Wolfpack Wrestlers Dominate in Classroom as Well as Mat

Led by Hayden Hidlay, the ACC's Scholar-Athlete of the Year, NC State's conference champion wrestling team had six members earn All-Academic recognition -- more than any other league school

NC State athletic communications photo

The domination of NC State's wrestling team this season wasn't just limited to the mat, where it went an undefeated 15-0 in dual meets before winning its second straight ACC tournament title.

Coach Pat Popolizio's Wolfpack also outshined the competition in the classroom.

Led by confeference champion Hayden Hidlay, who was named the ACC's Scholar-Athlete of the Year on Thursday, State placed six wrestlers on the league's All-Academic team -- more than any other school.

The others are Hidlay's younger brother Trent and fellow freshman Jarrett Trombley, both of whom earned perfect 4.0 GPAs, repeat performer Daniel Bullard and first-time selections A.J. Leitten and Tyrie Houghton.

Virginia was the only other ACC school to have as many as five All-Academic wrestlers.

The ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year awards were established in 2007 and are awarded annually to the top junior or senior in their respective sports. Candidates for the awards must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average for their careers, as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters.

Hayden Hidlay, a business administration major from Lewistown, Pa, is a three-time ACC All-Academic selection. He recorded a 3.846 GPA and earned Dean's List honors for the fall 2019 semester.

"This is a great achievement for Hayden," Popolizio said in a statement. "He is a class act that represents himself, our wrestling program and NC State well. He continues to strive for greatness both on and off the mat. I'm proud and happy that the ACC recognizes his hard work and commitment."

Hidlay was 28-1 with a 12-0 dual match record on the mat this season, winning his third straight ACC championship and earning a No. 2 seeding in the canceled NCAA tournament at 157 pounds. He was 10-1 against ranked opponents in 2019-20 on the way to becoming the 11th wrestler in school history to earn three conference titles.

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