North Carolina State University Athletics
Former Teammates Fighting for a Spot on the World Team
6/8/2026 2:19:00 PM | Wrestling
RALEIGH – Two former members of the NC State wrestling program have earned a qualification to Final X, the freestyle event that determines who earns a spot on USA's Senior World Team. Reigning World Champion Trent Hidlay ('24) will take on Michael Macchiavello ('18) in a best-of-three series on Saturday, June 13, at Freedom High School in Chantilly, Virginia.
Greatness at the highest level in the sport of wrestling continues to run through Raleigh with the NC State wrestling program and Wolfpack Regional Training Center. Trent Hidlay and Michael Macchiavello are both graduates of the Wolfpack with storied collegiate careers. A five-time All-American, two-time NCAA Finalist, and four-time ACC Champion, Hidlay is one of the most notable wrestlers for NC State to compete in the most recent era of the program. A leader for the Pack when Hidlay got to campus, Macchiavello won a national title and helped lead the team to its highest ever finish at NCAAs (4th) in 2018.
Representing Wolfpack RTC, Hidlay stunned the world by winning the Senior World Championship in 2025 in his first time competing for the Senior World Team. Facing a 10-2 deficit in the finals match in Croatia, he stormed back 13-10 to claim his gold medal and be titled as the most elite wrestler in the world at 92 kgs. The world championship win in 2025, granted him an automatic bid to compete in the 2026 Final X.
Macchiavello, previously competed for the Wolfpack RTC from 2019-2023 before making the move north to train with Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC. The North Carolina native holds 10 international medals and has been a member of the USA National Team five times. Competing at both 97 kgs and 92 kgs, he boasts three US Open gold medals (2022, 2023, 2026), the 2023 Pan American gold medal, two Grand Prix event gold medals (2024 and 2025), as well as two bronze medals in 2026. Macchiavello made his way to this year's Final X by winning the US Open back in April. He was also recently named Army West Point's new associate head wrestling coach.
Hidlay and Macchiavello previously competed this year at the 2026 Zagreb Open Ranking Series where Hidlay got the edge with a 3-3 decision on criteria.
The annual Final X event is scheduled for Saturday, June 20, at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., but Hidlay will be busy getting married to his high school sweetheart that day, and Macchiavello will be in attendance, so the two competitors agreed to move their match up a week sooner to June 13 at Freedom High School in Chantilly, Virginia.
The winner of the best-of-three series will represent Team USA at the 2026 Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan in a few months.
Fans will be available to stream the matches on FloWrestling.org and find live results on USA Bracketing.com
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