#RivalryWeek: #6 @PackWrestle Hosts #24 UNC Friday Night in Reynolds

NC State Match Notes | Probable Starters | Match Program
LISTEN: #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast: Ep. 12 – UNC Preview, Guest Pete Renda

RALEIGH, N.C. - The #6 NC State wrestling team will close out its 2017-18 dual season with three straight home contests. Up first, the Wolfpack (13-1, 3-0 ACC) will host #24 North Carolina (8-9, 2-1) Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Coliseum. The dual will be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

The two teams have a combined 18 of the 20 probable starters ranked in the new NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings, and eight of the 10 matchups will feature ranked vs. ranked.

	#6 NC State (13-1, 3-0) vs. #24 North Carolina (8-9, 2-1)
Date	Friday, Feb. 9
Time	7:30 p.m.
Location	Raleigh, N.C.
Venue	Reynolds Coliseum
Tickets	$7 adults, $5 youth
Streaming	ACC Network Extra
Live Scoring	TrackWrestling
Social Media	@PackWrestle

Promotions
• The first 300 through the door receive Red light up batons
• Post match autographs
• Camper reunion and teacher appreciation night

Quick Takedowns
• NC State has won the last four duals against the Tar Heels. The Wolfpack will be looking for its fifth straight win in the series, the most for NC State since 1981-84 (7 in a row).
• For the second straight NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings of the season, NC State has all 10 starters ranked. Five are ranked among the top-8 (All-American level), and three are in the top-3.
• Over the last three season, NC State has won 49 of its last 53 duals. In that span, the Pack is 20-2 in home duals and 29-2 in duals outside of Raleigh, including 14-1 in true road duals.
• For the fourth straight week, NC State is ranked #6 in the NWCA/USA Today Coaches' Poll. Dating back to the 2015-16 season, NC State has been ranked in the top-10 in each of the last 38 polls, after having not appeared in the top-10 at all since 1993.
• Eight of the 10 NC State starters are ranked in the top-20 in their weight class by InterMat this week, including five in the top-8 (All-American placement) and three in the top-3.
• NC State had 10 wrestlers ranked in the first NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings (1/18), the only school to have a wrestler ranked in the top-30 every weight class. Five of the 10 ranked were ranked in the top-three in their weight class.
• NC State's 13-1 dual start is the second-best in school history (21-0 in 2016).
• NC State is 3-0 in ACC action, outscoring its foes 87-22 – winning 23 of the 30 matches. Over the last three seasons, NC State has outscored ACC foes 339-133 in going 11-2.
• On the season, the Pack has outscored its first 14 opponents 468-92 (33.4-6.6) and has won 113 of the 140 (80.7%) individual matches in those duals. 65 of the 113 wins have been for bonus points.
• The Pack's 10 ranked in the NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings are a combined 86-11 in duals this year.
• NC State had six seniors ranked in the first NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings. During their career, those six have combined for 459 career wins, all with at least 60.
• Sr. Kevin Jack (141) is a perfect 14-0 all-time in ACC duals. The two-time defensing ACC champion has outscored his opponents 91-17 (with a pin in which he was leading 16-0) and has not allowed a single takedown over the last two seasons.
• Jack became the fifth NC State wrestler to record 100 career wins, he is now 15 shy of the school record. Redshirt-senior Pete Renda (184) also has a chance at 100, as he currently has 91. If Renda accomplishes the feat, they will be the first pair of teammates to notch their 100^th career wins in the same season.
• R-Fr. Hayden Hidlay (157) is one of only two freshmen (both redshirts and true) nationally in all weight classes still undefeated (Alex Marinello, Iowa – 165). He is 17-0 on the season, with 13 bonus point wins.
• Hidlay and Renda (18-0) are two of the 19 undefeated NCAA D1 wrestlers heading into this weekend. NC State is one of just four schools with at least two in that group.
• NC State has had three wrestlers combine for five ACC Wrestler of the Week honors. Jack was named after the first week, Hidlay has won the award a league-best three times, and R-Fr. Tariq Wilson (133) is the most recent Pack honoree on Jan. 30.

Probable Starters
#6 NC State Wolfpack (13-1, 3-0 ACC)
125: #4 R-Jr. Sean Fausz (10-1) -OR- So. Tommy Cox (13-6)
133: #19 R-Fr. Tariq Wilson (19-5)
141: #2 Sr. Kevin Jack (15-1)
149: #13 R-Sr. Beau Donahue (17-2)
157: #3 R-Fr. Hayden Hidlay (17-0)
165: #27 R-Sr. Brian Hamann (15-5)
174: #19 R-Fr. Daniel Bullard (13-5)
184: #3 R-Sr. Pete Renda (18-0)
197: #6 R-Sr. Michael Macchiavello (14-1)
285: #22 Sr. Michael Boykin (16-4) -OR- R-Jr. Malik McDonald (15-4)

#24 North Carolina Tar Heels (8-9, 2-1 ACC)
125: R-So. James Szymanski (18-10)
133: #20 Fr. Zach Sherman (13-14)
141: #20 R-So. A.C. Headlee (13-9)
149: #7 R-Sr. Troy Heilmann (24-4)
157: #17 R-Fr. Kennedy Monday (15-11)
165: R-Fr. Josh McClure (7-6) -OR- Fr. Clay Lautt (2-14)
174: #16 R-Sr. Ethan Ramos (12-5)
184: #18 R-Jr. Chip Ness (13-7)
197: #16 R-Sr. Danny Chaid (18-7)
285: #23 R-Jr. Cory Daniel (21-6)

* - Team Ranking according to USA Today/NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll
* - Individual Rankings according to 2/6 D1 Coaches' Panel Rankings

Key Matchups
149: #13 Beau Donahue (17-2) vs. #7 Troy Heilmann (24-4)
A battle of redshirt seniors, this bout will likely determine the top seed for the ACC Championships. Donahue is 17-2 this season, having won 11 of his last 12 matches, and is a perfect 9-0 in duals and 3-0 in ACC action. Heilmann is 24-4 and 14-3 in duals, he has seven ranked wins this season including four top-10. The two have split a pair of matchups over the last two seasons.

197: #6 Michael Macchiavello (14-1) vs. #16 Danny Chaid (18-7)
Macchiavello sits at 14-1 on the season and 3-1 in duals versus ranked foes. Chaid is 18-7 and 14-3 in duals, and his top win was 2-1 over #2 Miklus in a dual. Last season, Macchiavello weighed in at 184 pounds and bumped up to 197 to face Chaid, but Chaid got the winning takedown in OT for the 3-1 win.

Strong Start to ACC Duals
One honor that has eluded the Wolfpack under head coach Pat Popolizio is a perfect record in ACC dual action. Each of the past two seasons, the Wolfpack has gone 4-1.

NC State is off to a 3-0 start in 2018 after a 32-6 road win at Duke, a 32-7 home win against Virginia, and 23-9 win at Pitt last weekend. In those duals, the Pack won 23 of the 30 individual bouts, and had 10 bonus point wins combined.

Over the last three seasons, NC State has outscored its ACC foes 339-133, winning 89 of the 130 matches and going 11-2.

Among the Undefeated
A pair of NC State wrestlers enter February with perfect records, as R-Fr. Hayden Hidlay is 17-0 at 157 pounds and R-Sr. Pete Renda is 18-0 at 184.

In NCAA D1, there are 19 wrestlers still undefeated. NC State is one of four schools nationally with at least two in that group. Hidlay is one of only two freshmen nationally (both redshirt and true) in all weight classes still without a loss (Alex Marinelli - Iowa - 165).

Series Against North Carolina
NC State and North Carolina will be facing each other in a dual for the 99th time since the start of ACC competition (1955). The Tar Heels currently lead the overall series, 51-45-2, with NC State winning the last four matchups. NC State has not won five in a row since winning seven straight from 1981-84.

Last Year vs. North Carolina
Winning three of the final four matches NC State scored a 19-11 win at North Carolina. With the Wolfpack holding a slight 9-8 lead after the first six matches, NC State scored back-to-back wins at 285 and 125 pounds, and concluded the night with a dominating 10-4 decision at 141 pounds in a top-three showdown.

How this year's probable NC State starters fared:
125: Sean Fausz (NCSU) major dec. James Szymanski; 12-3
141: #2 Kevin Jack (NCSU) dec. #3 Joey Ward; 10-4
165: #24 Brian Hamann (NCSU) dec. Devin Kane; 8-2
197: #32 Daniel Chaid (UNC) dec. #10 Michael Macchiavello; 3-1 (SV1)

#RivalryWeek: #6 @PackWrestle Hosts #24 UNC Friday Night in Reynolds

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Michael Boykin

Daniel Bullard

Tommy Cox

Beau Donahue

Sean Fausz

Brian Hamann

Hayden Hidlay

Kevin Jack

Michael Macchiavello

Malik McDonald

Pete Renda

Tariq Wilson

#RivalryWeek: #6 @PackWrestle Hosts #24 UNC Friday Night in Reynolds

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Michael Boykin

Daniel Bullard

Tommy Cox

Beau Donahue

Sean Fausz

Brian Hamann

Hayden Hidlay

Kevin Jack

Michael Macchiavello

Malik McDonald

Pete Renda

Tariq Wilson

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