University of North Carolina Athletics
O'Connor Leads Seven Tar Heels In Initial NCAA Rankings
January 24, 2019 | Wrestling
INDIANAPOLIS --- Fourth-ranked Austin O'Connor leads seven members of the North Carolina wrestling team in the initial NCAA coaches' panel rankings released Thursday. A redshirt freshman from Lockport, Illinois, O'Connor is 22-3 on the year at 149 pounds, with all three losses coming to wrestlers ranked in the top six.
Redshirt seniors Gary Wayne Harding (No. 22 at 133 pounds), Chip Ness (No. 13 at 184) and Cory Daniel (No. 24 at 285) join O'Connor in the first of four national ranking releases, along with redshirt junior A.C. Headlee (No. 19 at 141), and redshirt sophomores Josh McClure (No. 26 at 157) and Devin Kane (No. 29 at 174).
The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine qualifiers and seeding for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. UNC sent nine qualifiers to nationals in 2018, the most for the program since nine Tar Heels advanced to the NCAA Championships in 1999.
Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn allocation spots for their qualifying tournaments for the championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. To be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days.
Redshirt seniors Gary Wayne Harding (No. 22 at 133 pounds), Chip Ness (No. 13 at 184) and Cory Daniel (No. 24 at 285) join O'Connor in the first of four national ranking releases, along with redshirt junior A.C. Headlee (No. 19 at 141), and redshirt sophomores Josh McClure (No. 26 at 157) and Devin Kane (No. 29 at 174).
The final rankings will be one of the tools used as part of the selection process to determine qualifiers and seeding for the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 21-23 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. UNC sent nine qualifiers to nationals in 2018, the most for the program since nine Tar Heels advanced to the NCAA Championships in 1999.
Wrestlers in each weight class will be measured by winning percentage, rating percentage index (RPI) and coaches' rankings to earn allocation spots for their qualifying tournaments for the championships. The coaches' rankings are compiled by a vote of coaches representing each qualifying tournament. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. To be eligible for the rankings, wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days.
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