Lachlan McNeil and Josh Ogunsanya lead UNC wrestling to ninth-straight win against Duke

DURHAM — Lachlan McNeil took Duke's Eli Murray to the mat.

With 41 seconds to go in the first period, the redshirt junior looked to boost UNC's 9-0 lead. 

But the Duke wrestler avoided the pin by mere millimeters for nearly 30 seconds as McNeil fought for leverage to pin his right shoulder to the floor.

McNeil held his arm by Murray's head and finally pinned him down. North Carolina soared ahead 15-0.

In their dual with Duke on Friday, the Tar Heels took control with ease, with three decisions giving the team an early lead. Led by McNeil and graduate Joshua Ogunsanya, UNC toppled the Blue Devils, 40-3. 

With the victory, No. 19 North Carolina extended its win streak at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where the Tar Heels have not lost since 1973. UNC has won 48 of the last 50 duals between the two teams overall. 

After defeating No. 8 Virginia Tech in a tight ACC dual last week — UNC's first top-10 dual win since 2020 — and the next against Duke, North Carolina continued its momentum to advance to 2-0 in ACC play. 

“There’s a little bit more emphasis when we wrestle Duke, making sure we get bonus points and showing dominance," McNeil said. "They’re maybe not the strongest team in the conference, but the rivalry alone spurs us to really kind of push in these duals."

McNeil, the No. 5 nationally ranked wrestler in the 149 pound weight class, secured the first pin of the night for North Carolina against Murray. Fans erupted, both in excitement and disappointment, as the Tar Heel team score rose to 15-0. 

There was a clear difference between the UNC and Duke coaches. North Carolina appeared comfortable and confident, while Duke's coaching staff appeared hasty and digging for a comeback. The Duke coaches' voices rang throughout the stadium, but UNC head coach Rob Koll sat back and let the Tar Heels go to work. 

Two matches after McNeil, Ogunsanya secured the second fall of the night for the Tar Heels.

“I’m continuing to kind of earn my confidence and just reassure myself that I belong here," Ogunsanya said. "I have this skill and the capability to accomplish my goals." 

Ogunsanya, a transfer from Columbia, has recently become a starter in the 174 pound weight class for North Carolina since recovering from an ACL tear earlier this year. His pin gave UNC a comfortable 30-0 lead.

While balancing his new role on the team, Ogunsanya is enrolled in law school at North Carolina and has been adjusting to changes both on and off the mat.

“I’m really proud of how he’s adjusted and been able to manage the course load and the recovery," Koll said. "The sky’s the limit. If you watch him, you don’t want to grab a hold of him. He’s freakishly strong."

The win — in dominating fashion — marks UNC's ninth-straight and 75th in its 100 total matchups against Duke.

For Koll, there was never a doubt. 

“Wrestling is not like basketball where you have a following, there’s so much more luck, or chance I should say," Koll said. "We knew here going in there was a high likelihood — unless we had a bus crash — that we were going to come out victorious."

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