Seven Wrestlers Make Soldier Salute Semifinals, Tar Heels Third After Day One

Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH

Seven Wrestlers Make Soldier Salute Semifinals, Tar Heels Third After Day One

January 3, 2026 | Wrestling

CORALVILLE, Iowa – Seven North Carolina wrestlers advanced to the semifinals on day one of Soldier Salute, as 18 different Tar Heels took the mat in Iowa Saturday.

Kysen Terukina (125), Matthew Botello (133), Ethan Oakley (133), Luke Simcox (141), Laird Root (157), Bryce Hepner (165) and Jake Dailey (184) reached tomorrow morning's semifinal bouts.

In addition to the seven Tar Heel semifinalists, Nick O'Neill (141), Joey Showalter (157), Nicholas Fea (174), Mikey Calcagno (197), Robert Platt (197) and Jacob Levy (285) appeared in Saturday's quarterfinals.

As a team, Carolina is in third place after day one of the two-day event, with 93.0 points, trailing Missouri (99.0) and Wyoming (94.5).

Soldier Salute Day One Results
125: Cameron Stinson Jr.
First Round: Ostin Blanchard (North Dakota State) over Cameron Stinson Jr. (UNC): 11-9 Dec
Consolation: Koufax Christensen (Oklahoma) over Cameron Stinson Jr. (UNC): Fall (6:48)

125: Kysen Terukina
First Round: No. 13 Kysen Terukina (UNC) over Abdi Unle (Nebraska): 11-2 MD
Round of 16: No. 13 Kysen Terukina (UNC) over Nick Treaster (Navy): 7-3 Dec
Quarterfinals: No. 13 Kysen Terukina (UNC) over Hank Benter (Missouri): 21-5 TF

133: Matthew Botello
Round of 16: Matthew Botello (UNC) over Jace Hedeman (Northern Iowa): 17-2 TF
Quarterfinals: Matthew Botello (UNC) over Carter Pearson (Iowa State): 4-1 SV Dec

133: Ethan Oakley
Round of 16: No. 17 Ethan Oakley (UNC) over Kenton Cooke (South Dakota State): Fall (1:52)
Quarterfinals: No. 17 Ethan Oakley (UNC) over Sean Garretson (Navy Wrestling Club): 11-0 MD

141: Nick O'Neill
First Round: Nick O'Neill (UNC) over Liam Neitzel (South Dakota State): 8-0 MD
Round of 16: Nick O'Neill (UNC) over Peyton Moore (North Dakota State): Fall (3:29)
Quarterfinals: No. 10 Nasir Bailey (Iowa) over Nick O'Neill (UNC): 3-1 Dec
Consolation: Nick O'Neill (UNC) over Dyston Dunham (VMI): Fall (3:37)
Consolation: Nick O'Neill (UNC) over No. 23 Zeke Seltzer (Missouri): 10-4 Dec

141: Luke Simcox
Round of 16: No. 21 Luke Simcox (UNC) over Owen Uhls (Missouri): 4-1 SV Dec
Quarterfinals: No. 21 Luke Simcox (UNC) over Max Brady (Northern Iowa): Fall (3:28)

149: Nate Askew
Round of 16: Logan Paradice (Northern Iowa) over Nate Askew (UNC): 5-1 Dec
Consolation: Rhett Koenig (Minnesota) over Nate Askew (UNC): 3-1 TB-1

157: Laird Root
Round of 16: Laird Root (UNC) over Charlie Evans (Navy): 14-2 MD
Quarterfinals: Laird Root (UNC) over Victor Voinovich (Iowa): 4-2 Dec

157: Joey Showalter
First Round: Joey Showalter (UNC) over No. 26 Jared Hill (Wyoming): 12-3 MD
Round of 16: Joey Showalter (UNC) over Nate Higley (Bellarmine): Fall (4:31)
Quarterfinals: No. 21 J Conway (Missouri) over Joey Showalter (UNC): 12-7 Dec
Consolation: Steven Villalobos (Bellarmine) over Joey Showalter (UNC): 12-8 Dec

165: Charlie Darracott
First Round: Charlie Darracott (UNC) over Owen Helgeson (Iowa State): 6-2 Dec
Round of 16: Sloan Swan (Wyoming) over Charlie Darracott (UNC): 7-3 Dec
Consolation: Charlie Darracott (UNC) over Clay Giddens (Oklahoma): 4-3 Dec
Consolation: Charlie Darracott (UNC) over Joey Kennedy (Iowa): 12-4 MD
Consolation: Ryan Vigil (VMI) over Charlie Darracott (UNC): 6-4 Dec

165: Bryce Hepner
First Round: No. 17 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over Dominic Bambinelli (Missouri): 9-0 MD
Round of 16: No. 17 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over Luke Leclerc (Bellarmine): Fall (2:35)
Quarterfinals: No. 17 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over Ryan Vigil (VMI): Fall (3:23)

174: Nicholas Fea
First Round: Nicholas Fea (UNC) over Ethan DeLeon (Nebraska): 10-2 MD
Round of 16: Nicholas Fea (UNC) over Cole Walton (Bellarmine): Fall (3:42)
Quarterfinals: Tyler Eise (Nebraska) over Nicholas Fea (UNC): 11-2 MD
Consolation: Nicholas Fea (UNC) over Cade Tenold (UNC): 10-2 MD
Consolation: Nicholas Fea (UNC) over Melton Powe (Iowa State): 6-4 Dec

174: Cade Tenold
Round of 16: Lane Foard (Wyoming) over Cade Tenold (UNC): Fall (0:55)
Consolation: Cade Tenold (UNC) over Peyton Westpfahl (Missouri): 9-0 MD
Consolation: Nicholas Fea (UNC) over Cade Tenold (UNC): 10-2 MD

184: Jake Dailey
Round of 16: No. 23 Jake Dailey (UNC) over Andrew Barford (VMI): 16-0 TF
Quarterfinals: No. 23 Jake Dailey (UNC) over Keenan Sheridan (South Dakota State): 11-1 MD

184: Aidan Schlett
Round of 16: Shane McConville (South Dakota State) over Aidan Schlett (UNC): 4-1 SV Dec
Consolation: Jarrett Wadsen (South Dakota State) over Aidan Schlett (UNC): 18-5 MD

197: Mikey Calcano
Round of 16: Mikey Calcagno (UNC) over Brody Sampson (Iowa): 2-1 Dec
Quarterfinals: No. 5 Joey Novak (Wyoming) over Mikey Calcagno (UNC): 7-2 Dec
Consolation: Mikey Calcagno (UNC) over Drew Fox (Northern Iowa): Fall (5:50)
Consolation: Mikey Calcagno (UNC) over Toby Schoffstall (VMI): 17-2 TF

197: Robert Platt
Quarterfinals: Zyan Hall (Navy) over Robert Platt (UNC): 8-1 Dec
Consolation: Robert Platt (UNC) over Brody Sampson (Iowa): 17-2 TF
Consolation: Robert Platt (UNC) over Gunner Henry (Wyoming): 14-3 MD

285: Jacob Levy
Round of 16: Jacob Levy (UNC) over Cole Will (VMI): 13-3 MD
Quarterfinals: No. 16 Spencer Lanosga (Navy) over Jacob Levy (UNC): 13-4 MD
Consolation: Bradley Hill (Oklahoma) over Jacob Levy (UNC): 6-3 Dec