Once again, NC State wrestling finds itself atop the ACC with its sixth-straight ACC championship. In one of its most dominant showings, the Pack posted a team score of 116 — the highest for any ACC champion since 1974. Virginia Tech finished second with 86.5 points, while North Carolina placed third with a score of 54.
The championship marks head coach Pat Popolizio’s seventh overall ACC championship in Raleigh, while his run of six consecutive titles is now the second-longest streak in conference history. This season, Popolizio’s squad earned seven individual titles, dominating from start to finish.
The highlight of the tournament came in the 149-pound championship, featuring No. 4 sophomore Jackson Arrington and Virginia Tech’s No. 2 Caleb Henson. The two had faced off three times previously with Henson taking all three matches. However, the ACC title bout proved to be different. Knotted at 1-1, the wrestlers went to overtime where Arrington notched a late takedown with just seconds remaining to pull off a 4-1 upset. The victory marked Arrington’s first individual ACC title.
Like the 149-pound bout, the 125-pound match also featured a Wolfpack vs. Hokie championship — a common theme throughout the night. No. 10 redshirt junior Jakob Camacho defeated No. 6 Cooper Flynn 4-2 — Camacho’s second win over Flynn this season. The win secured a third individual title for Camacho, after taking the ACC crown in 2020 and 2022.
Capping one of the most dominant runs in ACC wrestling history, No. 2 redshirt senior Trent Hidlay won his fourth straight ACC title. However, this season’s title came in the 197-pound class for the first time in Hidlay’s career, after winning three straight at the 184-pound class. With a historic ACC season behind him, Hidlay is set to compete in the NCAA tournament, seeking the only thing missing from his trophy case — a national title.
No. 17 junior Ed Scott returned to the championship podium this season after winning his first ACC title in 2022. While Scott seemed to be in a slump earlier in the season, he put any doubts to rest after an impressive showing in the ACC tournament. The 157-pound championship pitted him against North Carolina’s No. 33 Sonny Santiago. While Santiago won round one, Scott emphatically disposed of Santiago with an 8-2 decision.
No. 14 redshirt junior Owen Trephan also earned his second ACC title in the heavyweight championship. In the championship bout, Trephan faced Virginia Tech’s No. 19 Hunter Catka, winning 4-2. After becoming an ACC champion last season, Trephan has emerged as one of the many stars for the red-and-white, proving to consistently be a tough out in the heavyweight class.
No. 4 redshirt junior Kai Orine won his second individual title in the 133-pound class. While Virginia Tech’s No. 15 Sam Latona put up a strong fight, Orine proved to be too much in a 4-1 decision. The fan-favorite is once again headed to the NCAA tournament, along with the other automatic qualifiers and at-large competitors to pursue his first national championship.
Rounding out the Wolfpack’s champions was No. 4 junior Ryan Jack in the 141-pound class. In the championship, Jack squared off with Pitt’s No. 14 Cole Matthews, who has had Jack’s number for much of their collegiate careers. The pair were pitted against each other in the ACC title bout the past two seasons and Matthews took both. However, the tables turned and Jack earned his first individual championship with a 4-1 decision.
While each ACC champion secured an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, two more Wolfpack wrestlers punched their tickets to the national field. No. 11 redshirt freshman Dylan Fishback and fifth year Alex Faison were awarded bids to the NCAA tournament for their second- and fourth-place finishes. All in, the red-and-white has nine wrestlers guaranteed to make the field.
NC State will travel to Kansas City, Missouri for the NCAA Championships March 21-23 in pursuit of a national championship. Seeding and matchups will be announced on Wednesday, March 13, during the NCAA wrestling selection show.
