40 ■ THE WOLFPACKER
BY MATT CARTER
C State redshirt junior
Trent Hidlay has been
wrestling practically his
entire life. He started
when he was 5 years old,
following in the foot-
steps of his older brother,
Hayden.
The two boys did not hail from
a wrestling family, but they did have
something of a sibling rivalry.
"I think I've just always had such a
competitiveness," Hidlay said, noting
that he had grown up with three sib-
lings, including two older brothers. "To
me, that is what really made me enjoy
sports, but wrestling in particular."
Coming to NC State has made Hidlay
recognize something deeper — that he
had a passion for the sport of wrestling
itself.
"I've been doing the sport my whole
life, but I got to college and I just fell in
love with the technical aspect of watch-
ing other people wrestle," Hidlay noted.
"How I can incorporate their styles into
mine.
"Everyone has their own style of wres-
tling. Everyone does things different,
PERSONIFYING
PACK WRESTLING
National Title Contender Trent Hidlay Leads NC State Into The 2022-23 Season
N
Hidlay finished as the runner-up in the
184-pound weight class at the NCAA
Championships as a redshirt freshman,
and he placed fifth last year.
PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS
