The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1540860
10 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY BRIAN REINHARDT F ormer NC State star wrestler Trent Hidlay proved, once again, that he is elite. Hidlay's motor does not stop. He is a showstopper. He is must-see wrestling. And now, he is a world champion. In one of the most dramatic comebacks you'll ever see, Hidlay brought home gold from the 2025 Senior World Champion- ships, which took place Sept. 13-21 in Zagreb, Croatia. Down by 8 points before the break (matches end at a 10-point margin), Hidlay stormed back in the 92-ki- logram (203-pound) final and claimed gold with a 13-10 victory over Amanula Gadzhimagome- dov of Russia. Hidlay became the first NC State wrestler to ever win gold at the Senior World Champi- onships, and only the second ACC wrestler to do so, joining Sammie Henson of Clemson, a 1998 world champ. Following his victory, Hidlay collapsed on the mat and smiled, seemingly in disbelief at what he had just accomplished. "It felt like that entire match was a reflection of my wrestling style and my career in a nutshell," he later told Flo- Wrestling. "When the clock hit zero and I was laying there, it was almost like I couldn't stop laughing because I was thinking, How crazy was that? I was looking at the scoreboard and kept waiting for it to change. And then it settled in: Dude, you just won." Going For Gold The gold medal bout may not have started out how Hidlay wanted, but it ended just as he had hoped it would. Hidlay got caught in a reattack when Gadzhimagomedov countered with a chest wrap and transitioned to a gut wrench. With just 30 seconds gone, Hidlay was already down 6-0. Then, after Hidlay scored his first takedown, he got caught again in a reattack. Gadzhimagomedov coun- tered with another 4-point move to make it 10-2 about two minutes in. The gap closed a bit before the break, and Hidlay got an exposure. The United World Wrestling coaches, working with Gadzhimagomedov, lost a chal- lenge, leaving Hidlay with a 10-5 deficit at the halfway point. The next three minutes were all Hidlay, although it came down to the final few seconds. After no score for the next 1:45, Hidlay pulled off back-to- b a c k t a k e - downs within 30 seconds, and the score w a s 1 0 - 9 with just 53 seconds left. H i d l a y ' s biggest move of the match proved decisive. He scored his own 4-pointer with 30 seconds left and clinched the gold medal in his first ap- pearance at the Senior World Championships. For Hidlay, a four-time All-American at NC State who twice reached the NCAA finals only to fall both times to Penn State's Aaron Brooks, the vic- tory evoked memories of all the sacrifices that T R A C K I N G THE THE PACK PACK Hidlay rallied back from an early 8-point deficit against his Russian opponent, claiming a 13-10 victory in the final. PHOTO BY TONY ROTUNDO Trent Hidlay Claims Trent Hidlay Claims Gold Medal At World Gold Medal At World Championships Championships