University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH
Three Wrestlers Victorious, Tar Heels Finish Runner-Up At Soldier Salute
January 4, 2026 | Wrestling
CORALVILLE, Iowa – Three North Carolina wrestlers finished atop the podium on day two of Soldier Salute, helping the Tar Heels to a runner-up team finish.
Carolina finished the two-day tournament with 161.5 team points, trailing Missouri who capped off the event with 166.5 points.
Individually, Ethan Oakley (133), Luke Simcox (141) and Bryce Hepner (165) secured championships in their respective weight classes. The Tar Heel trio helped Carolina post 11 total placers in the tournament.
Kysen Terukina (125) and Jake Dailey (184) finished runner-up, meeting ranked wrestlers in their championship bouts.
Rounding out the individual efforts, Matthew Botello (Third – 133), Laird Root (Fourth – 157), Robert Platt (Fourth – 197), Nick O'Neill (Fifth – 141), Nicholas Fea (Fifth – 174) and Mikey Calcagno (Sixth – 197) placed for the Tar Heels.
Up next, Carolina shifts its focus to the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of the schedule, traveling to Virginia on Jan. 16. Action between the Tar Heels and Cavaliers gets underway at 7 PM, with the dual streamed on ACCNX.
Soldier Salute Day Two Results
125: Cameron Stinson Jr.
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Carson Dupill (South Dakota State) over Cameron Stinson Jr. (UNC): 12-3 MD
Silver Bracket Third-Place Match: Cameron Stinson Jr. (UNC) over Anthony Alanis (Bellarmine): 11-0 MD
125: Kysen Terukina
Semifinals: No. 13 Kysen Terukina (UNC) over Daniel Guanajuato (South Dakota State): 6-5 Dec
Final: No. 28 Mack Mauger (Missouri) over No. 13 Kysen Terukina (UNC): 7-2 Dec
133: Matthew Botello
Semifinal: Gage Walker (Missouri) over Matthew Botello (UNC): 5-1 Dec
Consolation Semifinals: Matthew Botello (UNC) over Hayden Mills (Nebraska): Fall (3:19)
Third-Place Match: Matthew Botello (UNC) over No. 22 Luke Willochell (Wyoming): Fall (1:13)
133: Ethan Oakley
Semifinals: No. 17 Ethan Oakley (UNC) over Osmany Diversent (Iowa State): Fall (1:57)
Final: No. 17 Ethan Oakley (UNC) over Gage Walker (Missouri): 4-2 Dec
141: Nick O'Neill
Consolation Semifinals: No. 31 Caedyn Ricciardi (Navy) over Nick O'Neill (UNC): 4-2 Dec
Fifth-Place Match: Nick O'Neill (UNC) over No. 10 Nasir Bailey (Iowa): M. For.
141: Luke Simcox
Semifinals: No. 21 Luke Simcox (UNC) over No. 31 Caedyn Ricciardi (Navy): 4-0 Dec
Final: No. 21 Luke Simcox (UNC) over Isaiah Powe (Iowa Central): 7-3 Dec
157: Laird Root
Semifinals: Teague Travis (Missouri) over Laird Root (UNC): 6-3 Dec
Consolation Semifinals: Laird Root (UNC) over No. 26 Jared Hill (Wyoming): Fall (2:11)
Third-Place Match: No. 21 J Conway (Missouri) over Laird Root (UNC): 9-6 Dec
157: Joey Showalter
Silver Bracket Round One: Joey Showalter (UNC) over Anthony Tresch (Army Prep): 11-0 MD
Silver Bracket Round Three: Joey Showalter (UNC) over Nate Higley (Bellarmine): Fall (5:38)
165: Bryce Hepner
Semifinals: No. 17 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over Jacob Herm (South Dakota State): 8-3 Dec
Final: No. 17 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over No. 24 Maxx Mayfield (Missouri): Inj. Def.
174: Nicholas Fea
Consolation Semifinals: Izzy Moreno (Northern Iowa) over Nicholas Fea (UNC): 5-0 Dec
Fifth-Place Match: Nicholas Fea (UNC) over Tyler Eise (Nebraska): M. For.
184: Jake Dailey
Semifinals: No. 23 Jake Dailey (UNC) over Logan Cole (Missouri): 8-3 Dec
Final: No. 2 Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri) over No. 23 Jake Dailey (UNC): 17-2 TF
184: Aidan Schlett
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Anders Thompson (Oklahoma) over Aidan Schlett (UNC): 14-0 MD
Silver Bracket Third-Place Match: Jared Thiry (South Dakota State) over Aidan Schlett (UNC): 4-3 Dec
197: Mikey Calcagno
Consolation Semifinals: Zyan Hall (Navy) over Mikey Calcagno (UNC): Fall (3:45)
Fifth-Place Match: Harvey Ludington (Iowa) over Mikey Calcagno (UNC): 7-6 Dec
197: Robert Platt
Consolation Semifinals: Robert Platt (UNC) over Harvey Ludington (Iowa): 2-1 Dec
Third-Place Match: Zyan Hall (Navy) over Robert Platt (UNC): 9-3 Dec
285: Jacob Levy
Silver Bracket Round One: Sampson Stillwell (Missouri) over Jacob Levy (UNC): 10-3 Dec
Silver Bracket Round Three: Jacob Levy (UNC) over Cameron Guether (Northern Iowa): 16-2 MD
Carolina finished the two-day tournament with 161.5 team points, trailing Missouri who capped off the event with 166.5 points.
Individually, Ethan Oakley (133), Luke Simcox (141) and Bryce Hepner (165) secured championships in their respective weight classes. The Tar Heel trio helped Carolina post 11 total placers in the tournament.
Kysen Terukina (125) and Jake Dailey (184) finished runner-up, meeting ranked wrestlers in their championship bouts.
Rounding out the individual efforts, Matthew Botello (Third – 133), Laird Root (Fourth – 157), Robert Platt (Fourth – 197), Nick O'Neill (Fifth – 141), Nicholas Fea (Fifth – 174) and Mikey Calcagno (Sixth – 197) placed for the Tar Heels.
Up next, Carolina shifts its focus to the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of the schedule, traveling to Virginia on Jan. 16. Action between the Tar Heels and Cavaliers gets underway at 7 PM, with the dual streamed on ACCNX.
Soldier Salute Day Two Results
125: Cameron Stinson Jr.
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Carson Dupill (South Dakota State) over Cameron Stinson Jr. (UNC): 12-3 MD
Silver Bracket Third-Place Match: Cameron Stinson Jr. (UNC) over Anthony Alanis (Bellarmine): 11-0 MD
125: Kysen Terukina
Semifinals: No. 13 Kysen Terukina (UNC) over Daniel Guanajuato (South Dakota State): 6-5 Dec
Final: No. 28 Mack Mauger (Missouri) over No. 13 Kysen Terukina (UNC): 7-2 Dec
133: Matthew Botello
Semifinal: Gage Walker (Missouri) over Matthew Botello (UNC): 5-1 Dec
Consolation Semifinals: Matthew Botello (UNC) over Hayden Mills (Nebraska): Fall (3:19)
Third-Place Match: Matthew Botello (UNC) over No. 22 Luke Willochell (Wyoming): Fall (1:13)
133: Ethan Oakley
Semifinals: No. 17 Ethan Oakley (UNC) over Osmany Diversent (Iowa State): Fall (1:57)
Final: No. 17 Ethan Oakley (UNC) over Gage Walker (Missouri): 4-2 Dec
141: Nick O'Neill
Consolation Semifinals: No. 31 Caedyn Ricciardi (Navy) over Nick O'Neill (UNC): 4-2 Dec
Fifth-Place Match: Nick O'Neill (UNC) over No. 10 Nasir Bailey (Iowa): M. For.
141: Luke Simcox
Semifinals: No. 21 Luke Simcox (UNC) over No. 31 Caedyn Ricciardi (Navy): 4-0 Dec
Final: No. 21 Luke Simcox (UNC) over Isaiah Powe (Iowa Central): 7-3 Dec
157: Laird Root
Semifinals: Teague Travis (Missouri) over Laird Root (UNC): 6-3 Dec
Consolation Semifinals: Laird Root (UNC) over No. 26 Jared Hill (Wyoming): Fall (2:11)
Third-Place Match: No. 21 J Conway (Missouri) over Laird Root (UNC): 9-6 Dec
157: Joey Showalter
Silver Bracket Round One: Joey Showalter (UNC) over Anthony Tresch (Army Prep): 11-0 MD
Silver Bracket Round Three: Joey Showalter (UNC) over Nate Higley (Bellarmine): Fall (5:38)
165: Bryce Hepner
Semifinals: No. 17 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over Jacob Herm (South Dakota State): 8-3 Dec
Final: No. 17 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over No. 24 Maxx Mayfield (Missouri): Inj. Def.
174: Nicholas Fea
Consolation Semifinals: Izzy Moreno (Northern Iowa) over Nicholas Fea (UNC): 5-0 Dec
Fifth-Place Match: Nicholas Fea (UNC) over Tyler Eise (Nebraska): M. For.
184: Jake Dailey
Semifinals: No. 23 Jake Dailey (UNC) over Logan Cole (Missouri): 8-3 Dec
Final: No. 2 Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri) over No. 23 Jake Dailey (UNC): 17-2 TF
184: Aidan Schlett
Silver Bracket Semifinals: Anders Thompson (Oklahoma) over Aidan Schlett (UNC): 14-0 MD
Silver Bracket Third-Place Match: Jared Thiry (South Dakota State) over Aidan Schlett (UNC): 4-3 Dec
197: Mikey Calcagno
Consolation Semifinals: Zyan Hall (Navy) over Mikey Calcagno (UNC): Fall (3:45)
Fifth-Place Match: Harvey Ludington (Iowa) over Mikey Calcagno (UNC): 7-6 Dec
197: Robert Platt
Consolation Semifinals: Robert Platt (UNC) over Harvey Ludington (Iowa): 2-1 Dec
Third-Place Match: Zyan Hall (Navy) over Robert Platt (UNC): 9-3 Dec
285: Jacob Levy
Silver Bracket Round One: Sampson Stillwell (Missouri) over Jacob Levy (UNC): 10-3 Dec
Silver Bracket Round Three: Jacob Levy (UNC) over Cameron Guether (Northern Iowa): 16-2 MD
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