North Carolina
ACC Championships
Tar Heels Take Seventh ACC Wrestling Title in the Past Eight Years
June 21, 1999 | Wrestling
March 6, 1999
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - North Carolina won its third straight ACC championship, riding on strong performances by nine finalists today at University Hall in Charlottesville, Va. This is the Tar Heels seventh ACC championship title in eight years.
JohnMark Bentley (149), Corey Bell (184), and Matt Kenny (HWT) scored championship wins for North Carolina. UNC coach Bill Lam was named the 1999 ACC Coach of the Year as well. Bentley, ranked #5 nationally, and Bell both won their second consecutive titles while tonight's victory was Kenny's first.
Although Carolina, Virginia and N.C. State each had three individual champions, the Tar Heels prevailed by exploiting their depth and placing nine finalists all told in the field.
The ACC championship was the University's third of the 1998-99 school year and the first in a men's sport. Previously women's soccer and women's indoor track claimed ACC titles. UNC's men's basketball team will go after the school's fourth ACC title of the school year Sunday against top-ranked Duke at Charlotte, N.C.
At 125, Virginia's eighth ranked Matt Roth claimed his first ACC title by upsetting two-time defending champion and sixth ranked Chuckie Connor of UNC in the much anticipated contest. Roth avenged his 2-0 loss to Connor earlier this season. Roth stuck Joe Guzzio with 12 seconds to go in the semifinal and went on to claim the Outstanding Wrestler Award as well.
N.C. State had three wrestlers win championships, and all three of them were first-time champions: Tommy Davis (141), Pierre Pryor (157), and Kevin Boross (174). Davis is currently ranked #15 in the country.
Virginia's Jim Harshaw, ranked #11 nationally, won his third consecutive ACC title, after winning the last two at 150 and tonight's victory at 165. Brandon York of Maryland wonhis first title at 133, and joining him in the winner's circle for the first time was Craig Fenstermaker of Virginia, who won at 197.
The ACC will send 20 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, which will take place in State College, Pa., March 18-20. A list of the qualifiers is listed below.
Wgt Championship Bouts 125 Matt Roth (UVA) dec. Chuckie Connor (UNC) 3-2 133 Brandon York (MD)dec. Brand Byers (UNC) 8-2 141 Tommy Davis (NCSU) dec. Josh Cowley (UNC) 8-3 149 John Mark Bentley (UNC) dec. John Pozniak (UVA) 5-2 157 Pierre Pryor (NCSU) dec. Pat Cadwallader (UNC) 4-1 165 Jim Harshaw (UVA) dec. Matt Mapes (Duke) 7-1 174 Kevin Boross (NCSU) dec. Jamie Groudle (UNC) 3-2 184 Corey Bell (UNC) dec. Zach Breitenbach (NCSU) 4-2 197 Craig Fenstermaker (UVA) WBF Ty Roofner (UNC) 3:33 HWT Matt Kenny (UNC) dec. Billy Noble (NCSU) 8-2Team Scoring
1. North Carolina 97.5 2. Virginia 70.5 3. N.C. State 67.5 4. Maryland 36.5 5. Duke 28.5NCAA Qualifiers
DUKE
Matt Mapes, 165
MARYLAND
Brandon York, 133
NORTH CAROLINA
Corey Bell, 184
JohnMark Bentley, 149
Brad Byers, 133
Pat Cadwallader, 149
Chuckie Connor, 125
Jamie Groudle, 174
Matt Kenny, HWT
N. C. STATE
Kevin Boross, 174
Zach Breitenbach, 184
Lee Carroll, 125
Pierre Pryor, 149
VIRGINIA
Craig Fenstermaker, 197
Jim Harshaw, 165
John Pozniak, 149
Matt Roth, 125
