Macchiavello Wins 2018 National Championship

CLEVELAND, OHIO – Led by the 2018 197-pound National Champion Michael Macchiavello and a school record four All-Americans, the NC State wrestling team recorded its best-ever team finish by placing fourth at the 2018 NCAA Championships. The Wolfpack brings home its first-ever team trophy from the NCAA Championships and ties for the best-ever finish by an ACC school in NCAA history.

As a team, NC State tied for fourth place with 80 team points.

NC State sent a program-best two wrestlers into Saturday night’s NCAA Finals.

197 Finals: #4 Michael Macchiavello (21-3) vs. #3 Jared Haught (Virginia Tech – 30-2)
In his final career wrestling match as a member of the Wolfpack, R-Sr. Michael Macchiavello goes out a National Champion winning the NCAA title at 197 pounds.

Macchiavello faced off against ACC rival #3 seed Jared Haught, who defeated Macchiavello twice this year. After a scoreless first period, each wrestler traded takedowns and the bout was tied 1-1 late in the third. Macchiavello struck the winning takedown with 14 seconds left and claimed the 3-1 victory.

Macchiavello is the seventh individual to win a national title at NC State, combing for eight total trophies. The national title is the Pack’s third in the last five years under head coach Pat Popolizio.

157 Finals: #1 Hayden Hidlay (26-0) vs. #3 Jason Nolf (Penn State – 25-1)
In his first trip to the NCAA Championships, R-Fr. Hayden Hidlay fell in the NCAA Finals to defending champion Jason Nolf of Penn State, 6-2. The loss was Hidlay’s first of the season, he came into the NCAA Championships as the only undefeated freshman nationally (both true and redshirt).

Nolf started with a pair of takedowns in the first period and held a 4-1 lead after the first three minutes. A Nolf escape to start the second was the lone point in the period, and he was up 5-1 going into the final period. Hidlay escaped to start the third to narrow it to 5-2, but could not secure a takedown, and Nolf tacked on the ride time point for the final margin.

Hidlay concludes his rookie season with a 26-1 record. His second place finish is the second-highest ever among NC State freshmen at the NCAA Championships, only Matt Resiss as a national champion in 1980 placed higher.

Hidlay was also the 2018 ACC Champion, and only the fourth wrestler in school history to finish as an NCAA runner-up, to go along with the Pack’s seven national titles.