Wrestling Defeats No. 12 Northern Iowa, 19-13

Sunday, December 21

Cedar Falls, Iowa

2 PM

North Carolina

Northern Iowa

Bryce Hepner
165-pound bout
University of North Carolina Wrestling v Northern Colorado
Carmichael Arena
Chapel Hill, NC
Sunday, November 9, 2025

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

December 21, 2025 | Wrestling

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The 16th-ranked North Carolina wrestling team defeated No. 12 Northern Iowa, 19-13, Sunday afternoon on the road.

The win for the Tar Heels is the highest ranked road victory since the 2017-18 campaign, when Carolina defeated 12th-ranked Nebraska, 22-14.

On the day, six Tar Heels were victorious, Kysen Terukina (125), Nate Askew (149), Bryce Hepner (165), Jake Dailey (184), Robert Platt (197) and Jacob Levy (285).

With the dual starting at 174-pounds, Northern Iowa jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a decision in the opening bout, as the Tar Heels answered with four-straight decisions of their own.

Dailey, Platt, Levy and Terukina completed the stretch of four-straight verdicts in favor of the road Tar Heels, with Dailey and Terukina earning ranked victories in the process.

Following two consecutive wins for the Panthers, Nate Askew got the Tar Heels on the board with a 16-5 major decision, completing the 2-0 weekend for the true freshman.

Rounding out the match at 165-pounds, Hepner earned the 7-4 decision over eighth-ranked Ryder Downey, securing the dual victory for Carolina. After a scoreless opening three minutes, Hepner collected a reversal and four nearfall points in the ensuing second period, en route to the victory.

Up next, the Tar Heels will open the 2026 calendar year at the two-day Soldier Salute, held in Coralville, Iowa. In dual competition, Carolina will begin Atlantic Coast Conference action on the road at Virginia, on Friday, Jan. 16.

No. 16 North Carolina 19, No. 12 Northern Iowa 13
Dec. 21, 2025 | McLeod Center | Cedar Falls, Iowa
125: No. 16 Kysen Terukina (UNC) over No. 26 Trever Anderson (Northern Iowa): 5-3 Dec
133: No. 26 Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) over No. 15 Ethan Oakley (UNC): 11-10 TB-1
141: No. 10 Cory Land (Northern Iowa) over No. 19 Luke Simcox (UNC): 11-0 MD
149: Nate Askew (UNC) over Ethan Basile (Northern Iowa): 16-5 MD
157: RJ Weston (Northern Iowa) over No. 33 Laird Root (UNC): 4-3 Dec
165: No. 18 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over No. 8 Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa): 7-4 Dec
174: No. 10 Jared Simma (Northern Iowa) over Collin Carrigan (UNC): 4-3 Dec
184: No. 24 Jake Dailey (UNC) over No. 29 CJ Walrath (Northern Iowa): 4-2 Dec
197: No. 33 Robert Platt (UNC) over John Gunderson (Northern Iowa): 2-0 Dec
285: Jacob Levy (UNC) over Grant Stromberg (Northern Iowa): 10-7 Dec