After a strong start to the season, No. 5 NC State wrestling is no longer undefeated. The Wolfpack suffered a 34-3 beatdown at No. 3 Oklahoma State. The loss was NC State’s first in a dual meet since it lost to Oklahoma State last season over a full year ago.
The Wolfpack (7-1) lost nine of 10 matches, showing the entire team has work to do. However, the Wolfpack is a relatively young squad this year and will certainly improve under head coach Pat Popolizio’s guidance. Getting experience against the Cowboys (8-0) exposed flaws for several wrestlers — but now the Pack will have the opportunity to learn from the match after seeing where it has room to improve.
The evening started strong for the red-and-white in the 125-pound bout. In the Wolfpack’s only win of the night, No. 11 redshirt freshman Vince Robinson pulled off an impressive upset over No. 2 Troy Spratley. Robinson is a rising star for the Pack, earning the biggest win of his career in a 7-3 decision. After jumping ahead to a 3-1 lead, Robinson relentlessly kept the pressure on Spratley, leading nearly from start to finish. Despite the team’s loss, Robinson is quickly emerging as one of the nation’s best after the win…