For the second time in three days, the eighth-ranked UNC wrestling team earned a win over a top-25 opponent on Sunday–defeating No. 17 Cornell on the road by a score of 21-13.

The win moved the Tar Heels to 13-2 on the year, while Cornell fell to 10-7–with five of those losses coming against ranked competition.

Joey Melendez  scored a pinfall victory at 125 pounds to clinch the win for UNC, while Brandon Whitman had the most impressive win of the day by defeating No. 3 ranked Ben Darmstadt 6-2 in a major upset.

Following Melendez’s win, the Tar Heels had claimed victory in six of the dual’s first eight matches.

Austin O’Connor (149 pounds), A.C. Headlee (157), Sawyer Davidson (165) and Clay Lautt (174) each joined Melendez and Darmstadt in winning their respective matches.

Cornell closed the dual with back-to-back wins at 133 and 141 pounds, but by that point the team score was out of reach and the outcome all but decided.

Up Next:

UNC heads to Charlottesville for its next dual on Friday against Virginia at 7 p.m.

 

 

 

Photo via Cornell Athletics

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