NC State’s Hayden Hidlay leads All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team

Graphic courtesy of theACC.com

GREENSBORO, N.C. – NC State junior Hayden Hidlay has been named the 2019-20 Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year and headlines the sport’s All-ACC Academic Team announced by the league Thursday.
Hidlay, a business administration major from Lewistown, Pennsylvania, is a three-time member of the All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team and was also voted the 2019-20 ACC Wrestler of the Year by the league’s head coaches. He posted a 3.846 grade point average for the most recent fall semester and earned Dean’s List honors. Hidlay is a three-time member of the ACC Honor Roll and was named an NC State Scholar-Athlete.
Hidlay, who earned a No. 2 NCAA seeding at 157 pounds, finished the year 28-1 overall, including a 12-0 record in dual matches. He claimed his third individual conference crown and has never lost to an ACC opponent in a dual or tournament match. He was 10-1 versus fellow ranked opponents in 2019-20. Hidlay became the 11th wrestler in NC State program history to earn three ACC titles and was a three-time ACC Wrestler of the Week in 2019-20.
Duke’s Ben Anderson, Pitt’s Micky Phillippi, Virginia’s Louie Hayes and NC State’s Daniel Bullard join Hidlay as repeat All-ACC Academic selections from last season. Hayes and Bullard are also three-time honorees. Pitt redshirt junior Jake Wetzel earned a spot on the academic team for the second time after first being recognized in 2018.
The ACC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards were established in September of 2007 to be awarded annually to the top junior or senior student-athlete in their respective sports. Candidates for the awards must have maintained a 3.0 grade point average for their careers, as well as a 3.0 for each of the last two semesters.
Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team. Five All-ACC Academic Team members – Hidlay, North Carolina’s Clay Lautt, Pitt’s Phillippi and Wentzel, and Virginia’s Jay Aiello – are conference champions in their respective weight classes.
The ACC Honor Roll, which recognizes all conference student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.0 for the current academic year, will be released in July.
2019-20 All-ACC Academic Wrestling Team
Ben Anderson, Duke, R-So.; Psychology
Vincent Baker, Duke, Fr.; Undeclared
Mason Eaglin, Duke, R-Fr..; English
Jonah Niesenbaum, Duke, Fr.; Undeclared
Clay Lautt, North Carolina, R-So.; Economics & Environmental Studies
Joseph Melendez, North Carolina, R-Fr.; Management and Society
Daniel Bullard, NC State, R-Jr.; Business Administration
Hayden Hidlay, NC State, R-Jr.; Business Administration
Trent Hidlay, NC State, R-Fr.; Business Administration
Tryie Houghton, NC State, So.; Mechanical Engineering
A.J. Leitten, NC State, R-So.; Sport Management
Jarrett Trombley, NC State; R-Fr.; Biological Sciences
Micky Phillippi, Pitt; R-So.; Communication: Rhetoric & Communications
Jake Wentzel, Pitt, R-Jr.; Accounting
Jay Aiello, Virginia, R-Jr..; Economics
Michael Battista, Virginia, Jr.; Biology
Louie Hayes, Virginia, R-Jr.; Media Studies
Justin McCoy, Virginia, R-Fr.; Undeclared
Stan Smeltzer, Virginia Tech, R-So.; Aerospace Engineering