By BRIAN CARSON

Sentinel reporter

bcarson@lewistownsentinel.com

LEWISTOWN – Trent Hidlay steps onto the mat Saturday at Final X in Newark, New Jersey, with more than a World Team berth on the line. The stakes run deeper than the numbers on a bracket or the glare of the arena lights.

For Hidlay, each bout traces a path back to Lewistown, to the Mifflin County wrestling room, where discipline and ambition became habits that shaped his career. Now, with a shot at the U.S. World Team at 92 kilograms, he faces Penn State’s Josh Barr–another rising talent–on the country’s biggest freestyle stage.

“Making the world team is something I have dreamed about doing for as long as I can remember,” Hidlay said, reflecting on the opportunity to represent not only his country but his hometown. “This is an opportunity I have worked extremely hard for, and I know I have what it takes to get the job done. It will be a great accomplishment to represent Mifflin County on the U.S. world team!”

The road to Final X has always required more than talent. For Hidlay, the last month meant recalibrating after the Pan Am Championships. Training didn’t just continue; it intensified, with each session mapped out and each rep logged in pursuit of small edges that, at this level, become decisive.

“Overall, I’m feeling great,” Hidlay said. “My training this past month after the Pan Am Championships has been very detailed and productive. I put together a very strong strength training program that has me in great shape for the Final X matches. Mentally, I’m focused on the process that helps me compete well and manage the emotions of such a large event.”

Freestyle wrestling at the Final X level offers no margin for error. Hidlay’s transition to full-time freestyle has given him not only new tools but a new outlook. The college season asks a wrestler to control every phase and stay ready for the grind. In freestyle, the smallest slip–a step too wide, a hand misplaced–can flip a match in seconds. Hidlay recognizes that, and he’s learned to shape each match’s tempo, sometimes by holding back, other times by pushing through.

“With being full-time freestyle, I think I’m getting a better understanding of how to use my offense to dictate the pace of the matches,” he said. “The margins for error in freestyle are very small. It has helped me emphasize discipline in my positioning and being patient with my attacks. I also have been able to spend some time adding new attacks to my game, which is allowing me to wrestle through all positions and threaten multiple attacks.”

Final X rarely gives a soft draw, and Barr is no exception. The Penn State wrestler brings a style that demands constant vigilance. Barr’s length creates space and pressure, and he’s quick to shoot if a gap opens. For Hidlay, this matchup hinges on more than offense–it’s about keeping Barr off-balance, controlling the center, and maintaining position in every scramble.

“Barr can be a tricky guy to wrestle,” Hidlay said. “He keeps distance with his long arms and will always look to dive in on your legs. That means it’s going to be important to own the center of the mat and stay low to maintain good head and body position in my stance.”

The environment at Final X will test both athletes. The stage magnifies everything: crowd noise, expectations, the awareness that each period might swing the spot on the World Team. For Hidlay, these moments feel familiar. He’s wrestled under pressure–national finals, world qualifiers, duals with everything on the line. He knows how to push the noise aside, focus on the match in front of him, and find gratitude in the moment.

“Final X is a huge stage, and it’s the highest level that you can wrestle at in the US,” he said. “That being said, I’ve experienced high-pressure environments and large-stakes matches in my career. It’s important for me to take a step back and just be grateful for the opportunity to compete and do what I love. When I am in that mindset, I have my best performances and I have fun. The work I have put in has earned me my spot in Final X. Now it’s time to execute and get the job done.”

The story of this Final X isn’t only about technique and tactics, or even about two athletes wrestling for a place on the team. It’s about the process–the months and years spent chasing a goal, the willingness to adapt, the nights when practice goes long and there’s no crowd to cheer. For Hidlay, the details matter: every repetition, every drill, every mental check-in. The habits built in the shadows shape the performances under the lights.

Freestyle wrestling rewards those who invest in that process. Matches at this level are decided on the margins, and Hidlay’s path–marked by relentless training, technical refinement, and mental focus–has positioned him to take the next step.

Fans who have followed Hidlay from his Mifflin County days through his collegiate and now international career know his style: heavy hands, a relentless pace, offense from his underhooks, and constant pressure. But as he’s grown as a freestyle wrestler, the approach has evolved. Attacks come from new angles. The defense has tightened. There’s patience now where before there was sometimes rush, composure where there once was only energy.

None of this guarantees a win Saturday night. Wrestling at this level never does. Barr brings his own skillset, his own hunger, and the unpredictability that always accompanies a young talent eager to make his mark. But the experience Hidlay carries, both as a competitor and a student of the sport, gives him a roadmap for what comes next.

The sense of purpose that Hidlay carries into Final X comes from the hours behind closed doors, as much as the time spent on the main stage. It’s visible in how he talks about wrestling, about representing more than himself.

The echoes of Mifflin County remain present in his journey–a reminder that every time he steps onto a national or world stage, he brings with him the community that helped build him. For the local wrestling fans watching Saturday, it’s more than a match. It’s a moment that links a local wrestling room to the world stage, a reminder of what can happen when preparation meets opportunity.

As Final X approaches, Hidlay’s focus remains clear. Execute, compete, and be grateful for the chance. In a sport where nothing is promised and every second matters, that mindset is as close as you get to an edge.

Final X Wrestling 2025 Schedule

Saturday, June 14

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. ET | True 3rd Place Matches

2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET | Session 1 – Final X: Round 1 of Best-of-3 Series

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET | Session 2 – Final X: Round 2 of Best-of-3 Series (Round 3 if necessary)

Men’s Freestyle Matchups At Final X 2025

57kg: Spencer Lee vs. Luke Lilledahl

61kg: Vito Arujau vs. Jax Forrest

65kg Joey McKenna vs. Real Woods

70kg Yianni Diakomihalis vs. PJ Duke

74kg: Mitchell Mesenbrink vs. David Carr

79kg: Evan Wick vs. Levi Haines

86kg: Zahid Valencia vs. Kyle Dake

92kg: Trent Hidlay vs. Josh Barr

97kg: Kyle Snyder vs. Hayden Zillmer

125kg: Wyatt Hendrickson vs. Trent Hillger