The North Carolina wrestling team (6-6, 1-3 ACC) fell to Virginia (9-5, 1-2 ACC) on Senior Day on Saturday, 22-15 in Pittsboro. The meet was moved from Chapel Hill due to a water shortage in the area.
What happened?
North Carolina started strong, as first-year Devin Kane scored a decision against his Virginia counterpart in the 165-pound matchup.
Sixth-ranked junior Ethan Ramos continued the Tar Heels’ aggressive play and earned three takedowns in the 174-pound division on his way to a decision. Virginia fought back, scoring a decision in the 184-pound division that cut the lead in half.
Junior Danny Chaid got UNC back on track, cruising to a decision in the 197-pound division. Sophomore Next, Cory Daniel scored a tough decision for the Tar Heels in the heavyweight division to extend the lead to 12-3.
Virginia then went on a run, scoring a major decision in the 125-pound group to cut into the Tar Heel lead. First-year Nicholas Lirette was disqualified for the Tar Heels after hurting his right arm in the 133-pound matchup, giving Virginia six points to take a 13-12 lead.
Fifth-ranked senior Joey Ward fell to his seventh-ranked counterpart at 141 pounds, giving Virginia another six points and a commanding 19-12 lead. Junior Troy Heilmann earned a decision in the 149-pound group for the Tar Heels to cut the deficit to 19-15. Senior Joey Moon fought hard in the 157-pound division, but lost by decision in his final home meet as a Tar Heel to end the night.
Who stood out?
Kane got things started for the Tar Heels, as he muscled his way to a decision. Ramos strolled to a decision, earning three takedowns along the way. Chaid, Daniel, and Heilmann also earned decisions for the Tar Heel squad.
