Throughout his life, Mark Hall hasn’t had many opponents that have caused him too much trouble. He makes things looks easy on the wrestling mat just about every time he’s out there. But, his childhood friend and reigning NCAA Champion Zahid Valencia has always been his Achilles heel.
That all changed on Friday.
Prior to Friday night's dual between Penn State and Arizona State, the two had only ever met in the postseason with mixed results for both.
Hall beat Valencia by 4-3 decision in the 174-pound NCAA semifinal in 2017 during which there were several uses of replay and several late challenges in what was one of the tournament's most hotly contested matches.