In its first dual meet of the season, the No. 12 North Carolina wrestling team came out on top.
All-American Ethan Ramos' technical fall in the 165-pound bout helped the Tar Heels slip by perennial power Minnesota 20-17 in the tournament opener on Sunday, as UNC finished 2-1 in the ASICS Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y.
Evan Henderson, ranked No. 5 in the country at 141 pounds, joined 125-pound redshirt first-year Tyrone Klump to upend the No. 21 Golden Gophers. Redshirt senior Alex Utley — a champion at the Hokie Open a week ago — closed out Minnesota with a 6-3 victory at 184 pounds.
North Carolina's only loss came in an 19-13 upset defeat to No. 17 Rutgers. The Tar Heels rallied late — with three consecutive victories by John Michael Staudenmayer, Utley and Chip Ness — but fell just short in the comeback bid.
UNC ended on a winning note with a 19-12 decision over Binghamton, with a 6-5 win by redshirt junior Joey Ward giving the Tar Heels a lead they would not relinquish.
Quotable
"This is a process. This is a long process for us. We can’t win a national championship in November or December. We can do that in March, that’s what we’re preparing for.” — Coach Coleman Scott on his team's progression.
Notable
Redshirt senior Christian Barber was the only undefeated Tar Heel, as he finished 3-0 on the day.
