Hidlay puts wrestling world on notice
Budapest might want to check the wrestling mats for scorch marks after Trent Hidlay rolled through town. You could say the city has seen conquerors before–Attila, the Turks, the Soviets. But last weekend, it was a young man from Mifflin County with a will like a locomotive, plowing through the best the sport could throw at him. By the end, all Budapest could do was hand him gold, throw up their hands, and hope he left the place standing.
If you’ve been paying attention–if you have even a distant cousin who ever laced up wrestling shoes in the Juniata Valley–you knew this day was coming. The rest of the world found out the hard way at the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial Ranking Series, where Hidlay painted the 92-kilo bracket red, white, and blue.
The folks in Hungary thought they were getting a friendly international exchange. What they got was a lesson in what happens when you mix Pennsylvania grit, an NCAA All-American’s engine, and a year when every time Hidlay gets on a mat, the mat starts to sweat.
They say sports are about moments. Hidlay made a weekend in July feel like D-Day with a scoreboard. He didn’t sneak up on anybody, either.
In the qualification round, he drew Abubakr Abakarov, an Azerbaijani whose name sounds like a Bond villain and wrestles like one. Hidlay beat him 7-2. … more at … https://www.lewistownsentinel.com/sports/local-sports/2025/07/hidlay-puts-wrestling-world-on-notice/
Forrest wins Final X best-of-three series, secures Senior World Team berth in men’s freestyle
FARGO, N.D.— Jax Forrest claimed his first Senior World Team berth on Monday, defeating 2023 Senior World Champion and 2024 Senior World bronze medalist Vito Arujau in two-straight matches. The delayed Final X Wrestle-off was held alongside the 2025 U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.
In the first round, Arujau opened the scoring with a slick shot to the left leg, securing the takedown. Forrest quickly scrambled back to his feet, and in a tight exchange, managed to earn two points on a takedown of his own, making the score 2-2 and taking the lead on criteria.
Early in the second period, Arujau pushed ahead with a point from a step out, making it 3-2. With five seconds remaining, Forrest secured the deciding takedown, earning a 4-3 win and a 1-0 series lead.
In match two, Forrest quickly jumped to a 4-0 lead … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/july/14/forrest-wins-final-x-best-of-three-series-secures-senior-world-team-berth-in-men-s-freestyle

