark in the ACC. NC State fell to 8-9-1 overall and 1-3 in the ACC.
Sixth-ranked 141-pounder Joe Caramanica got the match off to
a good start for the Wolfpack, winning a 7-0 decision over Virginia freshman
Nick Nelson. Caramanica improved to 27-4 on the season and improved to 70-23
for his career. Caramanica became the 21st wrestler in school history to win 70
or more matches. Caramanica has allowed just two points total in his last five
matches.
Darrion Caldwell upped NC State’s lead to 9-0 when he pinned
Shawn Harris at 1:33. Caldwell, ranked No. 9 nationally, improved to 27-3 for
the season. The pin was the 17th of the season for Caldwell, third most in a
single season ever by a Wolfpack wrestler. Caldwell now has 27 pins for his
career, which ranks fifth in school history, one behind Lynn Morris (28 pins
from 1975-78) and two behind Dan Madson (29 pins from 1992-96).
At 157, Virginia’s Drew DiPasquale fell behind Riverside
alumnus Colton Palmer 7-1 after one period, rallied to tie the match at 7-7
after two periods, then won with a third-period takedown to cap an
action-filled 9-7 decision and cut the NC State lead to 9-3.
The Cavaliers cut three more points off the Wolfpack lead
with Michael Chaires’s 10-5 decision over Jalil Dozier, and No. 19 Chris
Henrich tied the score at 9-9 for Virginia with an 11-5 decision over Ray Ward,
filling in for injured Randy Goodman at 174.
Henrich was the first of three ranked wrestlers in a row for
the Cavaliers, the second being Rocco Caponi, ranked No. 13 at 184. This would
have been a headline bout between Caponi and 19th-ranked Ryan Goodman of the
Wolfpack, but Goodman is out with a knee injury. With Goodman out, Caponi
pinned Dane Coffee at 1:00, and 20th-ranked 197-pounder Brent Jones followed
that with a 56-second pin of the Wolfpack’s Mark Jahad. The sudden back-to-back
falls gave Virginia a 21-9 lead in the team scoring with three matches
remaining.
Heavyweight Bobby Isola got NC State back in the win column
with a 5-3 decision over Jack Danilkowicz. Isola snapped a 2-2 tie after two
periods with an escape and late takedown, pulling the Pack to within 21-12 in
the team scoring.
The decision improved Isola to 14-12 on the season. He moved
into a tie with Sylvester Terkay as the second-winningest freshman heavyweight
in NC State history. Terkay was 14-9 as a freshman in 1989-90. The late Tab
Thacker is the school record-holder for wins by a freshman heavyweight. Thacker
went 19-3-1 as a rookie in 1980-81.
Virginia’s Ross Gitomer spent most of the final two periods
of the 125-pound match in the down position, but did not yield any points to
Taylor Cummings other than a point for advantage time. Cummings rode Gitomer
the entire second period and all but the last few seconds of the third, but
could not record any back points. Gitmomer won 4-1 by virtue of a takedown and
a near fall in the first period. That match gave Virginia a 24-12 lead and
sealed the victory for the Cavaliers.
Eric Albright pinned NC State’s Darius Little at 2:59 for
the final points of the bout.
NC State will return to action on Wednesday against UNC Greensboro
at Reynolds Coliseum. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Virginia 30, NC State 12
141 #6 Joe Caramanica (NCS) dec. Nick Nelson, 7-0
149 #9 Darrion Caldwell (NCS) pinned Shawn Harris, at 1:33
157 Drew DiPasquale (UVa) dec. Colton Palmer, 9-7
165 Michael Chaires (UVa) dec. Jalil Dozier, 10-5
174 #19 Chris Henrich (UVa) dec. Ray Ward, 11-5
184 #13 Rocco Caponi (UVa) pinned Dane Coffee, at 1:00
197 #20 Brent Jones (UVa) pinned Mark Jahad, at 0:54
Hwt Bobby Isola (NCS) dec. Jack Danilkowicz, 5-3
125 Ross Gitomer (UVa) dec. Taylor Cummings, 4-1
133 Eric Albright (UVa) pinned Darius Little, at 2:59
Courtesy: NC State
