Junior heavyweight Konrad Dudziak showed why he is Duke's most valuable wrestler Wednesday night in Raleigh, leading the Blue Devils to their first ACC win since 2005 despite suffering a knee injury in the final bout of the match.
Dudziak's victory capped a 16-point comeback effort by Duke (5-0, 1-0 in the ACC), whose 26-22 win over N.C. State (3-6, 0-1) snapped a 12-year winless streak against the Wolfpack.
"I'm very pleased when you beat an ACC program," head coach Clar Anderson said. "It's a confidence thing, and I think our guys are gaining confidence. Learning to compete when they're injured and winning close matches is key, so hopefully they can gain from this victory."
But the win almost escaped the Blue Devils in the first half of the match, as N.C. State dominated the mat, establishing a 22-6 lead by scoring three pins in the first four bouts. Senior Joe Caramanica and junior Darrion Caldwell, nationally ranked No. 11 and No. 3 at their weight classes, respectively, both notched pins for the Wolfpack to remain undefeated on the season.
The N.C. State attack, however, petered out when Duke senior Aaron Glover scored a major decision in the 165-pound bout, picking up four points for Duke in the process. The victory turned the tide for the Blue Devils, as the team went on to win the rest of its bouts. Junior Voris Tejada racked up his 70th career victory with his overtime decision and junior John Barone picked up his team-best 26th win of the season with a major decision in the 184-pound bout.
A Wolfpack forfeit at the 197-pound weight class gave Duke a 23-22 lead and set up the final showdown between Dudziak, ranked No. 5 in the nation at heavyweight, and sophomore Bobby Isola. Dudziak was unfazed despite giving up around 25 pounds to Isola, a disparity he faces on a regular basis. Last week's ACC wrestler of the week took a 3-1 lead into the final period of his bout. He subsequently sustained a knee injury, the severity of which is yet to be determined, but held on for a 3-2 win.
"He was gutsy in the third period," Anderson said. "He was in a lot of pain, but he finished strong and showed a lot of courage through the pain."
Dudziak now owns a 25-2 season record with his only losses coming to the top- and fourth-ranked heavyweights in the nation.
All of the Blue Devils demonstrated impressive resolve in the winning effort, not letting their various nagging injuries get the best of them, Anderson said.
"We've had a lot of injuries, more than I've ever experienced," said Anderson, whose program is the only one in the ACC not to offer scholarships for wrestling. "There's only one person in the lineup who hasn't been fighting some type of injury."
The next time the Blue Devils take the mat will be January 17 in their home opener against Wyoming, as they look to extend their unbeaten dual match record.
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