NC State wrestling brings home sixth straight ACC championship
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – It was a record-setting night for the NC State wrestling team. The biggest prize of the night, the Wolfpack was crowned the 2024 ACC Champions with a dominating performance.
NC State crowned a school record seven individual ACC champions and finished above second-place Virginia Tech 116-86.5.
The 116 team points is a new NC State school, and the 29.5 margin of victory is the most at the ACC Championship since 2007.
NC State ACC Champions
- Ed Scott started the ACC Finals by claiming his second ACC Championship at 157 pounds. Scott scored both takedowns in the bout, and with 1:30 of ride time, took out top seeded Sonny Santiago of UNC. Scott reversed an OT loss in the dual.
- He didn’t even need to step on the mat, but Trent Hidlay claimed his fourth straight ACC Championship. His first at 197 pounds, he received a MFF over UNC’s Max Shaw. Hidlay is the sixth wrestler in school history with four titles, and the 13th in ACC history overall. Every year Hidlay has been on the NC State campus, NC State has brought home the ACC title (2019-24).
- Back-to-back ACC champion at heavyweight, Owen Trephan claimed top honors once again. He got the bout’s lone takedown in the second period and scored a 4-2 win over VT’s Hunter Catka. It was Trephan’s win that clinched the ACC Championship for the Pack.
- For the third time in his career, and becoming only the 14th NC State wrestler to do so, Jakob Camacho was victorious at 125 pounds. His takedown in the first period led to a win over VT’s Cooper Flynn, 4-2.
- Kai Orine defended his ACC Championship and went back-to-back at 133 pounds. After a scoreless first, Orine got a two-point near fall and second period ride out and pitched a 4-0 shutout over VT’s Sam Latona.
- A first-time ACC Champion, Ryan Jack won the title at 141 pounds. He scored the bout’s lone takedown with 45 seconds left and defeated top-seeded Cole Matthews of Pitt. It was Jack’s first career win over Matthews in six tries.
- Jackson Arrington set the new school record for the seventh individual title, taking out top-seeded and #2 Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech. In OT tied 1-1, a long scramble resulted in an Arrington with just 11 seconds left. The win was a rematch of last year’s final, and the first win for Arrington against Henson in four tries.
NC State also had one second place finish, Dylan Fishback (184),
In addition to the eight that wrestled in the finals, Fields placed third with an OT win and Faison took fourth.
On the day, NC State qualified nine for the 2024 NCAA Championships – everybody that reached the finals and also Alex Faison (174). The Pack’s 10th starter, Derek Fields, will have to wait to hear about an at-large bid at 165 pounds.
With eight Pack wrestlers earning a bye into the semifinals, only two saw action in the first round. Both Faison and Fishback won those bouts, pushing all 10 NC State wrestlers into the semifinals.
The Pack did damage and built an insurmountable lead in its 10 semifinal bouts. NC State started with five straight wins, all going for bonus points, and won 8 of 10 matches in the semifinals all together.
Jakob Camacho started the sequence with a fall. Kai Orine, Ryan Jack, Jackson Arrington, and Ed Scott all secured major decisions during the opening five wins. Trent Hidlay also added a major, sandwiched between decisions by Fishback and Trephan in the semifinals.
Heading into the consolation rounds, NC State was up on Virginia Tech 86.5-71.5. The Pack never relented the lead the rest of the day.
Up Next: The Pack will be in action at the 2024 NCAA Championships in Kansas City March 21-23.
