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By BRIAN CARSON

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – 2024 U.S. World Team member Trent Hidlay powered through his side of the bracket at 92 kg in the U.S. Open, qualifying for Saturday night‘s finals with three impressive victories.

Hidlay, who received a first-round bye, opened with an 11-0 technical superiority over Braden Homsey. He scored quickly and often, opening with a takedown and gut wrench combination. After securing a stepout point, Hidlay added another takedown and gut wrench sequence, then closed with a final takedown to end the bout in 1:35.

In the quarterfinals, Hidlay continued his efficient wrestling with a 10-0 technical superiority against Kalob Runyon. The match featured a variety of scoring techniques from Hidlay, including a underhook takedown, an underhook to single leg finish, and a four-point lateral drop which ended the bout in 1:49.

The semifinal round brought a strong challenge from No. 4 seed Eric Schultz. Hidlay controlled position throughout the match, building a 3-0 lead in the first period on two stepouts and a passivity point. The second period saw increased scoring, with Hidlay adding another stepout before Schultz secured a takedown. Hidlay responded immediately with his own takedown, and the wrestlers traded stepout and passivity points to close out a 7-4 decision.

In Saturday night‘s finals, Hidlay will face Aeodon Sinclair, who upset No. 2 seed Mike Macchiavello to reach the championship bout. Through three matches, Hidlay has outscored his opponents 28-4 with a total mat time of 9:24.

The championship finals begin at 7:00 p.m. PT at the South Point Hotel & Casino Arena. A complete list of results can be found on FloArena.