NC State's Hayden and Trent Hidlay both advanced to the semifinals at the 2019 Cliff Keen Invitational on Friday, and five Wolfpack wrestlers overall are still alive for podium finishes after the first day of action.
#1 R-Jr. Hayden Hidlay was the first to punch his ticket into the semifinals, as he scored a 3-2 win over Nebraska's Peyton Robb. Hidlay scored the lone takedown in the bout with 47 seconds left in the match.
Hidlay went back-to-back bonus points in the first session. He only needed 49 seconds in his first bout to record a pin over Rubio of Utah Valley. Then his second match was stopped in the second period, thanks to a 15-0 tech fall win over Geerts of Northern Iowa.
A second Hidlay made the semifinals as well, as #4 R-Fr. Trent Hidlay accomplished the feat at 184 pounds. In the quarterfinals, Hidlay scored a 7-4 win over #19 Owen Webster of Minnesota. With the score tied 3-3 after the first, Hidlay scored an escape and a takedown in the second and his ride out in the third gave him the ride time point.
Trent Hidlay was the fifth member of the Pack to take a 2-0 record into the night session. Hidlay opened with a 12-4 major decision over Tracy of Cal Poly. To get into the quarter, he fought off Samuelson of Wyoming, 4-1.
NC State started the evening session with five in the quarterfinals, but three NC State wrestlers lost their matchups and fell into the consolation rounds.
After a video review at 133 pounds, #13 R-Fr. Jarrett Trombley got taken down with one second remaining and fell to Ohio State's Dylan Koontz 5-4.
Trombley advanced to the night's quarterfinals with a pair of wins in the first session. He opened with a 5-0 win over Jones of Minnesota, then his match against Skudlarczyk of Northern Iowa went to OT, but Trombley scored the takedown and turned it into a pin with 16 seconds left.
In a matchup of All-Americans at 141 pounds, #12 R-Jr. Tariq Wilson got caught in a cradle and pinned by #6 Chad Red of Nebraska in the first period.
Wilson's day started with a 9-3 decision over Hagan of Edinboro. He then got to the quarterfinals via bonus points, recording an 11-1 major decision over Vespa of Hofstra.
At 165 pounds, #13 R-Jr. Thomas Bullard gave up the winning takedown with 60 seconds left and fell to #12 Ethan Smith of Ohio State 4-3.
Bullard pitched a pair of shutouts to make it into the quarterfinals. First he got a 16-0 tech fall over Robinson of Northern Colorado. He followed that up with an 8-0 major decision over Yant of Northern Iowa.
Trombley, Wilson and Bullard will all be back in action tomorrow in the consolation rounds.
Action starts back up at noon (ET) tomorrow with a round of consolation, before the semifinals are set for 1 p.m. (ET). The finals and 3rd/4th will take place at 6 p.m. (ET)