NC State wrestling notebook: Viva Las Vegas

After having the Thanksgiving weekend off, NC State Wrestling returns to action in a big way. The Pack is traveling out to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Invitational this Friday through Saturday. 

Travel Isn’t for Everybody

Before breaking down all of the great action that will be in Las Vegas this weekend, I thought it would be a good idea to give NC State wrestling fans a bit of an inside look into what the coaches and athletes go through during these tournaments. As heard on the #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast, my travel experiences with the NC State wrestling squad were a bit of a clash in styles compared to my time on the road with football and men’s basketball.

First, the travel there. The Pack will head out on Thursday, and there is no charter plane and often these trips include many hours inside an airport that isn’t RDU – ask the staff about coming back from WrangleMania.

Once they land, straight to the hotel in a fleet of rented cars – no luxury bus. At the hotel, it is a light-catered dinner and some guys have to hit cardio that night to get their weight in check. Think of the last time you flew somewhere, what you would eat or drink during the day. Now think of the NC State wrestlers who have to make weight very early the next morning. Nothing like a late-night workout to get the travel out.

There is much truth that you will not see the sun during a tournament like the Cliff Keen. Athletes and coaches get to the arena before the sun rises, stay inside a window-less convention center all day and head back to the hotel when it is dark all to get ready and do it again for the second day.

Looking at the schedule for this weekend, weigh-ins will be 7:00 a.m. local time on Friday. That means the NC State wreslers have to get up and travel to the venue, get in a workout and cut any remaining weight, and be ready for a skin check at 6:45 a.m. That is one early start.

Unlike duals that are an hour after weigh-ins, there will be a two-hour window before action starts. That time is used to get some food into the system and recover. The team snacks in the locker room are not what you had during Thanksgiving weekend, that is for sure.

During all the action, if you walk around the back hallways of these tournaments, every team sets up their camp. Sleeping bags and inflatable mattresses, as the guys will just wait until their bout is upcoming. A catered lunch of sandwiches makes its way for the meal of the day.

A lot of times the action goes late into the night, and that doesn’t mean a wrestler’s day is done. If they make it to the second day, another weigh-in awaits early once again. So you could find some of the guys doing even more cardio to get their weight back down after they wrestled all day.

As NC State wrestling head coach Pat Popolizio has been known to say, “Travel isn’t for everybody.” But being there in person for many over the years, there is so much excitement in these tournaments, and seeing the action live is unmatched.

NC State Wrestling Is On To Las Vegas

The Cliff Keen Invite is by far the toughest in-season tournament each season, and this year is no different as 108 ranked wrestlers could be in action, with 45 top-10 grapplers. Each of the 10 weight classes has at least nine ranked wrestlers.

The action starts Friday at 12:00 p.m. (ET), and the finals will be on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. (ET). All of the action will be streamed on FloWrestling.

As of Wednesday morning, 33 teams have registered for the event including NC State, Arizona State, Cornell, Michigan, Ohio State, and Virginia Tech (although reports have the Hokies not sending their starters at 149, 157, 165, and heavyweight) which will all certainly be in the hunt for a team trophy at the NCAA Championships in March. 

Each team entered is only allowed one wrestler per weight class, so every team basically enters their starting lineup. Here is a quick look at the NC State wrestling lineup along with their pre-seeds:

125: No. 29 Jarrett Trombley – 9 seed

After some close losses to start the season, Trombley picked up a win against Nebraska. Still getting accustomed to his new weight, the 125-pound bracket features nine ranked wrestlers with five in the top-10.

133: No. 24 Kai Orine – 11 seed

After missing both the Central Michigan and Illinois duals for NC State last time out, Orine will return to action in a weight class that has a tournament-high 13 ranked wrestles, also with five top-10 wrestlers.

141: No. 14 Ryan Jack – 4 seed

One of the Pack’s most improved wrestlers this early season, Jack has shown the ability to finish shots and ride out opponents this year. Still a bit under the radar, but this weekend could be a huge opportunity to throw his name into the All-American mix at this wide-open weight.

149: No. 22 Jackson Arrington – 7 seed

People are taking notice of the NC State true freshman this early in the season. He is off to a 6-2 start, and last time out scored a win over No. 14 Johnny Lovett of Central Michigan. Both of Arrington’s losses are to top-5 foes, and both of those opponents will be in Las Vegas – Jon Jon Milner of App State and Kyle Parco of Arizona State.

157: No. 9 Ed Scott – 4 seed

Scott has lost two of his last three matches, both to ranked wrestlers, and no better way to get those positive results than running through this bracket that features 11 ranked wrestlers and five in the top-10.

165: Donald Cates

Cates won the starting spot at 165 pounds for NC State in the preseason and Wrestle-Offs, and has been the Pack’s starter through the first month of the season. This will be his first tournament as a starter, and coming in unranked will be looking to surprise some in the field.

174: Alex Faison

A surprise entrant for NC State, as the redshirt junior had been competing for the spot at 165 earlier this season. At 174 pounds is Faison’s more natural weight class, as he has competed their in his previous seasons. The weight class had been a battle between a trio of freshmen – Brock DelSignore, Joey Milano and Matty Singleton – but Faison is getting the opportunity this weekend to claim the top spot.

184: No. 3 Trent Hidlay – 2 seed

Beast mode thus far, with three pins and a pair of tech falls – he has yet to wrestle a full seven minutes! Hidlay is favored to reach the final and get his rematch with Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen, but this weight class has seven of the top-10 ranked wrestlers.

197: No. 14 Isaac Trumble – 2 seed

The second NC State wrestler seeded to make the final, you can also make the argument that Trumble is the Pack’s most improved from last year. He is 5-0 with a pair of ranked wins, and recently knocked off No. 14 Zac Braunagel of Illinois 11-4.

285: No. 19 Owen Trephan – 10 seed

After much back-and-forth last season, Trephan looks to have a lock on the Pack’s spot at heavyweight. Out to a 7-1 start, his lone loss was to No. 5 Yaraslau Slavikouski of Harvard (3-2).

NC State wrestling hasn’t traveled out to Las Vegas every year, but will be looking for its first individual champion at the event since Nick Gwiazdowski won at heavyweight in 2014, one of his two NCAA Championship seasons.