NC State wrestling has its sights set on national championship this season

Pat Popolizio has turned NC State from a middle of the pack wrestling program into a national contender over his 11 seasons in Raleigh. He took the Pack from a 64th-place finish at the 2013 NCAA tournament to the top 10 in four of the past five trips, but the national title has been elusive. 

NC State has been close, a fourth-place finish in 2018, a sixth-place in 2021 and back-to-back 10th-place finishes in 2022 and 2023. While the red and white have been successful on the national level, a sense of complacency has not set in since the Pack is still chasing the pinnacle of college wrestling. 

“We came here, obviously, to compete at an elite level and to win at the highest level,” Popolizio said Wednesday morning. “The ultimate goal has always been to win a national title, and we haven’t done that yet. I know our coaching staff remains hungry, and we continue to embrace that with the guys that are out there competing for us.”

This season, the goal of a national championship is fresh on the Wolfpack’s mind. NC State has won the past five ACC titles, but the team trophy remains an unchecked box. 

This season’s squad has a prime chance to put itself in a position to reach the podium — and win — that crown NC State has chased after. The Wolfpack have six wrestlers ranked inside the top eight at their respective weight class ahead of the season.

Redshirt junior Jakob Camacho checked in eighth at 125 pounds, while redshirt junior Kai Orine, the defending ACC champ and All-American at 133, is fifth in his weight class. Sophomore Jackson Arrington is ranked eighth at 149 pounds; junior Ed Scott, a returning All-American is fifth at 157; redshirt senior Trent Hidlay, a two-time All-American, is fifth at 197; and redshirt junior Owen Trephan is seventh at 285. 

For Popolizio, that is not a bad spot to be in ahead of the season. And it keeps the Wolfpack’s end goal a reality with the number of contenders at each weight class. 

“That leaves a lot of opportunity for us to go out and make some real noise this year, and really compete,” Popolizio said. “And to compete for those team trophies at the NCAA tournament. That’s really all our focus is going to be this year. I know we have some really tough duals, but we’re here to make sure we have our best performance come March.”

It’s been five years since NC State has had an individual champion when Michael Machhicavello did it in 2018. The Pack has been close to doing it since, but if the red and white can finish the season with multiple titles, Popolizio thought it would be pivotal in the growth of the program.

“I think when we start producing multiple national champs, that’ll have a huge impact on a lot of different levels for us as a program,” Popolizio said. 

Of his wrestlers chasing after the title, Hidlay is at his last go for one. He entered college with the mindset of winning multiple championships. While that has not happened, Hidlay is focused on checking off one box: a title. 

Hidlay is moving from 187 to 197 pounds this season to focus on his development as a wrestler and so he does not have to cut as much weight before each match in an effort to keep himself fresh for the NCAA tournament in March. 

But with this being his last season, the NCAA’s are circled on his calendar. 

“I’m looking forward to the national tournament, for sure,” Hidlay said. “I’m trying to be as patient as I can because it’s a long, long season. But I think every date that we have on the calendar is exciting for me because this is my last year, the last time I get to do this with my team. … Every ACC dual carries a little bit of extra weight, but definitely the national tournament in Kansas City, finishing out my college career, is what I’m looking forward to.”

While Hidlay is chasing his first title in his last season after a finalist finish in 2021 and a fifth place result last year, Orine is looking to build off of his first NCAA-qualifying season a year ago. 

The Imperial, Mo., native went 2-2 at the NCAA tournament last year, but as he enters his fourth season in the program, Orine has continued to see the Wolfpack’s expectations of contending in March become a reality. 

“I think the culture and the expectations that I had coming in as a freshman have definitely been reinforced and are pretty prevalent after five years,” Orine said. “If you come to NC State, you’re coming here for the same reasons that everyone has come here for. The guys that stay and make it out in the end, I think everyone comes out thankful that they picked NC State just because of the core principles that we’ve stressed on the team.”

This season, the Pack’s expectations have not changed. The team has an NCAA title on its mind, and Popolizio said all 10 starters have the mindset of claiming an individual crown. If that were to happen, the Wolfpack would coast to a team title. 

NC State’s high standards are for good reason. The Pack is capable of reaching the podium at the end of the season, and Popolizio asked for the fan base’s support as the team begins its quest for the championship next month.

“I’m going to challenge our fans more than ever now to get behind this program, so we stay where we’re at and continue to grow to ultimately compete,” Popolizio said. “I know NC State fans are pretty passionate and expect teams to win at an elite level, so we’re always up for that challenge.”