NCAA D1 Championships 2014Mar 25, 2014 by Christian Pyles
Flowrestling's Most Improved Wrestler Award <br /> Goes to Nick Gwiazdowski
Flowrestling's Most Improved Wrestler Award <br /> Goes to Nick Gwiazdowski
Most Improved Wrestler-Nick Gwiazdowski
Christian Pyles
From a fringe AA as a Freshman to the top of the podium as a Sophomore.
The unseating of a legend and besting the most talked about field in college wrestling. Gwiaz has come a long way. Scary to think he’s got two years left. After an amazing Sophomore campaing, Nick Gwiazdowski has been named Flowrestling's Most Improved Wrestler Award.
Let’s rewind to his True Freshman campaign: Losses to Kyle Frey, Levi Cooper and Jeremy Johnson. Majored by Tony Nelson, 8-0.
Last year he redshirted and had a fine campaign going 24-1, but fell 4-1 to Nelson.
This year he truly jumped levels. Despite not having the most stellar regular season, falling to Coon and Nelson with wins over McMullan and Johnson many had felt he was in the mix with the elite heavies. However, what we saw at NCAA’s proved he wasn’t simply ‘in the mix’ but was a cut above.
In a field filled with landmines, hammers and legends, he navigated them all with relative dominance. He took down Tony Nelson. Twice. In one period. Let me know if you’d ever seen that happen. He saved his best for last. He’s not your standard heavyweight. He fearlessly attacks legs and will scramble with anyone foolish enough to try and scramble with him.
If he improves at the rate he has his first 2 years of competition, it’s scary to think what kind of monster Coach Popolizio is creating in Raleigh.
Christian Pyles
From a fringe AA as a Freshman to the top of the podium as a Sophomore.
The unseating of a legend and besting the most talked about field in college wrestling. Gwiaz has come a long way. Scary to think he’s got two years left. After an amazing Sophomore campaing, Nick Gwiazdowski has been named Flowrestling's Most Improved Wrestler Award.
Let’s rewind to his True Freshman campaign: Losses to Kyle Frey, Levi Cooper and Jeremy Johnson. Majored by Tony Nelson, 8-0.
Last year he redshirted and had a fine campaign going 24-1, but fell 4-1 to Nelson.
This year he truly jumped levels. Despite not having the most stellar regular season, falling to Coon and Nelson with wins over McMullan and Johnson many had felt he was in the mix with the elite heavies. However, what we saw at NCAA’s proved he wasn’t simply ‘in the mix’ but was a cut above.
In a field filled with landmines, hammers and legends, he navigated them all with relative dominance. He took down Tony Nelson. Twice. In one period. Let me know if you’d ever seen that happen. He saved his best for last. He’s not your standard heavyweight. He fearlessly attacks legs and will scramble with anyone foolish enough to try and scramble with him.
If he improves at the rate he has his first 2 years of competition, it’s scary to think what kind of monster Coach Popolizio is creating in Raleigh.
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