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.
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Carolina finished the two-day tournament with 161.5 team points, trailing Missouri who capped off the event with 166.5 points.
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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.
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Kysen Terukina (125) and Jake Dailey (184) finished runner-up, meeting ranked wrestlers in their championship bouts.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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Carolina finished the two-day tournament with 161.5 team points, trailing Missouri who capped off the event with 166.5 points.
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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.
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Kysen Terukina (125) and Jake Dailey (184) finished runner-up, meeting ranked wrestlers in their championship bouts.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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)
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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)
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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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