Season over for Camacho and Jack at NCAA championships

North Carolina State’s Jakob Camacho was eliminated from the NCAA Div. I tournament on Friday. Camacho (125) went 2-2 in the tournament. (Photo courtesy North Carolina State Sports Information)

Losses in the third round of the consolation round ended the season for North Carolina State’s Jakob Camacho (125 pounds) and Ryan Jack (141) in the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament on Friday at Little Casear’s Arena in Detroit.

Camacho, a redshirt sophomore from Danbury, won his first consolation round match of the day with an 8-5 win over No. 13 seed Drake Ayala of Iowa with a takedown in all three periods, including one with two seconds left in the match to seal the deal.

But Camacho, the No. 14 seed, was eliminated in a 5-1 loss to No. 6 seed Eric Barnett of Wisconsin, who got a takedown with four seconds left in the second period to take a four-point lead. Camacho, who was 2-2 in the tournament, ends the season with a record of 18-6.

Jack, the freshman from Danbury, was wrestling in his first NCAA tournament. He won his first match of the day with a 6-4 win over Rider’s Quinn Kinner. Jack, who is seeded No. 18, scored a takedown and a reversal in the first, then a final takedown with 10 seconds left sealed the 6-4 win.

In the next round, No. 7 seed Clay Carlson of South Dakota State eliminated Jack, 2-1 in overtime. The two wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods for the only scoring during regulation. Carlson was awarded the tie-breaking point in overtime on a stalling call after a takedown attempt by the Jackrabbit wrestler.

Jack, who was also 2-2 in the tournament, finishes his first season in the starting lineup with a 18-9 record.

Camacho and Jack were the only two Connecticut wrestlers to earn a spot in this year’s NCAA Division I national championship tournament.

The last All-American from Connecticut at the Division I level was Danbury’s Kevin Jack, who was sixth for North Carolina State in 2018 at 141 pounds. Kevin Jack was a three-time All-American for the Wolfpack (2015, 2017, 2018).

After day two, North Carolina State is in 12th place with 40½ points. Three Wolfpack wrestlers earned All-American honors and will be in the consolation round on Saturday. Hayden Hidlay (174) is the only five-time All-American in school history while Tariq Wilson (149) is a four-time All-American with N.C. State. Trent Hidlay (184) also earned All-American honors for the third straight season.

No. 1 Penn State is on the road to their 10th national championship. After day two of the tournament, the Nittany Lions have a healthy 108 to 84½ lead over Michigan with Arizona State (63½) in third place. Penn State went 6-0 in the quarterfinals on Friday and 5-1 in the semifinals to place five men in Saturday’s championship finals.

2022 NCAA Division I tournament results and brackets (TrackWrestling.com)