NC State wrestling will have a representative in the national finals for the third consecutive season, as heavyweight Isaac Trumble is set to face Yonger Bastida of Iowa State on March 21. The championship match will be broadcast on ESPN, with live scores available on TrackWrestling.com.
This continued presence in the finals highlights NC State’s ongoing success at the national level. The program has produced 16 finalists across all weight classes, including seven in the heavyweight division. Nick Gwiazdowski was the most recent champion at this weight class, winning back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. Gwiazdowski now trains regularly with Trumble.
The upcoming matchup features two undefeated wrestlers who have not previously faced each other in collegiate folkstyle competition. Trumble, seeded second, enters with a 20-0 record and 15 bonus point wins. Bastida, seeded first, holds a 29-0 record with 20 bonus point wins. Both athletes are former All-Americans: Trumble placed fourth last season and Bastida finished fifth at 197 lbs in 2022.
In team standings, Penn State leads with 164 points, followed by Oklahoma State and Nebraska. NC State currently sits in eleventh place with 40.5 points.
Vincent Robinson also competed for NC State at the championships. After an early loss to Troy Spratley of Oklahoma State, Robinson won his consolation semifinal before falling to Nico Provo of Stanford in the third-place match. Robinson finished fourth overall at 125 lbs and earned All-American honors for the second year in a row after winning last year’s national title.
