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Hidlay Nabs #1, NC State Wrestling Seeds 7 in NCAA’s
RALEIGH, N.C. – Led by top-seed R-Fr. Hayden Hidlay at 157 pounds, a total of seven NC State wrestlers earned seeds (top-16 at each weight) for next week’s NCAA Championships in Cleveland. The seven seeded wrestlers, of the nine NC State competitors overall, is a new school record. The Pack also had five with top-five seeds, also a new school-best.
Hidlay enters the NCAA Championships a perfect 22-0 on the season. He is the only freshman (both true and redshirt) that has not suffered a loss, and is one of only 10 D1 wrestlers to enter undefeated.
He earns NC State’s sixth all-time No. 1 seed, and its third in the last four years (Gwiazdowski in both 20015 and 2016). He is also the only ACC wrestler with a No. 1 seed this year.
A pair of redshirt-seniors competing in their final NCAA Championships will enter as the #4 seeds in their respective weight classes: Pete Renda at 184 pound and Michael Macchiavello at 197 pounds. Renda is vying to become the 10th NC State wrestler to earn multiple All-American honors, he took third in 2016, and Macchiavello was one win away from All-American honors last year at 184 pounds.
NC State also also a pair of #5 seeds, R-Fr. Sean Fausz at 125 pounds and Sr. Kevin Jack at 141. Jack earned All-American honors in both 2015 (fifth place) and last year (third), and will attempt to become only the fifth NC State wrestler all-time to earn All-American honors three times. Fausz is a three-time NCAA Qualifier, and was one win away from All-American honors last year.
Another senior duo was ranked #14 at their respective weights. R-Sr. Beau Donahue (149) is making his first trip to the NCAA Championships, while senior Michael Boykin (285) is making his second, but his first since 2016 and his first at heavyweight.
Over the past three seasons, NC State has earned a school-record 18 seeds. The previous best in a three-year span was 13 from 1981-83.
Unseeded entering their first NCAA Championships will be redshirt-freshmen Tariq Wilson (133) and Daniel Bullard (174).