Three former NC State wrestling All-Americans will be in action at the US Olympic Team Trials this weekend (April 2-3) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Two-time national champion and three-time NCAA finalist Nick Gwiazdowski is the No. 1 seed at 125 kg. He's been on the US World Team for each of the last three World Championships and won pair of bronze medals. However, at this fall's RTC Cup, he was upset by Minnesota national champion Gable Steveson and split two matches with Michigan's Mason Parris, the No. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively.
At 97 kg, former NCSU national champion Michael Macchiavello is technically the No. 3 seed, but the weight is one with a challenge tournament and a former world champion sitting a best-of-three finals. In the challenge tournament, J'Den Cox is already in the semifinals and Kyle Snyder is waiting for the winner of the challenge tournament in a best-of-three finals (it's confusing, but the Olympics offer less weight classes than the annual world championships, so some weights have multiple world champions in them). I do believe Macchiavello has and can beat everybody else in the bracket, but both Snyder and Cox are among the best wrestlers in the world regardless of weight.
Finally, at 74 kg, former Wolfpack All-American Tommy Gantt begins as the No. 4 seed, though this is another weight with a world champ awaiting the challenge tournament winner (Jordan Burroughs), and another world champion sitting in the challenge tournament semifinals (Kyle Dake).
I think most of the Trials are going to be streamed on Peacock. The schedule I'm looking at says:
Challenge tournaments - Fri., beginning at 11 a.m.
Challenge Tournament finals - Fri., beginning at 7:30 p.m. (also NBCSN coverage)
Challenge tournament consolations - Sat., beginning at 1 p.m.
Championship series - Sat., beginning at 7:30 p.m. (also NBCSN coverage)
At 125 kg (and other weights without a reigning world champ), the challenge tournament finals just becomes the best-of-three championship series Saturday night.
Two-time national champion and three-time NCAA finalist Nick Gwiazdowski is the No. 1 seed at 125 kg. He's been on the US World Team for each of the last three World Championships and won pair of bronze medals. However, at this fall's RTC Cup, he was upset by Minnesota national champion Gable Steveson and split two matches with Michigan's Mason Parris, the No. 2 and 3 seeds, respectively.
At 97 kg, former NCSU national champion Michael Macchiavello is technically the No. 3 seed, but the weight is one with a challenge tournament and a former world champion sitting a best-of-three finals. In the challenge tournament, J'Den Cox is already in the semifinals and Kyle Snyder is waiting for the winner of the challenge tournament in a best-of-three finals (it's confusing, but the Olympics offer less weight classes than the annual world championships, so some weights have multiple world champions in them). I do believe Macchiavello has and can beat everybody else in the bracket, but both Snyder and Cox are among the best wrestlers in the world regardless of weight.
Finally, at 74 kg, former Wolfpack All-American Tommy Gantt begins as the No. 4 seed, though this is another weight with a world champ awaiting the challenge tournament winner (Jordan Burroughs), and another world champion sitting in the challenge tournament semifinals (Kyle Dake).
I think most of the Trials are going to be streamed on Peacock. The schedule I'm looking at says:
Challenge tournaments - Fri., beginning at 11 a.m.
Challenge Tournament finals - Fri., beginning at 7:30 p.m. (also NBCSN coverage)
Challenge tournament consolations - Sat., beginning at 1 p.m.
Championship series - Sat., beginning at 7:30 p.m. (also NBCSN coverage)
At 125 kg (and other weights without a reigning world champ), the challenge tournament finals just becomes the best-of-three championship series Saturday night.
