Wrestling Begins 2026-27 Campaign Sunday At Southeast Open - University of North Carolina Athletics

Sunday, November 1

Salem, Va.

All Day

North Carolina

Southeast Open

Cameron Stinson Jr.
University of North Carolina Wrestling at Soldier Salute
Xtream Arena
Coralville, IA
Saturday, January 3, 2026

Photo by: AINSLEY E. FAUTH

October 29, 2026 | Wrestling

SALEM, Va. - The 2026-27 North Carolina wrestling team opens the season this Sunday, traveling to the Southeast Open hosted by Virginia Tech.

Tournament Information
Date/Time: Sunday, Nov. 1 - All Day
Location: Cregger Center - Salem, Va.
Watch: FloWrestling
Live Results

New Faces, New Places
• Entering the fourth year in the Rob Koll era, the program welcomed nine new faces to the program.
• The Tar Heels welcomed two transfers, Christian Hansen (Cornell) and Brendan McCrone (Ohio State).
• Carolina's 2026 recruiting class featured seven freshmen: Cristian Alvarez (285), Ronin Gault (174), Lincoln Jipp (197), Brody Kelly (184), Lukas Littleton Mascaro (133), Nadav Nafshi (174) and Dunia Sibomana (125).

Recapping Last Season
• The Tar Heels opened the year 6-0 in dual action, the best start to a season since 2005-06 and the fifth time in program history Carolina has won their first six duals.
• Carolina defeated No. 12 Northern Iowa on the road, their highest ranked road victory in nearly a decade.
• Individually, Bryce Hepner won the 165-pound title at the 2026 ACC Championships, Carolina's first ACC champion during Koll's tenure and the first 165-pound ACC champion for the program since 2009.
• UNC qualified six wrestlers for the 2026 NCAA Championships in Cleveland, including four freshmen. The four freshmen qualifiers were the most in program history for Carolina. In Cleveland, Bryce Hepner earned All-America and a seventh-place finish at 165 pounds, becoming UNC's first 165-pound All-America since 2015.

Tar Heels In The Polls
• Entering the weekend, eight Tar Heels are ranked in the weekly InterMat Wrestling rankings:
- 125: Brendan McCrone - No. 9
- 133: Matthew Botello - No. 14
- 141: Luke Simcox - No. 12
- 149: Nick O'Neill - No. 28
- 157: Laird Root - No. 23
- 174: Joshua Ogunsanya - No. 13
- 184: Christian Hansen - No. 12
- 197: Robert Platt - No. 26
• As a team, Carolina is ranked No. 16 in the NWCA Coaches Poll.

Carolina Lineups This Weekend
Open:
125: Cameron Stinson Jr.
133: Marco Tocci
141: Elias Navida
149: No. 28 Nick O'Neill, Nate Askew, Mitchell Younger
157: Cullen Kane, Colin Nugent
165: Omaury Alvarez
184: Nolan O'Boyle, Aidan Schlett
197: Mikey Calcagno

Freshman/Sophomore:
174: Nadav Nafshi
197: Lincoln Jipp