The North Carolina wrestling team opened its season on Sunday in Roanoke, Va., at the Hokie Open. Head coach Coleman Scott saw 13 of the 18 wrestlers that he brought to the tournament place in the top five.
What happened?
The Tar Heels placing in the top five were spread across all weight classes. North Carolina excelled in three classes in particular, the 125, 174 and 184-pound classes.
In the 125-pound class, first-years Joe Heilmann and Joey Melendez placed third and fifth, respectively. Heilmann won his first three matches of the tournament before dropping his semifinal bout. He then won the third place match by a 5-4 score. Melendez fell in the quarterfinals before eventually winning, 6-0, in the fifth place bout.
Redshirt sophomore Devin Kane and sophomore Clay Lautt placed second and third, respectively, in the 174-pound weight class. Kane was victorious in two matches before reaching the final. He dropped the final by a 4-1 score and was crowned runner-up. Lautt lost his first match of the day but worked himself all the way back into the third place bout where he won 12-4.
In the 184-pound class, redshirt senior Chip Ness finished third and redshirt first-year Chasen Blair ended the day in fifth place. Ness started his final season as a Tar Heel with two straight victories before losing in his semifinal bout. He bounced back with a 9-3 victory to win third place. Blair fell in the quarterfinals but came back to win the fifth place bout, 6-4.
Who stood out?
Overall, five wrestlers made it to their respective championship bouts for UNC.
First-year Brandon Whitman won the 197-pound weight class and was the only Tar Heel to earn a first place finish. Whitman stormed through the bracket on his path to victory and earned a 17-5 win in the semifinals before his 9-5 triumph in the championship match.
