Eight wrestlers from the University of North Carolina secured victories as the 22nd-ranked Tar Heels defeated No. 17 West Virginia, 27-7, at Carmichael Arena on Friday night.
The win marks a 6-0 start to the season for North Carolina, which is their best opening since the 2005-06 campaign. This is only the fifth time in program history that the Tar Heels have won their first six duals in a season, following similar starts in 1979-80, 1986-87, 1993-94, and 2005-06.
On Friday, Kysen Terukina (125 pounds), Ethan Oakley (133), Luke Simcox (141), Nate Askew (149), Bryce Hepner (165), Jake Dailey (184), Robert Platt (197), and Nolan Neves (285) all earned wins for North Carolina. Hepner’s pin in the first period was the only bonus-point victory for UNC during the meet.
The Tar Heels began with four straight decisions from Terukina, Oakley, Simcox, and Askew to take a 12-0 lead. At 157 pounds, Hepner recorded his second fall of the season and twelfth career pin; three of his four wins this year have come by major decision or fall.
North Carolina finished strong with three consecutive decisions by Dailey, Platt, and Neves. Both Dailey and Platt notched their first ranked victories of the season against Ian Bush (#21) and Rune Lawrence (#22) respectively.
Looking ahead, North Carolina will travel to face sixth-ranked Nebraska next Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern.