Wrestling Opens Season With Doubleheader

Monday, November 1

Chapel Hill, N.C.

3 PM

North Carolina

Life

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

October 31, 2021 | Wrestling

CHAPEL HILL – The 14th ranked North Carolina wrestling team (0-0 overall; 0-0 ACC) opens its season at home with a pair of duals against Life University and Queen's University on Nov. 1. The Tar Heels wrestle the Running Eagles first at 3 p.m. before taking on the Royals at 7 p.m.

Dual Information
Opponent: Life University
Date/Time: Nov. 1, 3 p.m.
Location: Carmichael Arena, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats: Trackwrestling.com

Opponent: Queen's University
Date/Time: Nov. 1, 7 p.m.
Location: Carmichael Arena, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Watch: ACC Network Extra
Live Stats: Trackwrestling.com

Looking Back
Carolina posted a 5-2 (3-2 ACC) record last season. Coleman Scott's team was ranked No. 14 in the final NWCA poll of the season. The Tar Heels knocked off two ranked opponents, including No. 15 Pittsburgh and No. 21 Virginia, throughout the dual meet season.

Austin O'Connor won the ACC tournament title at 149 pounds for the second year in a row, leading North Carolina to a third-place finish at the 2021 ACC Wrestling Championship. Both Zach Sherman (141) and Clay Lautt (174) posted runner-up finishes for the Tar Heels. O'Connor would be named ACC Wrestler of the Year.

Austin O'Connor would later defeat No. 1 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) 3-2 to win the 149-pound NCAA Championship. With the win, he became UNC's sixth national champion and first since T.J. Jaworsky won the title in 1995.

Tar Heels in the Polls
Entering the Tar Heel's first duals of the season, the team features eight wrestlers ranked in the InterMat preseason polls.

133 – Jaime Hernandez - #13
141 – Kizhan Clarke - #14
149 – Zach Sherman - #5
157 – Austin O'Connor - #2
174 – Gavin Kane - #22
184 – Clay Lautt - #17
197 – Max Shaw - #23
HWT – Brandon Whitman - #33

Scouting the Running Eagles
North Carolina and Life University have never met in the programs' histories. Life went a perfect 10-0 last en route to a Mid-South Conference Championship. The Running Eagles made history to end the season by capturing the program's first-ever NAIA National Championship. 10 Life U wrestlers made it to the podium as All-Americans and Brandon Orum clinched the 125-pound title.

Scouting the Royals
Monday will be the first-ever meeting between North Carolina and Queen's University. The Royals finished last season with a 2-6 overall record and a 2-5 conference record. Noah Curreri and Hunter Tobiasson were to the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas All-Conference Second Team, and Curreri advanced to his second straight NCAA Championship and finished eighth overall.

North Carolina Probables
125: Spencer Moore, Jeremiah Derby
133: No. 13 Jaime Hernandez, Joe Heilmann
141: No. 14 Kizhan Clarke, Wil Guida
149: No. 5 Zach Sherman, Mason Phillips
157: No. 2 Austin O'Connor
165: Sonny Santiago, Joey Mazzara
174: No. 22 Gavin Kane, No. 17 Clay Lautt*
184: Mark Chaid, Hunter Queen
197: No. 23 Max Shaw, Cade Lautt
285: No. 33 Brandon Whitman

*Lautt is ranked No. 17 at the 184-pound weight class by InterMat.

Tune In
Fans can follow the Tar Heels bouts Monday against Life University and Queen's University with @UNCWrestling on Twitter. Both contests will stream on ACCN Extra with Chris Ocana and Kyle Straub on the call starting at 3 p.m. Trackwrestling.com will have live stats for both matches.