Takedown Report

Jakob Camacho Making ‘Comeback’ For NC State Wrestling As Postseason Nears

After going more than two months without a victory, North Carolina State 125-pounder Jakob Camacho has regained his footing late in the season
During NC State’s 20-12 dual win over Virginia Tech last Friday night, The College Wrestling Report “X” account (the former Twitter) sent out a tweet that Jakob Camacho scored an upset win over Cooper Flynn at 125 pounds. To which, Wolfpack associate head coach Adam Hall quote tweeted “Don’t call is an upset; call it a comeback.” The story of the Pack’s starting 125-pounder has been well-known throughout this season. A two-time ACC Champion (2020 and 2022), Camacho sat out all last season with a knee injury. He was back out on the mat once the season started in November and started the season with a top-10 national ranking.
His win over 2023 NCAA finalist and current #1 Matt Ramos of Purdue (8-5) during the second weekend of the season propelled him to #3 in the national rankings, and the next week he climbed to the top spot in his weight class.
Then came a rough patch.
After a 7-0 start to the season, Camacho and the Pack headed to Nashville for the annual Collegiate Wrestling Duals. He came in with a #1 national ranking but lost all three of his matches in the dual format. Then another loss came in the first dual of 2024 at home against Oklahoma State. Granted, he did not travel to the Cliff Keen Invite in December, and the holiday break had minimal action for NC State, but Camacho went more than two months without a win. 
That period started with a win over Binghamton’s Carson Wagner on November 17, and his next win wasn’t until taking top honors at the Appalachian State Open on January 27. It was even longer for his first dual win since November, February 9 against Kyle Montaperto of Viginia (21-6 tech fall).
After the Oklahoma State loss, the NC State coaches sat Camacho from outside competition and kept his work in the practice room. “I’d say the break helped me take a step back and get healthy,” Camacho said. “It allowed me to reflect and focus on the basics, on the process, and the important things in my life. It allowed me to see a big picture and see how blessed I am to have such an amazing team, coaching staff, medical staff, family, and have faith in the grand scheme of things.”
Since his return to the mat, Camacho has three recent dual wins, including victories over #18 Brett Ungar of Cornell (5-1) and #7 Cooper Flynn of Virginia Tech (5-1). “The last few wins are just a reflection of having faith and being fearless,” Camacho said. “It’s a reminder that with the right attitude, right work ethic, right mentality and health, good things can happen.  “At the end of the day this is my favorite sport, and it should be fun. So, I try to keep it that way and it’s fun getting better. Part of the fun is the unknown. I don’t know the future, but I know I can live in the moment and do the best I can, make some memories, and have some fun.”
NC State head coach Pat Popolizio knows what he has with a full healthy Camacho in his lineup. He has seen him win a pair of ACC titles during his career and … story at … Flowrestling.org/Jakob-camacho-making-comeback-for-nc-state-wrestling-as-postseason-nears

March 1, 2024 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized