North Carolina wrestler Bryce Hepner earned All-America honors on March 20 during the second day of the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Competing in the 165-pound weight class, Hepner became the first Tar Heel to achieve All-America status at that weight since Ethan Ramos in 2015.
Hepner’s performance also extended North Carolina’s streak of having a podium finisher to eight consecutive national tournaments. In his first season with the Tar Heels, Hepner advanced through a challenging bracket and secured his All-America recognition by defeating Ryder Downey of Northern Iowa with a close 1-0 decision in the blood round.
Earlier in the day, Hepner lost his quarterfinal match to top-ranked Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State by a score of 6-0. After clinching All-America status, he faced Arizona State’s Nicco Ruiz and was defeated by decision, 2-0.
Other North Carolina wrestlers competing in Friday’s consolation rounds included Kysen Terukina (125 pounds), Luke Simcox (141 pounds), and Jake Dailey (184 pounds). Each finished their tournament run with a record of one win and two losses after dropping their respective matches.
Hepner is scheduled to compete again on the final day of the three-day tournament, where he will face former Ohio State teammate Paddy Gallagher for seventh place.