Takedown Report

Hayden Hidlay Transitions from NC State All-Time Great to Life in Coaching

Hayden Hidlay battled to the very last whistle of his decorated career at NC State, where he was the school’s first-ever five-time All-American, and was interviewed on national television the moment that lengthy career ended at the 2022 NCAA Championships. What followed was honest, raw and emotional, and the message managed to transcend the bubble of college wrestling and meander into the mainstream with nearly 300,000 views to date.

That two-minute interview captured the hardships and the blood and sweat that went into Hidlay’s impact on a Wolfpack program that grew right along with him. He shared his love for his brother, Trent, and modestly said he was never “the best” or “the worst” guy at his weight. While that may be true, Hidlay was damn close to being the best.

Hidlay finished his NC State career with a 110-11 record, one appearance in the NCAA finals, finishes of third, fourth and fifth, and four ACC individual titles. He went 19-3 and placed third at 174 pounds in his final season, which included a loss to Penn State national champ Carter Starocci in the championship semifinals and a pair of wins over fellow Pennsylvania native Michael Kemerer of Iowa.

Hidlay sought no pity with his self-deprecation following a 12-4 major decision over Kemerer in the third-place match, but rather inspired with the sentiment that he did all he could and was proud of that fact, even if he came up short of where he ultimately wanted to go.

The magic of that interview was that Hidlay was processing his entire career, both the pride and the disappointment, in real-time and he took thousands of others along for the ride. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/

September 15, 2022 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Austin O’Connor is Ready to Get Back to the Top of the NCAA Podium

by Dustin Howard; Photos courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com

Not much has gone to plan for North Carolina’s Austin O’Connor over the past five months, but maybe it’s all part of something bigger. O’Connor tore the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and lateral collateral ligament in his right knee in February and wrestled through it to hit the podium at the NCAA Championships. He had surgery after the season and most recently underwent another procedure to remove scar tissue in the injured area.

The injury zapped O’Connor of his explosiveness and limited his offense last postseason, when he slipped to eighth place at 157 pounds after winning his first NCAA title at 149 the season before. That showing then planted seeds of doubt across the college wrestling world about O’Connor’s ability to get back to the top of the podium.

The recent complications have since made the start of next season murkier as O’Connor races to get healthy, though he admits being ready for the Tar Heels’ first action of the season might not be possible. … rest of the story at https://rokfin.com/article/9852/Austin-OConnor-is-Ready-to-Get-Back-to-the-Top-of-the-NCAA-Podium?affiliate_id=1826&mc_cid=ba6970a31f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

September 15, 2022 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment