Saturday, March 20
St. Louis, Mo.
All Day
NC State
vs
NCAA Championships
@PackWrestle Posts Second-Highest NCAA Finish in School History
3/20/2021 9:41:00 PM | Wrestling
Pack ties school record with four All-Americans
ST. LOUIS, MO. – Behind a program-tying four All-Americans, the NC State wrestling team came home with a sixth place finish at the 2021 NCAA Championships held in St. Louis this weekend.
The sixth place finish marked the second-best finish in school history, the sixth top-10 finish in school history overall, and the second top-10 finish in the last three NCAA Championships (school-best fourth in 2018) for NC State.
The Pack has now had 16 All-Americans in Pat Popolizio's seven NCAA Championships appearances (not counting the six last year announced by the NWCA after the cancellation of the 2020 NCAAs).
R-So. Trent Hidlay (184 pounds) was an NCAA Finalist at his first NCAA Championships. R-Sr. Tariq Wilson (141) finished third for the second time in his career. R-Sr. Hayden Hidlay (157) became the Pack's first-ever four-time All-American as he placed fifth. In his final collegiate match, R-Sr. Daniel Bullard (174) earned All-American honors for the first time in his career as he took seventh.
NCAA FINALS
184 | ##1 seed Aaron Brooks (Penn State) dec. 2 seed Trent Hidlay – 3-2
After a scoreless first, Hidlay started the second on top, but Brooks scores a reversal and after a Hidlay escape it was 2-1 going into the third. Hidlay started the third down, and escaped to even it 2-2 with 1:45 left. The decisive point came on Hidlay's second stall call with 45 seconds left.
The Pack started the final day with three wrestlers in the Medal Round, with four of the Pack's five matches earning bonus points for the team score for NC State.
3rd PLACE BOUT
141 | #4 seed Tariq Wilson major dec. #3 seed Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) – 15-5
Wilson closed out his NCAA run with back-to-back bonus points in the Medal Rounds, and in the process brought home a third place finish for the second time in his career (2018). Against Riveria of Rutgers, Wilson started with a first-period takedown then got four near fall points and jumped out to a 6-0 after the first with 2:39 of ride time. Wilson then added three more takedowns, and 3:49 of RT overall, for the 15-5 major decision to close out his season.
5th PLACE BOUT
157 | #2 seed Hayden Hidlay major dec. #6 seed Brayton Lee (Minnesota) – 11-2
Hidlay also scored bonus points in his placemen bout, as an 11-2 major decision, with 3:16 of ride time, gave Hidlay a fifth place finish. Hidlay started the first with a takedown and four-point near fall to grab a quick 6-0 lead. He went on to add a takedown in the third.
7th PLACE BOUT
174 | #8 seed Daniel Bullard vs. #26 seed Jackson Turley (Rutgers)
In his final collegiate tournament, Bullard earned All-American honors for the first time at the NCAA Championships. Turley injury defaulted last night and did not weigh in, so Bullard got his hand raised in his final bout and finishes seventh.
CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
125 | #4 seed Tariq Wilson major dec. #8 seed Chad Red (Nebraska) – 12-1
157 | #11 seed Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) dec. #2 seed Hayden Hidlay – 18-12
Wilson started the Pack's Medal Round with bonus points, scoring a 12-1 major decision over Nebraska's Red. Wilson scored a pair of takedowns, and a pair of injury time points, to jump out to a 6-0 lead in the first. He would add two more takedowns, and finished with 4:07 of ride time.
Hayden suffered a loss in his first match of the day, as Teemer of Arizona State scored a pair of six-point moves in the first and jumped out to a 14-3 lead. Hidlay cut into the lead in the final two periods, but fell 18-12.
The sixth place finish marked the second-best finish in school history, the sixth top-10 finish in school history overall, and the second top-10 finish in the last three NCAA Championships (school-best fourth in 2018) for NC State.
The Pack has now had 16 All-Americans in Pat Popolizio's seven NCAA Championships appearances (not counting the six last year announced by the NWCA after the cancellation of the 2020 NCAAs).
R-So. Trent Hidlay (184 pounds) was an NCAA Finalist at his first NCAA Championships. R-Sr. Tariq Wilson (141) finished third for the second time in his career. R-Sr. Hayden Hidlay (157) became the Pack's first-ever four-time All-American as he placed fifth. In his final collegiate match, R-Sr. Daniel Bullard (174) earned All-American honors for the first time in his career as he took seventh.
NCAA FINALS
184 | ##1 seed Aaron Brooks (Penn State) dec. 2 seed Trent Hidlay – 3-2
After a scoreless first, Hidlay started the second on top, but Brooks scores a reversal and after a Hidlay escape it was 2-1 going into the third. Hidlay started the third down, and escaped to even it 2-2 with 1:45 left. The decisive point came on Hidlay's second stall call with 45 seconds left.
R-So. Trent Hidlay places second at the 2021 NCAA Championships, becoming a NCAA Finalist in his first trip to the NCAA Championships.
— NC State Wrestling 🤼♂️ (@PackWrestle) March 21, 2021
Now a two-time All-American! pic.twitter.com/WGDlJI22DP
3rd PLACE BOUT
141 | #4 seed Tariq Wilson major dec. #3 seed Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) – 15-5
Wilson closed out his NCAA run with back-to-back bonus points in the Medal Rounds, and in the process brought home a third place finish for the second time in his career (2018). Against Riveria of Rutgers, Wilson started with a first-period takedown then got four near fall points and jumped out to a 6-0 after the first with 2:39 of ride time. Wilson then added three more takedowns, and 3:49 of RT overall, for the 15-5 major decision to close out his season.
4 swipes in the 1st period over Rutger's Rivera helped R-Sr. Tariq Wilson to a 15-5 major decision and a 3rd place finish at the NCAA Championships for the second time in his career!#PackMentality // #DoubleDown pic.twitter.com/EMP161U2f8
— NC State Wrestling 🤼♂️ (@PackWrestle) March 20, 2021
157 | #2 seed Hayden Hidlay major dec. #6 seed Brayton Lee (Minnesota) – 11-2
Hidlay also scored bonus points in his placemen bout, as an 11-2 major decision, with 3:16 of ride time, gave Hidlay a fifth place finish. Hidlay started the first with a takedown and four-point near fall to grab a quick 6-0 lead. He went on to add a takedown in the third.
Enjoy this opening sequence from @Hidlaymania. He would go on to get a 11-2 major decision over Minnesota's Lee and place 5th at the 2021 NCAA Championships!#PackMentality // #DoubleDown pic.twitter.com/KSRUB87u59
— NC State Wrestling 🤼♂️ (@PackWrestle) March 20, 2021
174 | #8 seed Daniel Bullard vs. #26 seed Jackson Turley (Rutgers)
In his final collegiate tournament, Bullard earned All-American honors for the first time at the NCAA Championships. Turley injury defaulted last night and did not weigh in, so Bullard got his hand raised in his final bout and finishes seventh.
In his final season in the Red & White singlet, R-Sr. Daniel Bullard gets his hand raised in his final bout as an injury default gives Bullard a 7th place finish!#PackMentality // #DoubleDown pic.twitter.com/tZGPuUCn1r
— NC State Wrestling 🤼♂️ (@PackWrestle) March 20, 2021
125 | #4 seed Tariq Wilson major dec. #8 seed Chad Red (Nebraska) – 12-1
157 | #11 seed Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) dec. #2 seed Hayden Hidlay – 18-12
Wilson started the Pack's Medal Round with bonus points, scoring a 12-1 major decision over Nebraska's Red. Wilson scored a pair of takedowns, and a pair of injury time points, to jump out to a 6-0 lead in the first. He would add two more takedowns, and finished with 4:07 of ride time.
Hayden suffered a loss in his first match of the day, as Teemer of Arizona State scored a pair of six-point moves in the first and jumped out to a 14-3 lead. Hidlay cut into the lead in the final two periods, but fell 18-12.
Players Mentioned
#PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast: Ep. 139 - WORLD CHAMPION Trent Hidlay
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