By the conclusion of the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Saturday, UNC had amassed 27.0 team points–good enough to finish 20th overall.

That finish is significant because it represents the program’s best performance at the event since 1995.

Redshirt senior Troy Heilmann led the way with a fourth-place finish at 149 pounds, while 184-pounder Chip Ness also earned All-American honors with a seventh-place finish in his weight class.

Heilmann’s fourth-place finish is the highest by a UNC wrestler since Justin Harty took second place at heavyweight back in 1996.

Ness, meanwhile, entered the tournament unseeded but pulled off a few upsets on the way to earning his All-American honor–giving the Tar Heels two wrestling All-Americans for the first time since 1995 as well.

In total, six of the eight Tar Heels who qualified for the event scored team points by winning at least one match.

To see the entire final NCAA Wrestling Championship brackets, click here.

 

 

Photo via UNC Athletics