Hepner Becomes First UNC 165-Pound All-America Since 2015

Friday, March 20

Cleveland, Ohio

All Day

North Carolina

NCAA Championships

Photo by: Jenna Miller

March 20, 2026 | Wrestling

CLEVELAND, Ohio – North Carolina 165-pounder Bryce Hepner earned All-America honors, Saturday on day two of the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Hepner, in his first season with the Tar Heels, becomes the first 165-pound All-America Tar Heel since Ethan Ramos in 2015. Additionally, Hepner helped Carolina post a podium finisher for the eighth-straight national tournament.

To open the day, Hepner dropped his quarterfinal match with top-ranked Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State, 6-0.

The nearby Avon, Ohio native returned in the blood round versus 11^th-ranked Ryder Downey of Northern Iowa, clinching his All-America status with a 1-0 decision. In the ensuing match, Hepner fell by decision, 2-0, to Arizona State's fourth-ranked Nicco Ruiz.

In Friday's consolation action, the trio of Kysen Terukina (125), Luke Simcox (141) and Jake Dailey (184) dropped decisions in their respective consolation matches, each finishing the national tournament with a 1-2 record.

Hepner will return to the mat tomorrow morning on the final day of the three-day tournament, facing former Ohio State teammate Paddy Gallagher in the seventh-place match.

2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
March 20, 2026 | Rocket Arena | Cleveland, Ohio

Session Three (Afternoon)
Quarterfinal
165: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) over No. 9 Bryce Hepner (UNC): 6-0 Dec

Consolation Round Two
125: No. 13 Stevo Poulin (Iowa State) over No. 19 Kysen Terukina (UNC): 7-2 Dec
141: No. 11 CJ Composto (Penn) over No. 12 Luke Simcox (UNC): 7-3 Dec
184: No. 16 Rylan Rodgers (Lehigh) over No. 18 Jake Dailey (UNC): 9-4 Dec

Session Four (Evening)
Consolation Round Four
165: No. 9 Bryce Hepner (UNC) over No. 11 Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa): 1-0 Dec

Consolation Round Five
165: No. 4 Nicco Ruiz (Arizona State) over No. 9 Bryce Hepner (UNC): 2-0 Dec