North Carolina
Virginia
Carolina Wrestlers Top Virginia 24-12
February 3, 2001 | Wrestling
Feb. 3, 2001
The University of North Carolina wrestling team gave head coach Bill Lam's his 350th career win Saturday night as the Tar Heels beat Atlantic Coast Conference rival Virginia 24-12 at Carmichael Auditorium. With the victory, the Tar Heels improve to 5-4 on the season, 2-0 in the ACC, while Virginia falls to 4-6, 1-2 in the ACC.
As the result of a random draw, the heavyweight match was the first of the night, and Carolina's Matt Kenny was able to take an 8-4 decision over Ryan Painter to put the Tar Heels ahead 3-0. Chris Collins followed with a 17-2 technical fall on Ryan Stewart at 125 pounds and Carolina was out to a quick 8-0 lead.
At 133 pounds, Brad Byers defeated Joe Alexander, 11-9, but needed every second of the match to get the victory. Byers trailed 7-9 with less than 10 seconds remaining but was able to score a takedown and a two-point near fall in the final seconds to take the match.
Mike Booth lost a hard-fought 3-2 decision to Virginia's Bob Seidel at 141 pounds, but at 149 pounds, Tar Heel JohnMark Bentley took 10-3 decision to give Carolina a 14-3 advantage. With the victory, Bentley improves to 22-1 for the season.
Carolina's Chris DiGuiseppe followed Bentley's win with a 3-1 decision over Don Carlos-Clauss at 157 pounds. Virginia's Greg Francesca then beat Jake Reynolds by medical forfeit in the 165-pound match to pull the Cavaliers to within eight at 17-9, but a Corey Bell 10-1 major decision at 174 pounds put the Tar Heels ahead 21-9 with only two matches remaining.
At 184 pounds, Nick Richmond fell to the Cavalier's Jimi Massey, 11-6, but Carolina's Clint Osborn got the decision in the final match of the night, using a five-point second period to defeat Zach Friday, 6-1.
The Tar Heels return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 6, when they travel to Durham to face the Duke Blue Devils at 7:30 p.m. The Cavaliers are back on the mat on Sunday, Feb. 4, when they travel to Norfolk, Va., to face Old Dominion.
North Carolina 24
Virginia 12
125 -- Chris Collin (UNC) tech. fall. Ryan Stewart, 17-2 (8:00)
133 -- Brad Byers (UNC) dec. Joe Alexander, 11-9
141 -- Bob Seidel (UVA) dec. Mike Booth, 3-2
149 -- JohnMark Bentley (UNC) dec. P.J. Bory, 10-3
157 -- Chris DiGuiseppe (UNC) dec. Don Carlos-Clauss, 3-1
165 -- Greg Francesca (UVA) med. forf. Jake Reynolds
174 -- Corey Bell (UNC) maj. dec. Brian Muir, 10-1
184 -- Jimi Massey (UVA) dec. Nick Richmond, 11-6
197 -- Clint Osborn (UNC) dec. Zach Freday, 6-1
Hwt. -- Matt Kenny (UNC) dec. Ryan Painter, 8-4
