2018 NCAA Championships: Day 1 Preview for @PackWrestle

Thursday, March 15

Cleveland, Ohio

12 PM / 7 PM

NC State

NCAA Championships

2018 NCAA Championships: Day 1 Preview for @PackWrestle

3/14/2018 10:07:00 AM | Wrestling

@PackWrestle

NC State Notes | 2018 NCAA Brackets | @PackWresle Notebook
LISTEN: #PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast - Ep. 16: NCAA Preview

	2018 NCAA Championships
Date	Day 1 - Thursday, March 15
Time	Session 1: 12 p.m. Session 2: 7 p.m.
Location	Cleveland, Ohio
Venue	Quicken Loans Arena
TV	ESPNU: 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ESPN: 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Streaming	WatchESPN (8 different mat streams)
Live Scoring	TrackWrestling
Social Media	@PackWrestle

NC State Thursday Matchups – Session 1 and 2

125 (Match #15)
#5 seed R-Jr. Sean Fausz (14-2) vs. Fr. Michael McGee (Old Dominion – 28-8)
Winner/Loser faces: #12 seed Louie Hayes (Virginia – 29-6) or Paul Bianchi (North Dakota State – 24-13)

About Fausz
Three-time NCAA Qualifier (3-4 all-time at NCAAs), one win away from All-American honors last year entering as the #12 seed … Only 1 of the 330 NCAA participants from Kentucky, and first Kentucky native with top-5 seed since 2010 (Ruschell - Wisconsin) … 2018 ACC Champion after being a finalist each of his first two seasons … Downed NCAA #12 seed Hayes in the finals 4-0, they could meet in 2nd Round … Ranked #5 in every poll, and also #5 in the final two NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings … Holds two wins over wrestlers that received a top-8 seed … Made his dual debut with a 9-5 win over returning All-American NCAA #6 seed Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State … Also holds an 8-3 win over Taylor LaMont of Utah Valley - seeded #7 … Back in the dual lineup for final three duals, scored a major decision over UNC and tech fall over Virginia Tech before falling to #4 Tomasello of Ohio State … Did not compete in duals in the Fall semester … Wrestled in two tournaments, won the Wolfpack Open and second at the Reno Tournament of Champions … Earned as the 12th seed at the 2017 NCAA Championships last year, was one win away from All-American as he went 2-2, defeated the No. 5 seed … Majoring in electrical engineering and was named 2017 NWCA Division I All-Academic All-American.

About McGee
Earned an automatic bid after winning the MAC Championship … Ranked #22 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Scored a tech fall win in the dual vs. NC State in Reynolds … Led ODU with 28 wins and 54 team points in duals … Has won eight straight matches and 12 of his last 13 … Was the #13 recruit in his weight class coming out of high school.

133 (Match #31)
R-Fr. Tariq Wilson (22-9) vs. #5 seed R-Jr. John Erneste (Missouri – 24-2)
Winner/Loser faces: #12 seed Josh Terao (American – 29-8) or Rico Montoya (Northern Colorado – 23-12)

About Wilson
A Steubenville native, returning to his home state for his first NCAAs - earned an automatic bid … A consensus top-100 recruit, he was a four-time Ohio State D2 place winner … Earned the starting spot at 133 pounds in early December … Ranked by a majority of the national polls, including #17 by FloWrestling … Also ranked #19 in the last three Coaches' Panel Rankings this season … Named ACC Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 30 after defeating returning All-American and NCAA #10 seed Jack Mueller of Virginia 9-4 … Scored all three of the bouts takedowns, and added a two-point near fall in the third … Tied for team lead with 22 wins thus far … Also 11-1 in bonus point matches and has four ranked wins … Record a first period pin at Duke in his first career ACC dual and was 3-2 in ACC duals, falling to NCAA #11 seed Forys of Pitt (7-5) and NCAA #9 seed Gustafson of VT (9-7) … Two of his nine losses this season have been to teammate R-Jr. Jamel Morris in tournaments … Other seven losses are all to wrestlers that received an NCAA seed (3-11) … Placed second at both the Reno Tournament of Champions and the Wolfpack Open … Redshirted last season. Saw action in six open tournaments at 133 pounds, went 21-7 overall and placed in the top-three in five of the six tournaments … A consensus top-100 recruit, he was ranked #11 at 126 pounds coming out of high school.

About Erneste
Earned an automatic bid after winning the MAC Championship … Two-time NCAA Qualifier … One win away from All-American honors last year … Ranked #5 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … 22-2 this season with seven pins.

141 (Match #47)
#5 seed Sr. Kevin Jack (18-3) vs. R-So. Russell Rohlfing (Cal State Bakersfield – 22-11)
Winner/Loser faces: #12 seed Tyler Smith (Bucknell – 27-4) or Brent Moore (Virginia Tech – 19-10)

About Jack
Two-time All-American at 141 pounds, he placed fifth as a true freshman in 2015 and third last year … Attempting to become only the fifth NC State wrestler all-time to earn All-American three times in a career … Also a four-time NCAA Qualifier, he holds a career NCAA record of 13-5 … Enters the NCAAs with a top-five seed for the third straight year (#3 in 2016 and #2 in 2017) … Ranked #5 in the final NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings, #6 by InterMat and #5 by FloWrestling … Finished his ACC dual career a perfect 16-0, outscoring his foes 156-33 and recording two pins … Did not allow a single takedown in last two years … 18-3 on the season, 6-3 vs. ranked foes, 13-1 in duals and 10-0 in bonus point matches … In Italy, defeated two-time defending national champion NCAA #6 seed Dean Heil of Oklahoma State 4-3 with a takedown with 15 seconds left … Second place at both the ACC Championship and Reno Tournament of Champions … Became only the fifth NC State wrestler to get 100 career wins with a 9-3 win over #8 Chad Red in dual at Nebraska … His 110 career wins entering the NCAAs are tied for second all-time (Nick Gwiazdowski) and only Sylvester Terkay (1990-93) will finish ahead of him in the record books (122) … An impressive 57-1 all-time in bonus matches at NC State - 8-0 falls, 24-0 techs, 25-1 majors.

About Rohlfing
Earned an at-large bid … Two-time NCAA Qualifier … Ranked #30 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Placed second at the Pac-12s … 22-10 on the season, all losses to ranked foes.

149 (Match #68)
#14 seed R-Sr. Beau Donahue (19-6) vs. R-So. Cole Martin (Wisconsin – 17-12)
Winner/Loser faces: #3 seed Grant Leeth (Missouri – 22-2) or winner of Eleazar Deluca (Rutgers – 12-12) vs. Steve Bleise (Minnesota – 18-7)

About Donahue
In his final season, making his first trip to the NCAA Championships, and earned the #14 seed … Earned the starting spot at 149 pounds in early December … Raked for the first time in his career, ranked #13 in the final NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings and ranked #14 by FloWrestling and #20 by InterMat … Was ranked the final 12 weeks of the season, as high as #13 by InterMat … 19-6 on the season, including 10-2 in duals … Of his six losses this year, four are to wrestlers seed at the NCAA Championships, and one to teammate Jamal Morris … 4-1 in ACC duals this season, surpassing his career win total entering this year … Opened with a 14-4 major decision at Duke, 11-6 win over then-#23 Sam Krivus of Virginia, 5-4 over Lee at Pitt, and 6-4 in OT over NCAA #12 Blees of Virginia Tech … Placed second at both the Reno Tournament of Champions and the Wolfpack Open … In Italy, got a late takedown to force OT and the winning takedown 25 seconds in over Boo Lewallen of Oklahoma State, the #8 seed at NCAAs … In an out of the Pack's lineup at 149 pounds during his whole career - holds 67 career wins, 24 in duals … Earned his undergrad degree in Business Administration - Information Technology in December.

About Martin
Earned an automatic bid after placing ninth at the Big Ten Championships … Two-time NCAA Qualifier … Started the season at 141 pounds before moving up a weight class.

157 (Match #75)
#1 seed R-Fr. Hayden Hidlay (22-0) vs. Gr. Garett Hammond (Drexel – 19-5)
Winner/Loser faces: #16 seed Mike D'Angelo (Princeton – 22-8) or Taleb Rahmani (Pittsburgh – 17-12)

About Hidlay
Earned NC State's sixth all-time #1 seed, and the third in the last four years (Gwiazdowski - 2015, 2016) … Perfect 22-0 on the season … He is the only freshman nationally (both true and redshirt) in all weight classes to enter the NCAAs without a loss, also 1 of only 10 wrestlers overall still undefeated … Went from unranked at the start of the season to #1 in the final NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings … Has been in the top-3 the last 11 weeks of every major poll, and is #1 currently by InterMat … Holds four wins this season over 2017 All-Americans: Berger (6-3) - NCAA #8 seed, Lavallee (3-1) - #2 seed, Chishko (8-4), Micha Jordan (6-3) - #7 seed … 2018 ACC Champion, scored a 10-5 win over NCAA #12 seed Mitch Finesilver of Duke in his first career ACC dual … Also defeated Finesilver 3-2 in the ACC Finals … ACC-best Wrestler of the Week three times this year … Took top honors at the Reno Tournament of Champions, defeating 2017 NCAA finalist Lavallee of Missouri 3-1 … Also defeated returning All-American Berger of Nebraska in a dual that weekend … Was named national wrestler of the Week by FloWrestlig and TheOpenMat … A 2015-16 ASICS All-America second-team selection at 152 pounds in high school, top-10 recruit … Younger brother Trent has signed with the Pack to enroll next season and is currently ranked #2 at 170 pounds.

About Hammond
Earned an automatic bid after placing third at the EIWA Championships … Ranked #21 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Placed fifth at the Southern Scuffle … Went 9-1 I duals, perfect 7-0 in EIWA action … Transferred to Drexel after previously competing at Penn State.

174 (Match #116)
R-Fr. Daniel Bullard (16-9) vs. #14 seed Sr. Yoanse Mejias (Oklahoma – 28-9)
Winner/Loser faces: #3 seed Daniel Lewis (Missouri – 29-0) or Dean Sherry (Rider – 19-9)

Earlier this season: Mejias defeated Bullard in a dual between NC State and Oklahoma at the season-opening Journeymen Northeast Duals by a score of 8-6 … Mejias was ranked #13 at the time.

About Bullard
Ranked #20 in the final NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings, also currently ranked #19 by FloWrestling … Holds a 16-9 record, 9-7 in duals … Also 10-3 in bonus point matches … All nine losses have been to ranked foes … Placed third at the 2018 ACC Championship, going 3-1 with a pair of ranked wins over NCAA Qualifiers: 5-1 vs. Schany of UVA and 12-6 over Finesilver of Duke … First career ACC win was 8-2 over #25 Schany of Virginia … First career ACC bonus point win was 9-0 over O'Brien of Pitt … Went 2-3 in ACC duals. … Placed third at the Reno Tournament of Champions with a 4-1 mark … Recorded three pins and a major decision in the tournament … Redshirted last season … Wrestled in four opens at 165 pounds and one at 174, was 15-8 overall, 11-7 at 165 and 4-1 at 174 … A 2015-16 ASICS All-America honorable mention selection at 182 pounds in high school, was a top-50 recruit … Twin brother Thomas Bullard was a NCAA Qualifier last year at 157 pounds as a true freshman and is redshirting this season.

About Mejias
Earned an automatic bid after placing fourth at the Big 12 Championships … Two-time NCAA Qualifier, he transferred to Oklahoma for the last two years … Ranked #14 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … 2014 and 2015 NJCAA 157-pound national champion at Northern Iowa Area CC.

184 (Match #130)
#4 seed R-Sr. Pete Renda (21-2) vs. R-Fr. Keegan Moore (Oklahoma State – 18-8)
Winner/Loser faces: #13 seed Steven Schneider (Binghamton – 21-5) or Joe Heyob (Penn – 23-10)

Earlier this season: Renda defeated Moore in a dual between NC State and Oklahoma State in Italy by a score of 3-0 … Renda got an escape point then added a takedown with five seconds left.

About Renda
2016 All-American, he placed third at 184 pounds in his last trip to NCAAs … Vying to become NC State's 10th multiple time All-American … A four-time NCAA Qualifier, he is 7-5 all-time at NCAAs (at 174 in 2014 and 2015) … His 94 career wins rank seventh all-time at NC State … Earned the #4 seed this year, previously was #13 seed in 2016 … He placed third that season after he upset four top-10 seeds, including two in the top-five … Ranked #4 in the final NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings, and #5 in every major polls … Was #3 in all polls dating back to the preseason before a pair of losses the final weekend … Enters NCAAs 21-2 on the year, including 14-2 in duals … Two losses to wrestlers that received top-six seeds … Won his first ACC Championship with a pair of ranked wins including NCAA #6 seed Zavatsky in the finals (4-0) … Went 4-1 in ACC duals, outscored foes 51-9 with two tech falls … His 8-0 major over #18 Ness of UNC, earned him ACC Wrestler of the Week honors for the first time in his career … Took top honors at the Reno Tournament of Champions going 5-0 … Started with a tech fall, then had four straight first-period pins en route to title … Redshirted last year … Went 13-2 overall, including second at the Midlands , with a 9-2 win over Myles Martin … Earned a B.S. degree in Finance from NC State in the Spring of 2017 … Pursuing a Masters in Economics.

About Moore
Earned automatic bid after placing third at the Big 12 Championships … Ranked #23 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Has recorded six pins.

197 (Match #146)
#4 seed R-Sr. Michael Macchiavello (17-3) vs. So. Thomas Lane (Cal Poly – 15-9)
Winner/Loser faces: #13 seed Jeric Kasunic (American – 34-5) or Dustin Conti (Clarion – 25-7)

Earlier this season: Macchiavello scored a 16-4 major decision over Lane in the finals of the Reno Tournament of Champions in December.

About Macchiavello
Second straight trip to the NCAAs, he is the #4 seed … Last year at 184 pounds, entered as the #10 seed and went 3-2 and was one win away from earning All-American honors … Moved up a weight class to 197 pounds for his senior season … Ranked #4 in the final NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings, and #5 by FloWrestling and #6 by InterMat … Earned ACC Wrestler of the Week honors after defeating then-#1 and NCAA top-seed Moore of Ohio State (7-5) with a pair of takedowns in final 30 seconds in his final home dual at NC State … Holds a record of 17-3 and 11-2 in duals - his only losses were to NCAA #3 Haught (2-1 and 6-4 in OT in the ACC Finals) and NCAA #9 seed Weigel (5-4) in Italy … Earned top honors at the Reno Tournament of Champions going 5-0 … Had four bonus point wins, and 8-3 decision over #11 Corey Griego of Oregon State … Defeated NCAA first round opponent Tom Lane of Cal Poly 16-4 in the finals … Earned All-ACC honors each of the last two seasons with second place finishes … Started his career 0-10 against ranked foes, but has gone 11-9 over the last two seasons … Also a perfect 21-0 last two years in bonus point matches … Earned a B.S. degree in Finance from NC State in the Spring of 2017 … Pursuing a Master of Arts and Liberal Studies.

About Lane
Earned an automatic bid after placing fourth at the Pac 12 Championships … Ranked #26 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Finished second at the Reno Tournament of Champions … Scored a 13-3 major over then-#5 Beazley of Michigan in the opening weekend of the season.

285 (Match #164)
#14 seed Sr. Michael Boykin (20-6) vs. R-Sr. Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan – 19-7)
Winner/Loser faces: #3 seed Nick Nevills (Penn State – 26-5) or Stephen Suglio (Kent State – 20-8)

About Boykin
Second trip to the NCAAs … Was the #12 seed in 2016 at 197 pounds and went 1-2 … Split time as NC State's starter at heavyweight each of the last two seasons … Saw action in the final four duals this year, picking up a pair of ranked ACC wins … Ranked #21 in the final NCAA Coaches' Panel Rankings … Also ranked in every major poll this week, including #16 by InterMat and #10 by FloWrestling … In the final match with NC State up 16-15, clinched the 2018 ACC dual title with a 3-1 OT win over #18 Dunn of Virginia Tech … Holds five ranked wins this season, including a pair over wrestlers that are seed in the top-seven at the NCAAs … In his first dual since November, had a 5-3 win over #19 Ryan Solomon of Pitt, getting both of the takedowns in the match, the winner with 15 seconds left … Elected to wrestle in the Southern Scuffle rather then travel as the Pack's back-up to Italy … Ended up with a second place finish - took out NCAA #3 seed Nevills of Penn State in the quarters then NCAA #7 Butler of Stanford in the semifinals … Fell in OT to NCAA #4 seed Kasper of Duke … Finished third at the ACC Championship, going 2-1 … Captured the title at the Wolfpack Open and placed third at the Reno Tournament of Champions … Pack's starter at 197 his first two seasons.

About Hutchison
Earned an automatic bid after a runner-up finish at the MAC Championships … Three-time NCAA Qualifier, only the third wrestler in school history to do so … Ranked #19 in the final Coaches' Panel Rankings … Holds 94 career wins.