Eight ACC Wrestlers Reach NCAA Wrestling Semifinals
Highest total of NCAA semifinalists in league history

Brackets: http://theacc.com/documents/2018/3/14//Brackets_2018D1WR.pdf

Greensboro, N.C. (theacc.com)—Eight of the 11 Atlantic Coast Conference quarterfinal participants earned victories Friday afternoon and advanced to the semifinals of the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championship at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The NCAA semifinal round will begin at 8 p.m. tonight.

The semifinals will air on ESPN, before the finals shift to ESPN2 on Saturday, with the telecasts beginning at 8 p.m. both nights.  

All eight wrestlers have earned All-America honors. NC State and Virginia Tech will each have three in the semis, with North Carolina and Duke having one apiece. The total of eight semifinalists is the highest for the ACC.

Heading into the semifinals, NC State is fifth among all teams, followed by Virginia Tech (seventh), North Carolina (13th), Duke (18th), Virginia (25th) and Pitt (28th).

The conference has 14 wrestlers still alive in competition, including six in the consolation rounds.

For the second consecutive day, NC State redshirt freshman Tariq Wilson (Steubenville, Ohio) scored a major upset Friday in leading the Wolfpack into the semifinal round of the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championship.

Wilson, unseeded and wrestling in the 133-pound weight class, upended the No. 4 seed Kaid Brock of Oklahoma State, claiming a 13-5 major decision.  In the opening round of the Championship on Thursday, Wilson defeated the No. 5 seed, John Erneste of Missouri.

Wilson, will next face the No. 1 seed in Seth Gross of San Diego State in the semifinal round. He earned his first All-America citation.

North Carolina’s Troy Heilmann (South Plainfield, New Jersey) reached the semifinal round and earned his first All-America honors by defeating fifth-seeded Ke-Shawn Hayes of Ohio State, 2-1, TB-1. Heilman, the fourth seed in the bracket, will now face No. 1 seed Zain Retherford of Penn State, the defending national champion.

NC State freshman Hayden Hidlay (Lewistown, Pennsylvania), the No. 1 seed at 157 pounds, reached the semifinals with a 3-2 decision over No. 8 seed Tyler Berger of Nebraska. Hidlay will now face the fifth seed in the bracket, Alec Pantaleo of Michigan, tonight in the semifinals. Hidlay, at 25-0, is the only freshman nationally still undefeated.

In the 165-pound bracket, Virginia Tech’s David McFadden earned his second All-America honor with a 3-1 decision over No. 10 seed Evan Wicke of Wisconsin. McFadden, who missed all of last year with an injury, was an All-America in 2016. His win pushed his record this year to 37-0. He will now face third seed Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State in tonight’s semifinals.

Tech’s Zack Zavatsky (Latrobe, Pennsylvania) also earned his first All-America honors, upsetting the No. 3 seed in the 184-pound bracket, Ryan Leisch of Lehigh, in overtime, 3-1, SV-1. Zavatsky will now face No. 2 seed Myles Martin of Ohio State in the semifinals. Martin defeated North Carolina’s Chip Ness (Duluth, Georgia), 10-6, in the quarterfinals. Ness, unseeded, had recorded back-to-back upsets to reach the third round.

NC State’s Pete Renda (Topton, Pennsylvania), one of three ACC wrestlers to reach the 184-pound quarterfinals, suffered a tough, 11-9, TB-2, overtime loss to No. 5 seed Dominic Abounader of Michigan. Renda will now face the winner of a match between No. 7 Taylor Venz of Nebraska and Mitchell Bowman of Iowa in the consolation round.

A pair of ACC wrestlers reached the semifinals of the 197-pound weight class in Tech’s Jared Haught (Parkersburg, West Virginia) and NC State’s Michael Macchiavello (Monroe, North Carolina).

The Wolfpack’s Macchiavello, seeded fourth, downed No. 5 seed Shakur Rasheed of Penn State, 5-4, in the 197-pound weight class. He will now face unseeded Kyle Conel of Kent State in the first 197-pound semifinal tonight. Conel upset the No. 1 seed, Ohio State’s Kollin Moore, in the quarterfinals, pinning Moore, just 1:30 into their match.

Tech’s Haught, the no. 3 seed, defeated sixth-seeded Willie Miklus of Missouri, 3-1, and will now face No. 2 seed Ben Darmstadt of Cornell tonight in the semifinals. With the win, Haught earned his third All-America citation, having previously done so in 2016 and 2017.

Duke’s Jacob Kasper (Lexington, Ohio), the No. 4 seed at 285, also reached the semifinals, posting a 7-2 decision over 12th-seed Youssif Hermida of Maryland.  Kasper, who finished sixth last year, earned his second straight All-America honor. He will now face the No. 1 seed in the bracket, Ohio State’s Kyle Snider, for the right to wrestle for the national championship.

FRIDAY, MARCH 16
Time--Event,  Location
10 a.m.--Gates Open, Quicken Loans Arena
11 a.m--Session 3, Quicken Loans Arena
7 p.m.--Gates open, Quicken Loans Arena
8 p.m.--Session 4, Quicken Loans Arena

SATURDAY, MARCH 17
Time-- Event, Location
10 a.m.--Gates open, Quicken Loans Arena
11 a.m.--Session 5,  Quicken Loans Arena
7 p.m.--Gates open, Quicken Loans Arena
7:35-7:50 p.m.--Parade of All-Americans, Quicken Loans Arena
8 p.m.--Session 6, Quicken Loans Arena

ACC in the NCAA Championship

125 Pounds
No. 5 Sean Fausz, NC State
No. 5 Sean Fausz, NC State dec. Michael McGee, Old Dominion, 8-5, TB-1
No. 12 Louis Hayes, Virginia dec. No. 5 Sean Fausz, NC State, 10-4, SV-1
Travis Piotrowski, Illinois dec. No. 5 Sean Fausz, NC State, 8-1 (wrestlebacks)

No. 12 Louie Hayes, Virginia
No. 12 Louis Hayes, Virginia major dec. Paul Bianchi, North Dakota State, 14-1
No. 12 Louis Hayes, Virginia dec. #5 Sean Fausz, NC State, 10-4, SV-1
No. 4 Nick Suriano, Rutgers major dec. No. 12 Louie Hayes, Virginia, 8-0

Kyle Norstrem, Virginia Tech
No. 13 Zeke Moisey, West Virginia dec. Kyle Norstrem, Virginia Tech, 10-7
Kyle Norstrem, Virginia Tech dec. Gerald Wert, Rider, 9-7 (wrestlebacks)
No. 14 Luke Welch, Purdue fal;l Kyle Norstrem, Virginia Tech, 1:06 (wrestlebacks)

133 Pounds
No. 9 Dennis Gustafson, Virginia Tech
No. 9 Dennis Gustafson, Virginia Tech dec. Charles Tucker, Cornell, 4-1
No. 8 Montorie Bridges, Wyoming dec. No. 9 Dennis Gustafson, Virginia Tech, 4-1
Sean Nickell, Cal State Bakersfield dec.  No. 9 Dennis Gustafson, Virginia Tech, 13-8
(wrestlebacks)

Tariq Wilson, NC State
Tariq Wilson, NC State dec. No. 5 John Erneste, Missouri, 8-3
Tariq Wilson, NC State dec. Rico Montoya, Northern Colorado, 7-1
Tariq Wilson, NC State major dec. No. 4 Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State, 13-5

No. 11 Dom Forys, Pitt
No. 11 Dom Forys, Pitt fall Corey Keener, Penn State, 4:57
No. 6 Scott Parker, Lehigh dec. No. 11 Dom Forys, Pitt, 7-5
No. 5 John Erneste, Missouri fall No. 11 Dom Forys, Pitt, 3:58 (wrestlebacks)

No 10 Jack Mueller, Virginia
No. 10 Jack Mueller, Virginia technical fall Sean Nickell, Cal State-Bakersfield, 17-1, 6:00
No. 7 Austin DeSanto, Drexel major dec. No. 10 Jack Mueller, 16-8
No. 10 Jack Mueller, Virginia dec. Charles Tucker, Cornell, 8-4 (wrestlebacks)
No. 10 Jack Mueller, Virginia dec. Matthew Schmitt, West Virginia, 5-2 (wrestlebacks)

Josh Finesilver, Duke
No. 15 Mitch McKee, Minnesota dec. Josh Finesilver, Duke, 11-6
Matthew Schmitt, West Virginia major dec. Josh Finesilver, Duke, 19-8 (wrestlebacks)

Zack Sherman, North Carolina
No. 2 Steven Micic, Michigan major dec. Zach Sherman, North Carolina, 16-5 
Zack Sherman dec. Ali Naser, Arizona State, 4-2, SV-1 (wrestlebacks)

141 Pounds
No. 5 Kevin Jack, NC State 
No. 5 Kevin Jack, NC State major dec. Russell Rolfing, Cal State Bakersfield, 10-0
No. 12 Tyler Smith, Bucknell dec. No. 5 Kevin Jack, NC State, 6-4, SV-1 (wrestlebacks)
No. 5 Kevin Jack, NC State major dec. Henry Pohlmeyer, San Diego State, 8-0 (wrestlebacks)
No. 5 Kevin Jack, NC State dec. Nick Zanetta, Pitt, 4-0 (wrestlebacks)

Brent Moore, Virginia Tech
No. 12 Tyler Smith, Bucknell dec. Brent Moore, Virginia Tech, 7-0
Brent Moore, Virginia Tech major dec. Russell Rohlfing, Cal State Bakersfield, 8-0 (wrestlebacks)

Nick Zanetta, Pitt
No. 3 Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell major dec. Nick Zanetta, Pitt, 10-1
Nick Zanetta, Pitt major dec. Kyle Shoop, Lehigh, 10-1 (wrestlebacks)
Nick Zanetta, Pitt Major dec. No. 13 Luke Karam, Lehigh, 10-1 (wrestlebacks)
No. 5 Kevin Jack, NC State dec. Nick Zanetta, Pitt, 4-0 (wrestlebacks)

Austin Headlee, North Carolina
No. 2 Jaydin Eierman, Missouri dec. Austin Headlee, North Carolina, 12-6
Nate Limmex, Purdue major dec. Austin Headlee, North Carolina, 14-2 (wrestlebacks)

149 Pounds
No. 12 Ryan Blees, Virginia Tech
No. 12 Ryan Blees, Virginia Tech dec. Michael Sprague, American, 4-3, TB-1
No. 5 Ke-Shawn Hayes, Ohio State dec. No. 12 Ryan Blees, Virginia Tech, 12-6
Sam Krivus, Virginia technical fall No. 12 Ryan Blees, Virginia Tech, 5:56, 15-0
(wrestlebacks)

No, 4 Troy Heilmann, North Carolina
No. 4 Troy Heilmann, North Carolina major dec. Tyshawn Williams, SIU-Edwardsville, 9-0
No. 4 Troy Heilmann, North Carolina dec. Jarrett Degen, Iowa State, 7-5
No. 4 Troy Heilmann, North Carolina dec. No. 5 Ke-Shawn Hayes, Ohio State, TB-1, 2-1

No. 14 Beau Donahue, NC State
No. 14 Beau Donahue, NC State dec. Cole Martin, Wisconsin, 4-2, SV-2
No. 3 Grant Leeth, Missouri dec. No. 14 Beau Donahue, NC State, 3-1, SV-1
No. 13 Colton McCrystal, Nebraska dec. No. 14 Bea Donahue, 10-4   (wrestlebacks)

Sam Krivus, Virginia
No. 6 Justin Oliver dec. Sam Krivus, Virginia, 3-1
Sam Krivus, Virginia dec. Taylor Ortiz, Clarion, 3-2 (wrestlebacks)
Sam Krivus, Virginia technical fall No. 12 Ryan Blees, Virginia Tech, 5:56, 15-0
(wrestlebacks)
Jarrett Degan, Iowa State major dec. Sam Krivus, Virginia, 8-0 (wrestlebacks)

157 Pounds
No. 1 Hayden Hidlay, NC State
No. 1 Hayden Hidlay, NC State major dec. Garett Hammond, Drexel, 13-5
No. 1 Hayden Hidlay, NC State dec. Taleb Rahmani, Pitt, 4-2
No. 1 Hayden Hidlay, NC State dec. No. 8 Tyler Berger, Nebraska, 3-2

No. 12 Mitch Finesilver, Duke
No. 12 Mitch Finesilver, Duke major dec. Casey Sparkman of Kent State, 12-3
No. 5 Alec Pantaleo, Michigan dec. No. 12 Mitch Finesilver, Duke, 3-2
No. 12 Mitch Finesilver, Duke major dec. No. 11 Clayton Ream, North Dakota St., 12-1 (wrestlebacks)
No. 4 Joshua Shields, Arizona State dec. No. 12 Mitch Finesilver, Duke, 3-2 (wrestlebacks)

Kennedy Monday, North Carolina
Kennedy Monday, North Carolina dec. No. 2 Jay Lavallee, Missouri, 8-6
No. 15 John Van Brill, Rutgers dec. Kennedy Monday, North Carolina, 10-7
Kennedy Monday, North Carolina major dec, Garett Hammond, Drexel, 9-1(wrestlebacks)
Kennedy Monday, North Carolina dec. No. 10 Marcus Scheidel, Colorado, 8-6 (wrestlebacks)

Taleb Rahmani, Pitt
Taleb Rahmani, Pitt fall No. 16 Mike D’Angelo, Princeton, 5:53, Duke, 3-2
No. 1 Hayden Hidlay, NC State dec. Taleb Rahmani, Pitt, 4-2
No. 2 Jay Lavalee, Missouri dec. Talb Rahmani, Pitt, 6-4 (wrestlebacks)

165 Pounds
No. 2 David McFadden, Virginia Tech
No. 2 David McFadden, Virginia Tech dec. Zach Finesilver, Duke, 4-0
No. 2 David McFadden, Virginia Tech major dec. No. 15 Anthony Valencia, Arizona State, 14-3

Andrew Atkinson, Virginia
#16 Jonathan Chavez, Cornell major dec. Andrew Atkinson, Virginia, 14-3
Andrew Atkinson, Virginia fall Zachary Cannon, Eastern Michigan, 6:53, (wrestlebacks)

174 Pounds
No. 10 Ethan Ramos, North Carolina
No. 10 Ethan Ramos, North Carolina dec. Hunter Bolen, Virginia Tech, 7-3
No. 7 Taylor Lujan, Northern Iowa dec. No. 10 Ethan Ramos, 16-12 
No. 10 Ethan Ramos, North Carolina dec. Ty Schoffstall, 12-6 (wrestlebacks)
No. 15 Dylan Lydy, Purdue dec. No. 10 Ethan Ramos, North Carolina, 5-3 (wrestlebacks)

Matt Finesilver, Duke
No. 1 Zahid Valencia, Arizona State major dec. Matt Finesilver, Duke, 14-4
Matt Finesilver. Duke dec. Seldon Wright, Old Dominion, 4-1(wrestlebacks) 
No. 15 Dylan Lydy, Purdue dec. Matt Finesilver, Duke, 5-3 (wrestlebacks)

Daniel Bullard, NC State
No. 14 Yoanse Mejias, Oklahoma dec. Daniel Bullard, NC State, 6-4, SV-1
Daniel Bullard, NC State technical fall Dean Sherry, Rider, 18-0, 3:34 (wrestlebacks)
No. 13 Jacobe Smith, Oklahoma State dec. Daniel Bullard, NC State, 6-4, SV-1 (wrestlebacks)

Will Schany, Virginia
No.  7 Taylor Lujan, Northern Iowa dec. Will Schany, Virginia, 5-3
Ben Harvey, Army dec. Will Schany, Virginia, 7-5 (wrestlebacks)

Hunter Bolen, Virginia Tech
No. 10 Ethan Ramos, North Carolina dec. Hunter Bolen, Virginia Tech, 7-3
Ben Harvey, Army dec. Hunter Bolen, Virginia Tech, 6-4 (wrestlebacks)

184 Pounds
No. 4 Pete Renda, NC State
No. 4 Pete Renda, NC State dec. Keegan Moore, Oklahoma State, 9-2
No. 4 Pete Renda major dec. No.13 Steve Schneider, Binghampton, 9-0
No. 5 Dominic Abounader, Michigan dec. No. 4 Pete Renda, NC state, TB-2, 11-9

No. 6 Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech
No. 6 Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech dec. Michael Coleman, Navy, 9-2
No. 6 Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech dec. No. 11 Ricky Robertson, Wisconsin, 9-6
No. 6 Zack Zavatsky, Virginia Tech dec. No. 3 Ryan Preisch, Lehigh, 3-1, SV-1

Chip Ness, North Carolina
Chip Ness, North Carolina dec. No. 10 Emory Parker, Illinois, 4-3
Chip Ness, North Carolina dec. No. 7 Taylor Venz, Nebraska, 11-6
No. 2 Myles Martin, Ohio State dec. Chip Ness, North Carolina, 10-6

197 Pounds
No. 3 Jared Haught, Virginia Tech
No. 3 Jared Haught, Virginia Tech major dec. Jacob Seeley, Northern Colorado, 11-2
No. 3 Jared Haught, Virginia Tech dec. No. 14 Cash Wicke, Iowa, 5-3
No. 3 Jared Haught, Virginia Tech dec. No. 6 Willie Miklus, Missouri, 3-1

No. 4 Michael Macchiavello, NC State
No. 4 Michael Macchiavello, NC State major dec. Thomas Lane, Cal Poly, 13-4
No. 4 Michael Macchiavello, NC State major dec. Jeric Kasunic, American, 16-5
No. 4 Michael Macchiavello, NC State dec. No. 5 Shakur Rasheed, Penn State, 5-4

Danny Chaid, North Carolina
Danny Chaid, North Carolina major dec. Stephen Loiseau, Drexel, 12-4
No. 5 Shakur Rasheed, Penn State major dec. Danny Chaid, North Carolina, 14-3
Jacob Holschlag, Northern Iowa dec. Danny Chaid, North Carolina, 10-5 (wrestlebacks)

285 Pounds
No. 4 Jacob Kasper, Duke 
No. 4 Jacob Kasper, Duke fall Al Nevills, Fresno State, 6:28
No. 4 Jacob Kasper, Duke dec. Shawn Streck, Purdue, 4-2, SV-1
No. 4 Jacob Kasper, Duke dec. No. 12 Youssif Hermida, Maryland, 7-2

No 14 Michael Boykin, NC State
No. 14 Michael Boykin, NC State fall Gage Hutchinson, Eastern Michigan, 0:53
No. 3 Nick Nevills, Penn State dec. No. 14 Michael Boykin, NC State, 5-4, TB-2
No. 13 William Miller, Edinboro Major dec. Michael Boykin, NC State, 11-1 (wrestlebacks)

Ryan Solomon, Pitt
No. 1 Kyle Snyder, Ohio State major dec. Ryan Solomon, Pitt, 15-5
Ryan Solomon, Pitt fall Matt Stencel, Central Michigan, 3:51 (wrestlebacks)
No. 15 Thomas Haines, Lehigh dec. Ryan Solomon, Pitt, 10-6 (wrestlebacks)

Tyler Love, Virginia
Youssif Hermida, Maryland major dec. Tyler Love, Virginia, 9-1
Antonio Pelusi, FM dec. Tyler Love, Virginia, 3-1, SV-1 (wrestlebacks)

Andrew Dunn, Virginia Tech
Amar Dhesi, Oregon State dec. Andrew Dunn, Virginia Tech, 6-1
Andrew Dunn, Virginia Tech Medical Forfeit Jake Gunning, Buffalo (wrestlebacks)

Cory Daniels, North Carolina
No. 10 Jordan Wood, Lehigh dec. Cory Daniels, North Carolina, 2-0 
Jeremy Sweany, Cornell major dec. Cory Daniels, North Carolina, 12-2 (wrestlebacks)