Wrestlers Dominate, Roll Over Camels

The Camels found Chapel Hill bone dry until the eighth of 10 matches, when Lantz Nixon nipped UNC 174-pounder Mark Canty 7-5 for Campbell's first win, making the team score 34-3.

But with a decision and pin in the next two matches, Tar Heels Nick Richmond and Austin Wall made the win Campbell's last, and the Tar Heels dismissed the Camels from Carmichael Auditorium with a 43-3 victory.

"I knew if we wrestled really tough we could beat them at every weight," said UNC coach Bill Lam of the dual with Campbell. "I thought we wrestled aggressively all the way up and down the lineup."

Heavyweight Matt Kenny started things off right for UNC (7-2), dropping Benjamin McCollister straight to his back with a single leg and pinning him in one minutes, eight seconds.

In the next match, 125-pounder Chris Rodrigues was bouncing at center mat, ready to welcome Jordan Henning, backup to the injured Andy Bricker, to Campbell's varsity lineup. Rodrigues pinned Henning with double grapevines at 2:28, giving the Tar Heels a 12-0 lead.

At 133 pounds, Joey Bricker gave UNC's Evan Sola a bit of early resistance. Sola got in twice on a quick low single, but twice Bricker managed to force a stalemate. The third time proved the charm at 1:30, however, as Sola finished the takedown and got a two point near fall to boot. A bar arm worked for three more backs, and Sola took a 7-0 lead into the second period.

"In the first period he kept tying me up with a little bit of funk," Sola said. "But I just kept at him and eventually got the takedown and started racking up the points."

Sola cruised on to a 16-0 technical fall.

UNC senior Brad Byers did his part, adding a 5-4 decision over the third Bricker brother, Adam. Twice Byers hit a takedown, kicking Bricker's lead leg up to within reach of his arms and then taking him down with the single, pushing UNC's lead to 20-0.

After a back-and-forth first period, Tar Heel 149-pounder Mike Booth dominated Carl Wrinkle, 16-3. Using legs and a half nelson, Booth got three near falls in the second period and won 16-3.

At 157 pounds, James O'Connor also won by major decision, 11-0, and 165-pounder Jake Reynolds got a pin to make it UNC 34, Campbell 0.

Campbell's Nixon spoiled the shutout, defeating Canty 7-5. Canty, still suffering from a sore elbow, trailed 6-3 at the start of the third period. After a point from an illegal Nixon slam and an escape with seven seconds to go, Canty needed to take Nixon down to tie, but Nixon held him off and with riding time won 7-5.

The 184-pound Richmond topped Jonathan Carlisle 6-2, and Wall came on to finish off the Camels (2-5) at 197 pounds. Wall fell behind early, but a five-point move late in the first put him up 5-2.

"We know we're in better condition than most people and we believe that we can beat anybody," said Wall of the come-from-behind win. "We outwork most of our opponents so there's no reason why we should lose."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.