Correction appended
The No. 9 AU wrestling team was looking to bounce back from its loss to Hofstra University Jan. 19 by beating North Carolina State Jan. 20, but the Wolfpack earned a 25-19 decision over the Eagles at Bender Arena.
“There’s some individuals that need to push a little bit further,” AU Head Coach Teague Moore said. “You’ve got to push your training to the next level.”
The Eagles won four of the 10 matches of the night, with the bright spot being an impressive victory by Ryan Flores, the top-ranked heavyweight in the country.
Flores recorded a victory over Josh Davis just 24 seconds into their match to remain undefeated in the season and improve to 8-0.
“Wrestling’s not a chess match,” Flores said, as he explained how he quickly attacked Davis.
The dual started at 157 pounds, where No. 4 Ganbayar Sanjaa picked up an 8-3 victory over N.C. State’s Colton Palmer to improve to 14-1 on the season. Along with Flores, Sanjaa is a returning All-American for the Eagles.
At 165 pounds, Tanner Shaffer opened up a 5-0 lead on Nijel Jones before Jones quickly recovered to earn a pin over the AU sophomore.
The Wolfpack controlled the 174-pound bout, as Quinton Godley improved to 24-9 on the season with a 22-8 major decision over Phillip Barreiro.
Barreiro’s brother Thomas didn’t fare better in his matchup at 184 pounds, as he dropped a 13-9 decision to Robert O’Neill.
With the Eagles trailing 13-3 following three straight losses, No. 19 Daniel Mitchell and Flores put AU back in front.
Mitchell improved to 13-6 after his pin of KaRonne Jones at 197 pounds, while Flores followed with his victory. The two pins put AU ahead 15-13 with four matches remaining.
But N.C. State’s Coltin Fought controlled the 125-pound match against Thomas Williams, as Fought picked up his 21st triumph on the year with a decision of 7-0.
The 133-pound battle was competitive throughout, with AU’s Corey Borshoff earning a critical 7-3 victory over Ben Elliott to regain the lead for the Eagles at 18-16.
The dual’s lone matchup between ranked opponents took place at 141 pounds, with No. 12 Matt Mariacher taking on No. 13 Darrius Little. Mariacher fought back from a 5-1 deficit but was unable to overcome Little, falling 5-4.
“Matt Mariacher had a tough battle tonight; Little’s a good wrestler,” Moore said.
With the Wolfpack in front 19-18, the dual came down to the night’s final match at 149 pounds between AU’s Kevin Tao and Matt Nereim. Nereim was able to take control in the later stages of the match and earn a pin over Tao to secure the victory for the Wolfpack.
The Eagles went 3-2 in their five dual meets in January and will not return to the mat until February.
“It’s a really good opportunity to kick up the training,” Flores said.
The Eagles will next travel to Vestal, N.Y., to take on No. 22 Binghamton University Feb. 3.
