It was supposed to be close — the last three ACC Championship wrestling meets had been decided by eight team points or less, and five of the league's six teams were ranked among the nation's top 20.
The NC State Wolfpack wrestling team had other ideas.
The Pack won five of its six championship opportunities and ran away with its third straight conference championship trophy, winning by 24 team points. With all 10 wrestlers placing among the top four at their weight, the Pack became the first ACC three-peat champion since North Carolina won four in a row from 1997-2000.
"To get three [titles] in a row in a conference like this is not an easy task, so I'm really proud of what the guys did today, stepping up to the challenge with some of the best teams in the country," ninth-year head coach Pat Popolizio said.
"We like winning here at NC State, and I think that defines what these guys are about. They've bought in, they take a lot of pride in it, and they don't like losing. … Anybody who has been a part of this program can come back 20-30 years from now and say they were part of a team that won three in a row."
141-pounder Tariq Wilson, 157-pounder Hayden Hidlay, 174-pounder Daniel Bullard, 184-pounder Trent Hidlay and heavyweight Deonte Wilson all won their weight class, while a total of eight NC State wrestlers punched their ticket to the NCAA Championships with automatic berths.
Hayden Hidlay became the 10th in conference history to win four ACC titles, and the fifth Wolfpacker to do so. He did it with an impressive 12-3 major decision in the finals, scoring bonus points in both of his matches at the event, and staying unbeaten against ACC league foes in his career.
"It was very impressive, and he did it in a dominant fashion," Popolizio said. "… That goes back to a reflection of his whole attitude, commitment, work ethic and mindset. You get rewarded when you do things right, and that's what happened tonight."
"It's a big honor," Hidlay said. "Especially as the years have gone on, I've seen how strong this conference is. It's really nice to be on that list of guys. … It means a lot to me."
It marked the first conference crown for each of the Wolfpack's other four champions.
Trent Hidlay might have stolen the spotlight from his brother, however, by winning his title with an upset of the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler, Virginia Tech's Hunter Bolen, in overtime. Bolen had beaten Hidlay in their last three meetings, including last year's ACC championship bout.
Bullard and Deonte Wilson also won their gold medals in extra time, while Tariq Wilson — like classmate Hayden Hidlay — secured his first conference title in three finals appearances with bonus points, a 10-1 major decision.
"I thought it was a really good night, putting six guys in the finals and having five champs," Popolizio said. "Putting all 10 guys in placement [finishing top four] here at the ACC Tournament was not an easy task; I was just glad our guys were up for the challenge and motivated after a short season but a tough one with all we're navigating through with COVID."
125-pounder Jakob Camacho placed second at his weight class, falling in the first tie-breaker to Virginia Tech's Sam Latona — both wrestlers entered ranked among the nation's top five at the weight, and the matchup was so good that it was moved to be the final bout of the evening on the ACC Network's national broadcast.
133-pounder Jarrett Trombley placed fourth and 165-pounder Thomas Bullard third to claim the last automatic NCAA bids at their weights, while both 149-pounder Ed Scott and 197-pounder Nick Reenan took fourth, one spot away from claiming auto berths (though they will still be alive for at-large bids).
The NCAA Championships will be held March 18-20 in St. Louis.
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