After sending three wrestlers to the semifinals of the NCAA Championships, redshirt sophomore Trent Hidlay is the lone member of NC State wrestling heading to the finals. The team is tied for sixth in the overall score at the end of the day two.
Eight wrestlers were still alive heading into Friday’s rounds, now that number is cut to four with two of them fighting to finish at third.
No. 2 Trent Hidlay – 184 pounds
After a 3-1 decision over No. 7 seed Brit Wilson put No. 2 seed Trent Hidlay into the semis, he took on Rutgers’ No. 6 seed John Poznanski. Hidlay and Poznanski struggled in a low-scoring bout which went to overtime. With an escape being the deciding point in his 2-1 decision, Hidlay’s championship dreams remained alive.
He’ll have to defeat Penn State’s No.1 seed Aaron Brooks to give the Wolfpack its first champion since Michael Macchiavello in 2018.
No. 2 Hayden Hidlay – 157 pounds
Second-seeded redshirt senior Hayden Hidlay advanced to the semifinals with a first-period pin of No. 23 seed Jacob Wright. Taking on third-seeded David Carr in the semifinals, Hidlay fell into a 2-0 hole after the first period and could never quite make it up. Despite putting on a frantic pace at the end of the third, Hidlay lost a 6-4 decision. He’ll have the opportunity to finish between third and sixth Saturday.
No. 3 Tariq Wilson – 141 pounds
Fourth-seeded redshirt senior Tariq Wilson punched his ticket to the semifinals with a 3-1 decision over No. 21 seed Real Woods. Facing off against top-seeded Jaydin Eierman of Iowa, Wilson struggled to bring him to the mat before Eierman pinned Wilson in the closing moments of the opening period.
Wilson will finish the tournament between third and sixth depending on his results Saturday.
No. 5 Jakob Camacho – 125 pounds
Though No. 6 seed redshirt sophomore Jakob Camacho lost in the quarterfinals, he had a chance to become NC State’s fourth All-American in the Round of 12, otherwise known as the blood round. In a tough match against West Virginia’s Killian Cardinale, Camacho fell in the third overtime period. Unable to escape Cardinale in the waning seconds of the match, he appeared to tweak a leg injury as the bout ended.
No. 8 Daniel Bullard – 174 pounds
After top seed Michael Kermer sent No. 8 seed redshirt senior Daniel Bullard to the consolation bracket, Bullard faced No. 11 seed Austin Murphy in the blood round. Bullard built up a four-point advantage in the second period, holding on as things got chippy in the third to become an All-American for the first time in his career.
With a chance to fight for a third-place finish, Bullard lost to Nebraska’s fourth-seeded Mikey Labriola in a 7-4 decision. Bullard will wrestle for a seventh-place finish on Saturday.
No. 10 Jarrett Trombley – 133 pounds
After defeating No. 27 seed Jacob Allen in the second round of consolations, No. 12 seed redshirt sophomore Jarrett Trombley’s season came to an end in the third round. Trombley was upset by 19th-seeded Chance Rich of Cal State Bakersfield in a 5-3 decision.
No. 16 Thomas Bullard – 165 pounds
No. 17 seed redshirt sophomore Thomas Bullard got a 9-1 major decision over No. 31 seed David Ferrante in the second round in consolations. In the third round, though, Bullard lost a tight 2-1 decision to No. 9 seed Luke Weber.
No. 10 Deonte Wilson – 285 pounds
10th-seeded junior Deonte Wilson saw his season come to an end via upset, as No. 25 seed Nathan Traxlar pinned him in the second round of consolations.
