The 2021 NCAA Division I national championships begin Thursday in Detroit. (Photo courtesy Sam Janicki / SJanickiPhoto.com)
Two Connecticut wrestlers will be competing in the NCAA Division I national championships beginning Thursday in Detroit – North Carolina State’s Jakob Camacho (125) and Ryan Jack (141).
The two Danbury High graduates will be trying to help the Wolfpack to their best-ever finish in a NCAA tournament. No. 4 North Carolina State finished tied for fourth in 2018.
Camacho will be competing in his second NCAA championship tournament. He qualified in 2020 but the tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. He earned a spot again last year in St. Louis but the tournament was held without fans – again due to the pandemic.
This year, Camacho and the wrestlers will be wrestling in front a packed house at Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit – home of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.
“Last year, it was weird that we didn’t have fans. It felt right 10 days ago in Nebraska (at the Big 10 tournament) in that environment,” said Myles Amine, the No. 1 seed at 194 pounds from Michigan. “It’s going to be even better here, so I am excited.”
“I think this one is more for the athletes,” North Carolina State coach Pat Popolizio said. “The year that we had no fans in the stands (2021), it was definitely unique and different, but to have everyone back here and the energy that’s going to be in play I think is going to be real important.”
Camacho (16-3) is the No. 14 seed at 125 pounds and will face No. 19 Joey Prata of Oklahoma in the first round on Thursday. Camacho has won nine of his last 10 matches including a thrilling last-second win over Virginia Tech’s Sam Latona in the ACC Tournament finals two weeks ago, 3-1, with his match-winning takedown coming with five seconds left in regulation.
Camacho was 2-2 at the 2021 tournament, falling one win shy of earning All-American honors.
Jack (16-7) will be making his first appearance at the NCAA tournament. Seeded No. 18, Jack will face No. 15 Kizhan Clark of North Carolina in the first round. Jack beat Clark at the recent ACC Tournament two weeks ago with a takedown with five seconds left in the semifinals to clinch his NCAA tournament berth with a 4-3 decision.
Jack fell in the ACC Tournament final to Pittsburgh’s Cole Matthews, 3-2.
Jack was the backup at 133 pounds a year ago before moving up to 141 this season and claiming a spot in the starting lineup for the Wolfpack.
North Carolina State (12-1) won their fourth straight ACC Tournament championship two weeks ago with seven wrestlers in the finals and four winning first place. All 10 Wolfpack starters qualified to wrestle at the NCAA championships.
ESPN will cover every mat and every single match from start to finish, including three nights of primetime wrestling action on ESPN’s flagship network. Coverage will also feature a ‘MATCAST’ viewing option on ESPN3, as well as a Command Center second-screen experience for every championship match on Saturday night.
ESPN has presented the NCAA wrestling championships since 1980, making it one of the longest-running events on the network.
NOTES: The last time there were more than four Connecticut wrestlers in the tournament was in 2016 when four state natives qualified to participate in the tournament. … The most recent All-American from Connecticut was Kevin Jack of North Carolina State, who was sixth at 141 pounds in 2018. Kevin Jack, who is Ryan’s older brother, is now a member of the Wolfpack coaching staff.
Two Connecticut men will be officiating at the tournament. Cheshire’s Nick Grosso will be an official at the tournament for the fourth time. Guilford’s Rey Santiago will be making his second appearance on the nationals and his first since 2014.
