Takedown Report

NC State Preparing Senior Send-Off For Key Contributors

NC State will honor six seniors Friday when the Pack wrestles Cornell, including All-Americans Isaac Trumble and Ryan Jack.
NC State wrapped up the ACC portion of its dual schedule with a 5-1 conference record. It was an exciting conference slate this year for fans, as three of the wins came down to the final match of the dual.
After this weekend, duals will be in the rearview mirror and the focus shifts to the postseason. First up, the ACC Championship at Virginia Tech before heading to Cleveland for the NCAA Championships, where the Wolfpack brought home a team trophy the last time the NCAAs were in Cleveland back in 2018.
But before then, NC State has one final home meet this Friday night against Cornell. Not only is it the final dual of the year, but it will also be the Pack’s Senior Day.
Prior to the match-up, NC State will honor six members of the program, highlighted by All-Americans Ryan Jack and Isaac Trumble. Jack enters this weekend ranked #10 at 141 pounds, while Trumble is one of 24 NCAA wrestlers still undefeated and ranked #2 at heavyweight.
Trumble joined the Pack in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. He was a two-time NCAA qualifier at 197 pounds before taking a redshirt in 2023-24. He broke out last year after making the move up to heavyweight. Despite suffering a torn ACL during the NCAAs, he went on to place fourth and earned All-American honors for the first time in his career.
He will be the top seed at the upcoming ACC Championship and a high seed at NCAAs. And he will leave NC State with a wife, their first child (due in April), and he already has a degree in Parks, Rec, and Tourism Management. “He’s grown up a lot in his time here at NC State,” NC State head coach Pat Popolizio said. “He came here from Nebraska with that long, blond hair.
“He’s just made huge gains every year he has been here. He is super disciplined and very motivated. We saw that with his rehab, with his diet, and now with his skills on the mat. Everything that he’s had to do this offseason has fueled him and made him even better.” Jack followed his older brother, All-American Kevin Jack, down to Raleigh the same season Trumble did in 2021. He was the ACC champion and an All-American in 2024 before taking his redshirt year last season. “With him being out of the lineup last year, I think a lot of people forget about him and how good and talented he is,” Popolizio said. “He has placed at the NCAA tournament and has some really high-level wins. He is super skilled, very offensive, and he had that extra year of maturity under his belt.  “I think the sky’s the limit for him. And the way you accomplish your goals is to go out and get those wins against the best guys in the country. The biggest thing this year for him is let’s not talk about it. Let’s just go out, do it, and execute and prove that you’re one of the best guys in the country.”
A third Wolfpack starter will also be honored on Senior Day — 184-pounder Donald Cates. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15450975-nc-state-preparing-senior-send-off-for-key-contributors

February 19, 2026 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | ncaa, sports