University of North Carolina Athletics
Ethan Ramos
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
GoHeels Exclusive: Ramos' Return Sparks Big Win, Olympic Sports Notes
January 22, 2018 | Wrestling, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
Entering Friday's Atlantic Coast Conference opener at Virginia, the North Carolina wrestling team had dropped four of its last five matches, including its most recent one on criteria.
The Tar Heels seemed like they might lose another after trailing 15-9 through the first six bouts against the Cavaliers. But in his return from an injury that sidelined him for six weeks, Ethan Ramos provided a much-needed spark.
Ramos scored a 14-5 major decision over Will Schany at 174 pounds. The result cut Virginia's lead to 15-13. And after Chip Ness added a technical fall in the ensuing bout, 25th-ranked UNC never looked back en route to a 24-15 win.
Wrestling for the first time since the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1, Ramos used two takedowns and an escape in the second period to seize a 5-1 lead. Four more takedowns and a point for riding time earned him the 14-5 major decision.Â
The rest of the back end of the lineup followed Ramos' lead. And in the end, the Tar Heels secured their first win in an ACC opener since 2012.
Fencing finds favorable results
Over the two-day Philadelphia Invitational, the men's and women's fencing teams combined for a 14-3 overall record.
UNC's women finished the dual meet 8-1 after going 6-0 on Saturday. The men went 6-2, posting a 4-1 mark on Saturday and 2-1 on Sunday.
Robinson shines
After the gymnastics team recorded first-place finishes in each of the first three events on Friday, sophomore Mikayla Robinson completed the sweep with a 9.900 in the floor exercise.
The score marked her second career high in the Tar Heels' 195.300-194.375 win over Temple. The other came on the vault. Robinson took fourth place in that event with a personal best of 9.800.
Fellow sophomore Alexis Allen also finished Friday with a career-best score, logging a 9.900 on the balance beam.
Duncan provides hope
In their second ACC dual meet of the season, the men's and women's swimming and diving teams both lost at Virginia on Saturday. The Virginia women defeated the 21st-ranked Tar Heels, 196-104. The Cavaliers won the men's meet 192.5-101.5.
But one bright spot was the performance of freshman Greg Duncan.
Duncan swept the diving events, accounting for two of the men's teams four wins. He registered 355.58 points in the one-meter and 345.30 in the three-meter.
Notable debuts
Just a few weeks removed from joining the men's tennis team, Benjamin Sigouin and Mac Kiger, the No. 1 and No. 9 recruits, respectively, in the 2017 recruiting class according to tennisrecruiting.net, made their collegiate debuts on Saturday.
In UNC's season-opening 7-0 win over Bucknell, Sigouin won at No. 1 singles and doubles. Kiger emerged victories at No. 2 doubles and No. 5 singles.
Later in the day, Sigouin and Kiger won at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, respectively, in the Tar Heels' 4-0 victory over Wofford. Kiger also won at No. 6 singles. Sigouin's singles match went unfinished after UNC clinched the win.
Graham clinches season-opening win
After an impressive run to the singles flight one quarterfinals of the Freeman Memorial Championship, Alexa Graham continued her strong play in the women's tennis team's first dual matches of the season.
Graham secured the clinching point in a 7-0 victory over William & Mary on Saturday, defeating Olivia Thaler 6-2, 6-2. In a 7-0 victory over Richmond, Graham added another singles win, beating Kiana Marshall 6-1, 6-1.
Graham also helped pick up the doubles point in the William & Mary match. She and Jessie Aney defeated the tandem of Rosie Cheng and Lauren Goodman 6-1.
Keefer continues early success
In her collegiate debut at the Dick Taylor Carolina Cup on Jan. 13, Anna Keefer jumped 18 feet, 9 ¼ inches (5.72 meters) to finish third in the long jump. And with her second competition came even better results.
Keefer jumped 19-11 ¾ (6.09 meters) to win the long jump at the Notre Dame Invitational on Saturday. That marked the best jump in the ACC this season. It also ranked in the top 15 in Division I.
Zay Paschall also had a notable performance in the sand. His jump of 50-9 ¼ (15.47 meters) earned him second place in the triple jump. It was also the best in the ACC this season and a top-15 jump nationally.
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Entering Friday's Atlantic Coast Conference opener at Virginia, the North Carolina wrestling team had dropped four of its last five matches, including its most recent one on criteria.
The Tar Heels seemed like they might lose another after trailing 15-9 through the first six bouts against the Cavaliers. But in his return from an injury that sidelined him for six weeks, Ethan Ramos provided a much-needed spark.
Ramos scored a 14-5 major decision over Will Schany at 174 pounds. The result cut Virginia's lead to 15-13. And after Chip Ness added a technical fall in the ensuing bout, 25th-ranked UNC never looked back en route to a 24-15 win.
Wrestling for the first time since the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1, Ramos used two takedowns and an escape in the second period to seize a 5-1 lead. Four more takedowns and a point for riding time earned him the 14-5 major decision.Â
The rest of the back end of the lineup followed Ramos' lead. And in the end, the Tar Heels secured their first win in an ACC opener since 2012.
Fencing finds favorable results
Over the two-day Philadelphia Invitational, the men's and women's fencing teams combined for a 14-3 overall record.
UNC's women finished the dual meet 8-1 after going 6-0 on Saturday. The men went 6-2, posting a 4-1 mark on Saturday and 2-1 on Sunday.
Robinson shines
After the gymnastics team recorded first-place finishes in each of the first three events on Friday, sophomore Mikayla Robinson completed the sweep with a 9.900 in the floor exercise.
The score marked her second career high in the Tar Heels' 195.300-194.375 win over Temple. The other came on the vault. Robinson took fourth place in that event with a personal best of 9.800.
Fellow sophomore Alexis Allen also finished Friday with a career-best score, logging a 9.900 on the balance beam.
Duncan provides hope
In their second ACC dual meet of the season, the men's and women's swimming and diving teams both lost at Virginia on Saturday. The Virginia women defeated the 21st-ranked Tar Heels, 196-104. The Cavaliers won the men's meet 192.5-101.5.
But one bright spot was the performance of freshman Greg Duncan.
Duncan swept the diving events, accounting for two of the men's teams four wins. He registered 355.58 points in the one-meter and 345.30 in the three-meter.
Notable debuts
Just a few weeks removed from joining the men's tennis team, Benjamin Sigouin and Mac Kiger, the No. 1 and No. 9 recruits, respectively, in the 2017 recruiting class according to tennisrecruiting.net, made their collegiate debuts on Saturday.
In UNC's season-opening 7-0 win over Bucknell, Sigouin won at No. 1 singles and doubles. Kiger emerged victories at No. 2 doubles and No. 5 singles.
Later in the day, Sigouin and Kiger won at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, respectively, in the Tar Heels' 4-0 victory over Wofford. Kiger also won at No. 6 singles. Sigouin's singles match went unfinished after UNC clinched the win.
Graham clinches season-opening win
After an impressive run to the singles flight one quarterfinals of the Freeman Memorial Championship, Alexa Graham continued her strong play in the women's tennis team's first dual matches of the season.
Graham secured the clinching point in a 7-0 victory over William & Mary on Saturday, defeating Olivia Thaler 6-2, 6-2. In a 7-0 victory over Richmond, Graham added another singles win, beating Kiana Marshall 6-1, 6-1.
Graham also helped pick up the doubles point in the William & Mary match. She and Jessie Aney defeated the tandem of Rosie Cheng and Lauren Goodman 6-1.
Keefer continues early success
In her collegiate debut at the Dick Taylor Carolina Cup on Jan. 13, Anna Keefer jumped 18 feet, 9 ¼ inches (5.72 meters) to finish third in the long jump. And with her second competition came even better results.
Keefer jumped 19-11 ¾ (6.09 meters) to win the long jump at the Notre Dame Invitational on Saturday. That marked the best jump in the ACC this season. It also ranked in the top 15 in Division I.
Zay Paschall also had a notable performance in the sand. His jump of 50-9 ¼ (15.47 meters) earned him second place in the triple jump. It was also the best in the ACC this season and a top-15 jump nationally.
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