University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
ACC Championships
Tar Heels Take 16th ACC Wrestling Title
March 5, 2005 | Wrestling
March 5, 2005
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Led by individual titles for junior All-America Evan Sola, sophomore Drew Forshey, junior Garrett Atkinson and sophomore David Dashiell, North Carolina captured its 16th conference title and sixth in the last 10 seasons at the 2005 Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championships Saturday at Mat Jam at UNC Greensboro's Fleming Gym. The Tar Heels scored 76 points to outdistance league newcomer Virginia Tech, which scored 66.5 points. Sola was named the meet's Most Outstanding Wrestler.
NC State was third with 56.5 points, while Virginia (53), Duke and Maryland (21) rounded out the team scoring.
In addition to the four ACC Tar Heel ACC individual titles, freshman Isaiah Britton earned All-ACC honors with a runner-up finish at 141 pounds. All league champions earn a trip to the 2005 NCAA Championships.
En route to his second career conference title at 133 pounds, Sola, who is ranked No. 12 by InterMat, recorded major decisions over NC State's Jeremy Hartrum (12-1) and Duke's Bryan Gibson (10-2) before posting a 6-4 decision over Virginia Tech's David Hoffman, ranked 13th nationally, in the final Sola has now won 19 consecutive bouts to run his season record to 31-3. With the ACC title, Sola advances to his third national championship meet, where he captured All-America honors in 2003.
Forshey claimed his first conference crown at 125 pounds with a 6-2 decision over top-seeded Justin Staylor of Virginia Tech. The win avenged two earlier losses to Staylor for Forshey, whose season mark is now 19-7. He defeated Kevin Vinh of Maryland and Garrett Cummings of NC State with matching 11-2 major decisions to reach the final.
At 165, the fourth-seeded Atkinson claimed his first ACC title with a 5-4 win over Virginia Will Durkee in the finals. He advanced on a bye in the first round and topped NC State's Ryan Nowicki, 3-1, to reach the final. Atkinson (17-20) was 0-2 against both Durkee and Nowicki this season entering Saturday.
Dashiell also picked up his second league title at 197 with a 3-2 overtime win over Duke's Mark Thompson in the final. Now 23-14 on the season, Dashiell, who also win at 197 in 2003, had a first round bye and moved into the final with an 8-1 decision over Maryland's Jerry Afari.
Freshman Isaiah Britton also advanced to the final but took second at 141 pounds with a 7-4 loss to Maryland's Charlie Pinto in the final. Britton, who is now 25-15 on the season, does earn all-conference honors with his runner-up finish.
Saturday's finish marked a significant improvement for the Tar Heels in their second season under head coach C.D Mock. After placing fourth with just 56 points a year ago, Carolina added 20 points to their team total to claim their second league title in the last three seasons. The Tar Heels have now finished in the top three at the ACC meet in 30 of the last 32 seasons and have had at least two individual conference champions in 27 of the last 28 years. UNC's 16 ACC titles are second to Maryland's 20.
Carolina entered the event with a 6-9 overall dual match record, including a 4-2 mark, which was good for second in the ACC regular-season standings.
Each ACC individual champion, as well as five wild card entries from the league, will compete at the 2005 NCAA Championships, March 17-19 in St. Louis.
COMPLETE RESULTS
125 pounds First Round #1 Justin Staylor (VT)-BYE; #3 Garrett Cummings (NCST)-BYE; #4 Anthony Burke (UVA) d.Kellan McKeon (Duke), 7-1; #2 Drew Forshey (UNC) d. Kevin Vinh (UMD), 11-2 MDSemifinals #1 Justin Staylor (VT) d. #4 Anthony Burke (Duke), 12-10; #2 Drew Forshey (UNC) d. #3 Garrett Cummings (NCST), 11-2 MD
Consolation Semifinals #3 Garrett Cummings (NCST) d. #2 Drew Forshey (UNC), 5-2; #4 Anthony Burke (UVA) d. Kevin Vinh (UMD), 9-1 MD
Third Place #3 Garrett Cummings (NCST) d. #4 Anthony Burke (UVA), 5-3
Finals #2 Drew Forshey (UNC) d. #1 Justin Staylor (VT), 9-2
133 pounds First Round #1 Evan Sola (UNC) d. Jeremy Hartrum, 12-1 MD; #4 Bryan Gibson-BYE; #3 Byron Dunlap (UVA) d. Sean Carr (UMD), 6-0; #2 David Hoffman (VT)-BYE
Semifinals #1 Evan Sola (UNC) d. #4 Bryan Gibson (Duke), 10-2 MD; #2 David Hoffman (VT) d. #3 Byron Dunlap (UVA), 6-0
Consolation Semifinals #3 Byron Dunlap pinned Jeremy Hartrum (NCST), 6:42; #4 Bryan Gibson (Duke) d. Sean Carr (UMD), 4-1
Third Place #3 Byron Dunlap (UVA) d. #4 Byran Gibson (Duke), 12-6
Finals #1 Evan Sola (UNC) d. #2 David Hoffman (VT), 6-4
141 pounds First Round #1 Isaiah Britton (UNC)-BYE; Aaron Martin (UVA) d. #4 Donny Ooton, 6-0; #3 Wes Kuser (Duke) d. Jeff Breese (NCST), 6-3; #2 Charlie Pinto (UMD)-BYE
Semifinals #1 Isaiah Britton (UNC) d. Aaron Martin (UVA), 5-1; Charlie Pinto (UMD) d. #3 Wes Kuser (Duke), 8-1
Consolation Semifinals #4 Donny Ooton (VT) d. #3 Wes Kiser (Duke), 5-4; Aaron Martin (UVA) d. Jeff Breese (NCST), 5-2
Third Place #4 Doinny Ooton (VT) d. Aaron Martin (UVA), 2-1
Finals #2 Charlie Pinto (UMD) d. Isaiah Britton (UNC), 7-5
149 pounds First Round #1 Alex Hernandez (NCST) d. Paul Dunstan (UVA), 10-3; #4 Antwone Floyd (Duke)-BYE; #3 Chris Ramos-BYE; #2 Tyde Prater (VT), 14-6 MD
Semifinals #1 Alex Hernandez (NCST) d. #4 Antwone Floyd (Duke), 19-8 MD; #2 Tyde Prater (VT) d. #3 Chris Ramos (UNC), 7-5 SV1
Consolation Semifinals #3 Chris Ramos (UNC) won by forfeit over Paul Dunstan (Duke); #4 Antwone Floyd (Duke) d. Jared Villecco (UMD), 10-8
Third Place #3 Chris Ramon d. #4 Antwone Floyd (Duke), 15-3 MD
Finals #2 Tyde Prater (VT) d. #1 Alex Hernandez (NCST), 16-8
157 pounds First Round #1 Kody Hamrah (NCST) d. Nick Buckman (UNC), 8-3; #4 Adam James (UMD)-BYE; #3 Paul Bjorlo (UVA) d. Dan Shvartsman (Duke), 5-3; #2 Reed Carpenter (VT)-BYE
Semifinals #1 Kody Hamrah (NCST) d. #4 Adam James (UMD), 19-6 MD; #3 Paul Bjorlo (UVA) d. #2 Reed Carpenter (VT), 6-0
Consolation Semifinals #2 Reed Carpenter (VT) d. Nick Buckman (UNC), 15-5 MD; #4 Adam James (UMD) d. Dan Shavartsman (Duke), 7-2
Third Place #2 Reed Carpenter (VT) d. #4 Adam James (UMD), 10-0 MD
Finals #3 Paul Bjorlo (UVA) d. #1 Kody Hamrah (NCST), 10-5
165 pounds First Round Ryan Nowicki (NCST) d. #1 Jason Kiessling (UMD), 5-4 SV1; #4 Garrett Atkinson (UNC)-BYE; #3 Chris Stith (VT) d. Steve Smith (Duke), 10-4; #2 Will Durkee (UVA)-BYE
Semifinals #4 Garrett Atkinson (UNC) d. Ryan Nowicki (NCST), 3-1; #2 Will Durkee (UVA) d. Chris Stith (VT), 2-0
Consolation Semifinals #1 Jason Kiessling (UMD) d. #3 Chris Stith (VT), 3-2 SV2; Steve Smith (Duke) pinned Ryan Nowicki (NCST), 2:15
Finals #4 Garrett Atkinson (UNC) d. #2 Will Durkee (UVA), 5-4
174 pounds First Round #1 Kevin Gabrielson (NCST) pinned Luke Stauffer (UMD), 5:23; #4 Alex Macaig (UNC)-BYE; #3 Levi Craig (Duke)-BYE; #2 Rocco Capomi (UVA) d. Shaun Guttridge (VT), 5-0
Semifinals #1 Kevin Gabrielson (NCST) pinned #4 Alex Macaig (UNC), 2:13; #2 Rocco Caponi (UVA) d. #3 Levi Craig (Duke), 11-2 MD
Consolation Semifinals #3 Levi Craig (Duke) d. Luke Stauffer (UMD), 6-4; #4 Alex Macaig (UNC) d. Shaun Guttridge (VT), 7-4
Final #1 Kevin Gabrielson (NCST) d. #2 Rocco Caponi (UVA), 7-4
184 pounds First Round #1 Steve Borja pinned Jeremy Colbert (NCST), 4:14; #4 Kyle Narkiewicz (UVA)-BYE; #3 Justin Dobies (UNC)-BYE; #2 Frank Cornely (Duke) pinned Mike Maceroli (UMD), 2:54
Semifinals #1 Steve Borja (VT) d. Kyle Narkiewicz (UVA), 4-1 SV1; #2 Frank Cornely (Duke) d. #3 Justin Dobies (UNC), 7-5
Consolation Semifinals Jeremy Colbert (NCST) d. #3 Justin Dobies (UNC), 5-3 SV1; #4 Kyle Narkiewicz (UVA), 3-2
Finals #2 Frank Cornely (Duke) d. #1 Steve Borja (VT), 7-2
197 pounds First Round #1 David Dashiell (UNC)-BYE; Jerry Afari (UMD) d. #4 Tomas Ovalle (VT), 6-3; #3 Zach Garren (NCST)-BYE; #2 Mark Thompson (Duke) d. Scott Smith (UVA), 4-1
Semifinals #1 David Dashiell (UNC) d. Jerry Afari (UMD), 8-1; #2 Mark Thompson (Duke) d. Zach Garren (NCST), 5-3
Consolation Semifinals #3 Zach Garren pinned #4 Tomas Ovalle (VT), 2:24; Jerry Afari (UMD) d. Scott Smith (UVA), 8-2
Finals #1 David Dashiell (UNC) d. #2 Mark Thompson (Duke), 3-2 OT
HWT First Round #1 Mike Faust (VT)-BYE; #4 Nick Smith (UVA) pinned Yony Noy (UMD), 4:57; #3 Jainor Palma (NCST)-BYE; Venroy July (Duke) d. #2 Spencer Nadolsky (UNC), 6-4 SV1
Semifinals #1 Mike Faust (VT) pinned Nick Smith (UVA), 4:57; Venroy July (Duke) d. #3 Jainor Palma (NCST), 5-1
Consolation Semifinals #3 Jainor Palma (NCST) d. Yony Noy (UMD), 8-0 MD; #2 Spencer Nadolsky (UNC) d. #4 Nick Smith (UVA), 4-3
Finals #1 Mike Faust (VT) d. Venroy July (Duke), 3-1 SV
Team Scores 1. North Carolina 76 2. Virginia Tech 66.5 3. NC State 56.5 4. Virginia 53 5. Duke 47.5 6. Maryland 21
