#4 NC State Wolfpack (12-1, 5-0 ACC) vs. #7 Virginia Tech Hokies (9-3, 4-1 ACC)
Sunday, February 20 • 6 PM
Raleigh, N.C. • Reynolds Coliseum
#4 NC State concludes the dual portion of the season, as the Wolfpack will host #7 Virginia Tech in a non-conference dual on Sunday, Feb. 19 inside Reynolds Coliseum. The dual will be televised on ACC Network at 6 p.m., with Shawn Kenney and Rock Harrison on the call.
#PackMentality Pop-Ins Podcast: Ep. 88 - Virginia Tech Preview
Note: This episode was previously recorded for the originally scheduled dual.
The Rivalry: NC State vs. Virginia Tech
Each of the last eight years, only NC State (2018-20, 22) and Virginia Tech (2015-17, 21) have been crowned ACC regular season champions by posting the best conference dual record. When the two teams meet it is often the best dual of the year in the ACC, and in each of the past seven years the winner of the dual went on to claim the ACC Dual title.
Each of the last four seasons, the dual was not decided until the final match, with two of the contests coming down to criteria. The Pack has won three of the last four meetings.
- 2018 - NCSU 19-15 - Up one going into the final bout at heavyweight, the Pack's Michael Boykin scored the bout's lone takedown 20 seconds into OT.
- 2019 - NCSU 17-16 - Virginia Tech won the first three and the final two bouts, but it was five straight Pack wins in the middle that gave the Pack the criteria win.
- 2020 - NCSU 21-18 - The dual featured three pins, but it was the Pack's Jarrett Trombley at 133 pounds who scored the decisive first-period fall in the second-to-last match in front of a PACKed Reynolds Coliseum.
- 2021 - VT 17-16 - Trailing 16-13 going into the last match at 125 pounds, VT's Latona got a takedown and near fall in the final five seconds to push the team score to criteria, which VT won on.
Protecting Our Den
NC State enjoys one of the biggest home mat advantages when it competes in Reynolds Coliseum. Since Reynolds was reopened for the 2016-17 season after a $35 million renovation, NC State is 32-3 in home duals inside ‘The Old Barn’, including a mark of 13-1 in ACC duals over the last six season. NC State has won its last 12 duals inside Reynolds, with the last home loss coming three seasons ago - on Feb. 9, 2019 vs. #16 Pitt (16-18).
All 10 Starters Ranked, Four in Top-10
In this week’s rankings from InterMat, NC State has all 10 of its starters ranked among the top-33, including seven in the top-15. The Pack is the only ACC team to have all 10 ranked this week.
Pack Ranked in Top-10 ... Again
It has been a familair theme since the 2015-16 season, NC State is ranked in the top-10 of the NWCA Coaches Poll.
In fact, the Pack has been ranked in the top-10 in the poll for 97 straight times dating back over the last seven seasons, after not being ranked in the top-10 at all since 1993.
NC State started the season ranked #5 in the preseason, and stayed there for the first three polls. After two weeks moving down a spot to #6, the Pack was back to #5 for the next seven polls. The Pack then claimed its highest ranking of the season, #4, and has been there each of the last three polls.
Pack vs. Ranked Foes
NC State is 32-10 against ranked foes over the last seven years, posting a winning record each season.
At the Collegiate Wrestling Duals, the Pack split a pair of top-10 battles - downing #10 Missouri 19-12 before falling to #1 Iowa 19-15. The Pack won eight of the 10 matches at #19 Princeton for a 32-9 win. Friday night, NC State won seven matches and defeated #22 UNC, 25-12.
SUNday's Probable Starters
125: #14 R-So. Jakob Camacho (14-2) vs. #20 R-So. Sam Latona (10-6)
133: #14 R-Fr. Kai Orine (12-3) vs. #5 Gr. Korbin Myers (15-1)
141: #24 Fr. Ryan Jack (13-6) vs. #22 R-Jr. Collin Gerardi (10-6)
149: #3 Gr. Tariq Wilson (12-0) vs. #5 Jr. Bryce Andonian (7-1)
157: #11 Fr. Ed Scott (18-1) vs. #28 R-So. Connor Brady (11-6)
165: #21 Gr. Thomas Bullard (13-5) vs. So. Clayton Ulrey (15-12)
174: #4 Gr. Hayden Hidlay (11-1) vs. #3 R-Jr. Mekhi Lewis (17-0)
184: #3 R-So. Trent Hidlay (14-0) vs. #14 R-Sr. Hunter Bolen (19-3)
197: #15 Fr. Isaac Trumble (15-3) vs. #30 R-Jr. Dakota Howard (13-7) -OR- So. Andy Smith (7-4)
285: #26 Jr. Tyrie Houghton (18-7) -OR- R-Fr. Owen Trephan (17-4) vs. #14 Gr. Nathan Traxler (16-2)
Featured Matchups
125: #14 Jakob Camacho vs. #20 Sam Latona
A rematch of last year's ACC Final at 125 pounds, Latona has won all three previous matchups - 10-5 in the 2020 Southern Scuffle, 7-4 in the dual last year and then 2-1 (TB1) in the 2021 ACC Final. Camacho is 14-2 on the season, with 10 bonus point wins. Latona finished sixth at the NCAAs last year, and is 10-6 this season. Both finished a perfect 4-0 in ACC action.
149: #3 Tariq Wilson vs. #5 Bryce Andonian
A first-ever meeting, as Wilson has moved up to 149 pounds for his final season. Wilson is the consensus #3 wrestler at 149 pounds, off to a 12-0 start. Andonian took time to compete at the 2021 Junior World Championships and is 6-1 on the season, but returned to the Hokie lineup with a pins over #25 Madrigal of George Mason and more recently #14 Finesilver of Duke in just 14 seconds.
174: #4 Hayden Hidaly vs. #3 Mekhi Lewis
The headline match, one school's first-ever four-time All-American (Hidlay) vs. the other school's first-ever NCAA Champion (Lewis). For the first time, they are in the same weight class, Hidlay moving up from 157 pounds and Lewis from 165 pounds. Hidlay is #4 in every poll, while Lewis is right ahead of him at #3 in all five polls. Hidlay is 11-1 and Lewis is a perfect 17-0.
184: #3 Trent Hidlay vs. #14 Hunter Bolen
The second ACC Final rematch from last year, the two will battle for the fifth time over the last three seasons. Bolen leads the head-to-head 3-1 (by a combined score of 8-6), but Hidlay won the last matchup for the ACC title with a takedown in extra time (3-1). The largest margin of victory in their series has been just two points, and the most points scored by an individual has only been three. Hidlay is 14-0 thus far, while Bolen is 19-3 on the season.
