Wolfpack wrestlers ready to compete in their own NCAA Champtionship Today

Hayden Hidlay, Michael Macchiavello, Kevin Jack and their Wolfpack teammates have touched down in Cleveland for this week’s NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships. NC State finished top of the ACC 2017-18 Wrestling Standing with a 15-2 record and it is now ranked sixth overall in the country. Only perennial champion Penn State, Ohio State, Missouri, Michigan and Oklahoma State are above it in the regular season rankings. Penn State finished unbeaten at the top of the Big Ten and conference rival Ohio State is typically the only team that can stop it winning the Division 1 Championships. But NC State has sent nine strong representatives – a program record – into battle at the Quicken Loans Arena and it should prove to be an exciting few days.

Leading the charge is Hidlay, top ranked seed in the 157 pounds division. The freshman put together an unbeaten regular season to clinch the ACC division with ease. He displayed grit and magnificent technique to go 22-0 for the season, and that winning streak included seven victories over ranked opponents heading to the NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships. The most impressive win came against second seed Joey Lavallee, of Missouri, which came via a highly dramatic sudden-victory. Hidlay has dominated the opposition all season, racking up 13 bonus points, and enjoying six major decisions, five technical falls and two pins, while vastly outscoring his competitors.

“Right now, I am the only undefeated guy in the bracket,” Hidlay said. “I think that surprised a lot of people but I still feel like I have a lot to prove. I am ready to go to Cleveland and prove it. I just have to make sure that my head is in the right place and that I do the little things right.” Head coach Pat Popolizio said his young star has the mental strength to secure victory in the big tournament. “I think the biggest thing with Hayden is his mental approach to the sport,” said Popolizio. “It’s shown a big difference in his wrestling this year. If you go back to his results from a year ago, he’s closed the gap quite a bit. He’s not just looking to win. He’s mentality has changed to wanting to dominate.”

Check Bookmaker for odds on the tournament and you will find Penn State as the favorite to win it all, followed by Ohio State, but the Wolfpack is in with a chance. Junior Sean Fausz is ranked fifth at 125 pounds, Jack is sixth at 141 pounds, Pete Renda is fifth at 181 pounds and Machiavello is ranked fifth at 197 pounds, so there are some serious contenders among the ranks.

Jack has earned All-America honors twice for the Wolfpack, finishing fifth at the NCAA championships in the 141 pound class as a freshman, and third last year as a junior. Only four NC State wrestlers have earned All-America honors on three separate occasions, and another big performance could see Jack join that elite group. “At this point in my career, I know what to expect going in,” he said. “The way the season has gone so far, I’m just going to go in very open-minded, have fun, attack every position, do my best in every match and just worry about one match at a time.”

Machiavello is fourth seeded heading into the tournament and he should be full of confidence after securing victory last time out against top seed Kollinn Moore, of the mighty Ohio State. He produced the winning takedown with five seconds left, and with the score tied, so that should give him a great psychological boost heading into the championships. It should be a thrilling ride.