The ACC Wrestling Championships wrapped up Saturday night at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, and the NC State wrestling team was one of six teams represented. The Wolfpack, who won the ACC regular-season title, squared off against UNC-Chapel Hill, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Duke and Pitt.
The Pack aimed to capture its second ACC championship in three years, but ended up finishing second and falling to Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech captured its second straight ACC title with 81 points, while NC State finished second with 73. North Carolina, with 52.5 points, finished third. In all though, the Pack showed out, winning first place in three separate individual weight classes. Nine of the 10 Wolfpack wrestlers earned automatic bids to the NCAA Championships as well.
Freshman Hayden Hidlay made his ACC Championships debut as the one seed at 157 pounds. Hidlay continued his impressive year by staying undefeated at 22-0 on the season and defeating Duke’s Mitch Finesilver in the final. Hidlay remains the only freshman in all weight classes to be undefeated. In the first match of the conference championship finals, Pack junior Sean Fausz won the 125-pound division over Virginia’s Louie Hayes. The ACC title had eluded Fausz in his first two appearances, as he placed second in each of his first two seasons, but now he has a title.
Senior Pete Renda returned from a redshirt last season to compete in his fourth ACC Championships. He earned an All-ACC honor last year after finishing in second at the tournament. His return was a successful one, as Renda won the 184-pound class by upsetting two-time ACC champion, Virginia Tech’s Zack Zavatsky.
The Most Valuable Wrestler award went to Brent Moore of Virginia Tech as he stunned NC State senior Kevin Jack, the one seed in the 141-pound division. Jack, a two-time All-American, was last year’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, and was looking to win his third consecutive ACC title in the 141-pound rank.
Elsewhere, in the 133-pound class, Virginia Tech senior Dennis Gustafson beat Virginia sophomore Jack Mueller. Senior Troy Heilmann of UNC took down junior Ryan Blees of Virginia Tech to win the 149-pound class. Hokies Sophomore David McFadden beat Mitch Finesilver’s twin brother, Zach—a separate set of Finesilver twins also wrestle as freshmen for the Duke squad—as Zach Finesilver finished second and Virginia senior Andrew Atkinson placed third.
As for the 174-pound rank, Pack freshman Daniel Bullard, the four seed, placed third for the class in his first ACC Championships appearance. Tar Heels senior Ethan Ramos won gold over true freshman Ryan Blees of Virginia Tech.
Wolfpack senior Michael Macchiavello capitalized on his second straight trip to the ACC Championships final by placing second in the 197-pound class. Virginia Tech senior Jared Haught won the class, with UNC senior Danny Chaid rounding out the top three.
The heavyweight division was treated to a faceoff that was the most exciting matchup of the night, as it featured an overtime thriller between UNC junior Cory Daniel and Duke senior Jacob Kasper, which saw Kasper prevail. Pack senior Michael Boykin, who was making his third trip to the ACC Championship but only his first as a heavyweight, finished third for the event.
In the consolation finals earlier in the day, Pack Freshman Tariq Wilson in the 133-pound class, senior Beau Donahue at 149 pounds and Brian Hamann at 165 pounds all placed fourth in their respective weight classes.
The NCAA Championships will take place March 15-17 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
