The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 ■ 43 was the ACC runner-up for the second year in a row, finishing with a 21-5 re- cord. He's a two-time NCAA qualifier at 141. With true freshmen now permitted to compete in up to five events without burning their redshirt, Koy Buesgens, the No. 24 overall recruit nationally, will likely see some action throughout the year at either 141 or 149. 149 pounds Probable starter: No. 8 Jackson Ar- rington Thrust into the lineup as a true fresh- man last season, Arrington was the runner-up at the ACC Championships and was one win away from earning All-America honors at the NCAA Tour- nament. He will be looking to make a significant jump in his second season in Raleigh. 157 pounds Probable starter: No. 5 Ed Scott Scott, a junior, earned All-America honors for the first time in his career with a pin at last year's NCAA Cham- pionships over rival Bryce Andonian of Virginia Tech. The Wolfpack standout went on to place fifth at NCAAs. Scott is another former ACC cham- pion in the lineup, having claimed top honors in 2022. 165 pounds Probable starter: TBD The lone weight class still up for grabs is shaping up to be a battle between three returnees. Redshirt sophomore Derek Fields ap- pears to be the leader after going 6-6 last year at 165 and starting three duals. Classmate Luke Ahrberg will be making his way up from 157, where he went 11-3. Ahrberg did make one start at 165, earn- ing a 7-2 decision over Duke's Gabe Di- nette. Sophomore AJ Kovacs was forced to miss the 2022-23 season with an in- jury but has seen action from 149 all the way up to 174. Expect last year's starter, Matty Sin- gleton, to redshirt this season and work his way up to 174. He had surgery on his hand following his bronze medal per- formance at the U20 World Champion- ships in August. 174 pounds Probable starter: No. 22 Alex Faison Faison didn't expect to be back for his super senior season, but after earning second place at the ACC Champion- ships and going to the NCAA Tourna- ment for the first time, he sat down with the coaches and decided to return. With Faison being a fifth-year vet- eran, look for redshirt sophomore Brock DelSignore to see more action to get ex- perience at the weight. 184 pounds Probable starter: No. 28 Dylan Fishback Wolfpack fans are eager to see Fish- back in the lineup after redshirting as a freshman last season. He was a top-10 overall recruit (No. 1 at 195 pounds) and the Ohio state champion in his final two campaigns. This past offseason, Fishback claimed top honors in the 86-kg U23 freestyle bracket at the World Team Trials, and then captured bronze at the senior level at the Poland Open. 197 pounds Probable starter: No. 5 Trent Hidlay It's the last go-around for the Pack's leader on and off the mat, but he's at a new weight class. With three All-America finishes at 184 pounds (second, fourth, fifth), Hidlay looks to have his final collegiate match on Saturday night at the NCAA Champion- ships in the final. With Hidlay being in his sixth year, redshirt junior Christian Knop could be used more during the season. Junior Isaac Trumble is expected to redshirt the sea- son and focus on freestyle for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. 285 pounds Probable starter: No. 8 Owen Trephan The fourth returning ACC champion from last season, Trephan, a redshirt junior, enters his second season as the Pack's starter at heavyweight. He was 4-0 in ACC duals, then capped off the confer- ence run with his first ACC title and a pair of victories at the NCAA Championships. Also look for redshirt freshman Chase Horne, a top-40 recruit and four-time Georgia state champion, to see action throughout the year. ■ 2023-24 Wrestling Schedule Date Opponent Time Oct. 27 WrestleOffs 5:30 p.m. Nov. 1 Battle at Fort Liberty* TBA Nov. 3 at Appalachian State 7 p.m. Nov. 11-12 Journeyman Collegiate Classic** TBA Nov. 16 at Army TBA Nov. 17 Armbar At The Armory^ TBA Dec. 1-2 Cliff Keen Invitational^^ TBA Dec. 18-19 Collegiate Wrestling Duals# TBA Dec. 30 Oklahoma State## TBA Jan. 7 at Hofstra TBA Jan. 26 at Pitt TBA Feb. 2 North Carolina TBA Feb. 9 Virginia TBA Feb. 16 Cornell TBA Feb. 18 at Duke TBA Feb. 23 Virginia Tech TBA Mar. 10 ACC Championships% Mar. 21-23 NCAA Championships%% * at Fayetteville, N.C.; ** at Bethlehem, Pa. ^ at Albany, N.Y.; ^^ at Las Vegas # at Nashville; ## at Sicily, Italy % at Chapel Hill, N.C.; %% at Kansas City Now in his 12th season, head coach Pat Popolizio has led the Pack to five straight ACC titles. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS