Wrestling Drops Two At ACC-Big Ten Challenge

Courtesy: Peyton Williams/NC State Freshman heavyweight Bobby Isola won twice, but NC State lost dual matches to Purdue and Michigan State at the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Over the years, the Big Ten has been one of college wrestling’s blueblood conferences. Purdue and Michigan State stated the Big Ten’s case against NC State on Saturday, each defeating the Wolfpack in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge at Chapel Hill’s Eddie Smith field House.

In the Wolfpack’s first bout of the afternoon, 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell and heavyweight Bobby Isola pinned their opponents, and Taylor Cummings picked up a decision at 125 pounds, but Purdue won the other seven matches and won easily.

Cummings got the match off to a great start with a hard-fought 6-5 decision over Akif Eren, and after Ryan Tice fell 7-3 to Mat Hemry, Caldwell gave the Wolfpack a 9-3 lead with a breathtakingly quick pin of Purdue’s Jake Patacsil, the nation’s eighth-ranked 149-pounder.

Caldwell, who lost by fall after leading 6-1 Thursday to Oklahoma’s Will Rowe, took out the frustrations on Patacsil, pinning him in 19 seconds. Caldwell had a 6-1 lead on Rowe on Thursday, but suffered a late takedown and then made a poor decision on an escape move that enabled Rowe to put Caldwell on his back. Patacsil never had the chance. Caldwell took down Purdue’s highest-rated wrestler before he knew what hit him, then rolled him over and pinned him.

That was all for the Wolfpack. Purdue won the next five matches in a row, with Isola stopping the losing streak with a pin of Roger Vukobratich in just 1:49.

In the 4 o’clock bout, Michigan State won the first two matches by decision before Joe Caramanica pinned Jeff Wimberley in 1:02 to tie the team scoring at 6-6. Tim Hammer got those six points back with a pin of Josh Langholtz at 149, sparking the Spartans to a streak of four wins in five matches to salt away the final decision. Mark Jahad defeated 18^th-ranked Joe Williams at 197 pounds, 5-2, and heavyweight Bobby Isola took a 6-5 decision from Freddie DeRamus to conclude the match.

Caramanica did not wrestle in the bout against Purdue, and Caldwell sat out the match against Michigan State, which was crucial since Langholtz got pinned in that match instead. A decision by Caldwell in that bout, a distinct possibility, would have meant a nine-point turnaround in the team scoring. Both benchings were due to unspecified rules violations.

Purdue 25, NC State 15

125 - Taylor Cummings (NCS) dec. Akif Eren, 6-5
133 - Matt Hemry (Purdue) dec. Ryan Tice, 7-3
141 - Matt Redmond (Purdue) dec. John Langholtz, 9-4
149 - No. 10 Darrion Caldwell (NCS) pinned No. 8 Jake Patacsil, at 0:19
157 - Sam Patacsil (Purdue) dec. Anthony Batarracca, 8-3
165 - Luke Manual (Purdue) Major dec. William Gilleland, 8-0
174 - Nick Corpe (Purdue) dec. Randy Goodman, 3-2
184 - A.J. Kissel (Purdue) pinned Dane Coffee, at 2:01
197 - Logan Brown (Purdue) dec. Mark Jahad, 8-5
Hwt - Bobby Isola (NCS) pinned Roger Vukobratovich, at 1:49

Michigan State 23, NC State 15
125 - Clint Frutinger (MSU) dec. Taylor Cummings, 9-7
133 - Franklin Gomez (MSU) dec. Ryan Tice, 9-3
141 - Joe Caramanica (NCS) pinned Jeff Wimberley, at 1:02
149 - Tim Hammer (MSU) pinned Josh Langholtz, at 4:02
157 - Ray Ward (NCS) dec. John Fulger, 4-2
165 - Rex Kendle (MSU) dec. Jalil Dozier, 6-2
174 - John Murphy (MSU) dec. Randy Goodman, 8-5
184 - Nick Palmieri (MSU) major dec. Dane Coffee, 18-3
197 - Mark Jahad (NCS) dec. #18 Joe Williams, 5-2
Hwt - Bobby Isola (NCS) dec. Freddie DeRamus, 6-5