NC State Wrestlers Trent Hidlay and Isaac Trumble both competed in the Olympic Trials this weekend. Trumble finished 2nd, and Hidlay finished 3rd. While that didn’t send them to the Olympics, it did earn them a spot on the USA National Team.
Hidlay started things off by beating Penn St.’s Carter Starocci 6-4 in the 2nd round. Starocci has won the National Championship at 174 pounds the past 4 years in a row
In the semi’s Hidlay lost to Chance Marsteller (29 years old) 4-6. Marstellar picked up a takedown with 2 seconds left in the match. Marstellar was a 2-time All-American at Lock Haven at 165 pounds. Back in September, Marstellar represented the United States in the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. He earned a spot on that team after beating former Olympic gold medalist and World Champion Jordan Burroughs in a best-of-three series.
Hidlay would then beat Mark Hall (27 years old) 9-4, who won an NCAA Championship at 174 pounds at Penn St. Hall announced his retirement after the match. In 2018, Hall won the Pan American Championship at 74kg. Last year he finished 3rd at 86kg. In 2021, Hall won the US Open Championship at 86kg, defeating Hidlay on that run.
In the 3rd place match, Hidlay defeated Alex Dieringer (30 years old) 5-4. Dieringer was a 3-time National Champion at Oklahoma St. (2x at 165 & 1 time at 157). In 2019, Dieringer won the US National Championship at 79kg and he earned 3rd place at the Pan American Championship in 2020 at 86kg.
Hidlay was a few seconds away from being in the Finals like Trumble.
Trumble defeated 2-time All-American Eric Shultz out of Nebraska 7-3 in the 2nd round. He then beat former UVA All-American Wrestler Jay Aiello 6-4. Trumble was down 4-0, but then recorded the final three takedowns.
Then, Trumble won 11-1 (tech fall) over Kollin Moore, the former 3x All-American out of Ohio St. Back in 2020, Moore won the US National Championship at 97kg.
Trumble ultimately faced 2-time Olympian Kyle Snyder, who won a Gold Medal in 2016, and a Silver in 2020. In a best of three contest, Snyder won the first match 5-0, and the second match 4-0.
Despite the loss, Trumble has had an incredible year, winning the U23 World Championship, making the US Open Finals, and losing to Snyder in the Finals of the Olympic Trials. His future is bright.