Despite NC State’s absence from the NCAA Tournament, Saturday was a good day for the Wolfpack athletics program, winning individual national championships in wrestling and diving and a conference championship in gymnastics.
Wrestler Darrion Caldwell won the NCAA title in the 149 pound class, defeating Iowa’s Brent Metcalf, the defending national champion, by a score of 11-6. Caldwell becomes the 4th NC State wrestler to win a national championship. In a Maryland-esque show of class, Metcalf shoved Caldwell post-match and cost Iowa a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct. This was Metcalf’s second career loss, both coming to Caldwell.
Kristin Davies won the NCAA title in the platform dive, State’s first ever women’s national championship and the first national championship in swimming and diving since Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones. (Thanks to ncsufan23 for the heads up.)
The gymnastics team won the 2009 EAGL (East Atlantic Gymnastics League) championship hosted in Reynolds Coliseum, their 4th title (1999, 2000, 2007, 2009). Defending champion West Virginia finished 2nd, followed by North Carolina, Pitt, New Hampshire, Maryland, George Washington and Rutgers. Lauren Deuser and Brittany Vontz were in a 4 way tie for the top score in the uneven parallel bars and the Wolfpack had the best total team score in the parallel bars and the floor exercise.
Congrats to Darrion Caldwell, Kristin Davies and the ladies on the gymnastics team, well done!
