NC State's Isaac Trumble set to wrestle for NCAA heavyweight national championship

CLEVELAND, OHIO — A kid that came to NC State from Nebraska back in the summer of 2020 with a babyface look and long blonde hair is about to step onto the college wrestling mats for one final time, up a few pounds (going from being at 197 pounds to competing around 250 this year), buzz cut and full beard and married with his first child expected in April. 

The Wolfpack’s Isaac Trumble has experienced an awful lot in life over the last six years. Now he gets to experience what every college wrestler strives for, taking the mat in the finals for a chance to become a national champion.

The journey has not been easy. At this time last year, Trumble tore his ACL in his second match but continued on and placed fourth.

This year, the results have been even better after much hard work to get to the point.

“A year ago today, I tore my ACL, wrestled back with a torn ACL and bummed up knee, got fourth,” said Trumble. “I got surgery as soon as I got back to Raleigh, so I could walk down the aisle at my wedding.

“I wouldn’t be able to be where I am right now without my coaches and my athletic trainer really pushing me in the weight room and the trainer giving me the PT I need every day, making sure I’m in there even when I don’t want to be. When I want to be on my honeymoon, they make sure they’re sending me workouts, make sure I’m getting better, ready for this time right now.”

His journey has been no easy task, even in this tournament run. In one of the best scrambles of the 2026 tournament, Trumble held off 3-seed Taye Ghadiali of Michigan and scrambled his way to the winning takedown as time expired in Friday night’s semifinals.

“(I) wrestled the kid before when he was at Campbell,” said Trumble. “It was another tight match. I just knew I needed to stick to what I was good at.

“I was not very good in my freshman year here, one thing I was good at was baseline defense. That’s what the match came down to, baseline defense, getting the takedown when I needed it.”

The journey for Trumble’s NCAA finals opponent mirrors his own. 1-seed Yonger Bastida from Iowa State also started his collegiate career at 197 pounds when he came from Cuba to Ames for the 2020-21 season.

He was an All-American at the weight in 2022, but this is the first time he has returned to the podium at the NCAAs. Bastida also sports a perfect record entering the final, and downed former national champion AJ Ferrari of Nebraska in the semifinal by major decision, 15-7.

Like Trumble, his best season has been his last up one weight class from where he originally started.

“I’m just excited for (the) matchup,” said Bastida. “I’m just going to be offensive. It will be a fight to the finish. I’ve been saying that since I got here. It’s going to be a good match.”

The final round of the NCAA Championships will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN. Trumble will be in the eighth bout of the night as he looks to claim the national championship against Bastida, the top seed.

This marks the third straight year NC State has pushed a wrestler into the finals. In 2024 it was Trent Hiday at 197 pounds and last year Vincent Robinson took the title at 125 pounds.