Wolfpack's Caldwell wins NCAA wrestling title

North Carolina State University

Wolfpack's Caldwell wins NCAA wrestling title

Mar 21, 2009

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ST. LOUIS – N.C. State’s Darrion Caldwell captured N.C. State’s fifth-ever individual national wrestling title with an impressive 11-6 win over defending national champion Brent Metcalf of Iowa in the 149-pound weight class finale at Saturday’s NCAA Championships.

Caldwell’s national title is the first by an Atlantic Coast Conference wrestler since 1995. The ACC nearly claimed a second national champion later in the evening, but Duke’s Konrad Dudziak suffered a tough 3-2 loss to Missouri’s Mark Ellis in the second sudden-victory period of the 285-pound title match.

Caldwell and Dudziak earned All-America status, which is awarded to the top eight finishers in each weight class.

Dudziak is the first Duke wrestler to earn All-America honors.

Caldwell, who improved to 38-1 with the decision, took Metcalf down just seconds into the match to take a 2-0 lead.

Metcalf escaped, but Caldwell got him in a headlock and threw him to the mat for the second takedown of the period, the first time Metcalf had been taken down twice in a period in more than a year. Metcalf escaped again near the end of the period and Caldwell took a 4-2 lead into the second period. Caldwell started in the down position in the second period, escaped, then scored a takedown on a counter move off a Metcalf shot to take a 7-2 lead.

Caldwell cruised from there. He got one more takedown in the third and led 9-3. Metcalf got an escape and a late takedown in the third period, but the issue was decided by that time.

The loss is only the second of Metcalf’s career and ended a 69-match winning streak. Metcalf’s other loss also was to Caldwell, who pinned him on Nov. 24, 2007. Metcalf finished the season 37-1

Caldwell finished the season with a 10-match winning streak – six by major decision, one by technical fall and one by pin. Caldwell is N.C. State’s first All-American since 1996 (Mike Miller) and its first two-time All-American since 1992-93 (Sylvester Terkay).

Caldwell now has a career record of 95-12 with 50 pins.