The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1389905
46 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY RYAN TICE edshirt sophomore 184-pounder Trent Hidlay may not have started the season as the wres- tling team's main attraction, but he secured that title by March. And what a path it was to get there. He went 23-4 during a stellar debut last year, but was robbed by the COVID-19 pandemic of his shot to prove himself at the NCAA Championships. The epidemic continued to affect college wrestling go- ing into the 2020-21 season. Universities would not wrestle until January, so Hidlay and some teammates competed outside of the NCAA. First up was October's U.S. Senior Na- tionals, where Hidlay beat a four-time All- American he had previously lost to and the 2019 NCAA champion. In both, Hidlay had to come from behind and secure a winning takedown at the end, proving he was a better wrestler than when he last competed. Hidlay credited his improvements to mental maturation and an advantageous quarantine- training situation with older brother Hayden, who this year became the Wolfpack's first- ever four-time All-American wrestler. As fiery and brash as Hidlay is on the mat, it was actually easing up on himself before matches and "just going for it" dur- ing them that made the difference. "I keep bringing it back to my mental gains," he said. "I think just a different approach to my matches made a big deal for my progression as a wrestler, from last year to this year. "Look back at me 15 years ago, the goal was to get to the national tournament, win it, be an Olympic medalist. As you get older, you realize the success is less defined by the end result. … I'm chasing that intrinsic reward of getting better and being who I want to be, chas- ing what I want to chase and doing it my way. "If I come up short, at least I know I put everything I had into it. I want to win, it's in my blood, but I've grown a bit more mature in my mindset that winning isn't everything." R MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR TRENT HIDLAY NO NO OBSTACLE OBSTACLE TOO BIG TOO BIG Wrestler Trent Hidlay Overcame Every Challenge Thrown His Way En Route To The NCAA Finals