Gantt claimed the Pack's first-ever title at the Midlands Championships, cruising to a 6-0 record and the title at 157 pounds. Going 4-0 on Tuesday to reach the semifinals, Gantt picked up two wins over ranked foes in Wednesday action for the championship. He started with a 6-4 win in overtime over No. 15 Chad Walsh of Rider. In the title bout, Gantt defeated top-seed and No. 7 Cody Pack of South Dakota State, 4-2.
Gwiazdowski was dominating enroute to his title win, and extends his NCAA-best winning streak to 71 straight matches in the process. He used three bonus point wins - two falls and a major decision - to reach Wednesday's semifinals. Just like Gantt, Gwiazdowski beat two ranked foes on Wednesday to win the title. He took out No. 13 Sam Stoll of Iowa in the afternoon session with a 10-1 major decision, then in the night-cap defeated No. 15 Tanner Hall of Arizona State, 4-3.
Both Gantt and Gwiazdowski remain undefeated on the season, combining to go 28-0, including nine wins over ranked foes.
In addition to Gantt and Gwiazdowski's wins, NC State also had two other grapplers on the final podium as So. Kevin Jack was third at 141 pounds, and Jr. Pete Renda was fifth at 184.
Jack was a perfect 4-0 in action on Wednesday in the wrestlebacks. He started with a 16-1 technical fall, followed by decisions of 7-4 and 6-3. In the third place bout, Jack topped No. 4 Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers 5-2.
Renda scored a pair of wins over ranked foes on his way to a fifth place finish. His first match resulted in a first-period pin, and then downed No. 20 Nicholas Gravina of Rutgers. Renda narrowly fell to No. 9 Sammy Brooks of Iowa, 8-7, but finished strong with a 3-2 win over No. 17 Abram Ayala of Princeton in his final bout.
In the team standings, NC State placed fourth with 95.5 points. No. 2 Iowa won the event with 152 points, followed by Nebraska (135) and Rutgers (110).
Up Next: NC State will be in action for the first time this season, when the Wolfpack travels to Duke on Jan. 6 for a 7 p.m. dual.
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