The No. 24 UNC wrestling team honored its Class of 2022 in the best way possible: with an emphatic victory over a ranked foe. The Tar Heels took down No. 19 Pittsburgh 19-12 in Carmichael Arena Friday night to improve their ACC record to 3-0. It’s also Carolina’s first win over a ranked team this season.

“It feels good to send the seniors out with a win,” head coach Coleman Scott said. “It’s always good to get an important win on senior night in front of a big crowd.”

The Tar Heels and Panthers alternated wins in the first two bouts of the dual, including a victory from Joe Heilmann over the Panthers’ Mickey Phillippi, who was ranked No. 7 in the 133-pound weight class. Defending national champion Austin O’Connor, wrestling in his last home bout, picked up a critical victory over Pitt’s Elijah Curry in the 157-pound bout to improve his personal record to 15-1 on the season. Gavin Kane and Clay Lautt, who was also competing in his home finale, would both pick up wins in their bouts as well, before Brandon Whitman sealed the dual with a victory in the heavyweight bout.

Carolina is now 8-4 overall in dual matches this season, but will see that record tested with two top 10 opponents to close out the season. The Tar Heels will travel to No. 7 Virginia Tech on February 11 before closing out the regular season at No. 4 NC State on February 18. The ACC Championships begin on March 6.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
UNC Wrestling Beats No. 17 Stanford, Claims Share of ACC Regular-Season Title
Carolina earned a 24-9 win at No. 17 Stanford Friday night in California in its ACC regular-season finale. With the win, the Tar Heels improved to 5-1 in league competition and clinched a share of the ACC regular-season title for the first time since the 2018-19 season. UNC finished in a three-way tie in the […]
UNC Wrestler Charged With Felony Assault, Suspended from Team
UNC wrestler Jace Palmer has been charged with felony aggravated assault after punching a fellow student. An incident report from the Chapel Hill Police Department says the assault took place on Monday afternoon at 828 Purefoy Road in Chapel Hill, near the intersection with Howell Street south of the UNC campus. According to court records, […]
Coleman Scott Resigns as UNC Wrestling Head Coach; Tony Ramos Reportedly Named Interim
UNC wrestling head coach Coleman Scott has stepped down from his position, effective immediately. Scott will reportedly return to his alma mater Oklahoma State to serve as associate head coach. 🚨🚨🚨 Coleman Scott has informed his team at UNC that he’s out and will be heading west to Oklahoma State where he will serve as […]
Lighting and Video Board Upgrades Coming to Carmichael Arena
Carmichael Arena on the UNC campus is undergoing significant lighting and video board upgrades this summer, which the school says will create “an enhanced and exciting game day atmosphere.” The new lighting inside the arena, which has already been installed, is an LED system with the capability to make the arena “awash in Carolina blue […]
UNC's Erin Matson and Austin O'Connor Named 2023 Patterson Medal Winners
Erin Matson and Austin O’Connor have been named as the 2023 winners of UNC’s Patterson Medal, which honors the school’s most outstanding student-athletes. Matson played five seasons with the UNC field hockey program and ended four of them — including her final campaign in 2022 — as a national champion. Matson’s career accomplishments place her […]
UNC's Austin O'Connor Wins 2nd Career Wrestling National Championship
UNC wrestler Austin O’Connor capped off a brilliant college career Saturday night, winning his second career national title at the NCAA Championships in Tulsa. Austin O’Connor: 𝑵𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑨𝑳 𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑴𝑷𝑰𝑶𝑵.#GoHeels | #TogetherWeWin pic.twitter.com/Q2ghRZXYhC — UNC Wrestling (@UNCWrestling) March 18, 2023 O’Connor won the 157-pound title by defeating Penn State’s Levi Haines 6-2 in the championship round. He […]
Austin O'Connor Wins 3rd Career ACC Championship
In his sixth and final season with the UNC wrestling program, Austin O’Connor is still adding to his trophy case. O’Connor won his third career ACC championship on Sunday, defeating Virginia Tech’s Bryce Andonian for the 157-pound title. O’Connor’s previous two titles each came in the 149-pound class. 𝗔𝗖𝗖 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡. O'Connor wins the 157-pound title, […]
UNC Wrestling's Kizhan Clarke to Compete For National Title Saturday
Graduate student Kizhan Clarke will attempt to bring in a national title to the UNC wrestling program for the second consecutive year Saturday night. Clarke defeated Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh in the 141-pound semifinals Friday night to advance to the championship round in Detroit. 141 | No. 15 Kizhan Clarke takes the match by ultimate […]
UNC's Clay Lautt Named ACC Wrestler of the Week
Despite a team loss to NC State on Friday night, it was still a banner day for UNC wrestler Clay Lautt. Lautt defeated No. 4 Hayden Hidlay of the Wolfpack during the dual, scoring the highest-ranked win of his career and dealing Hidlay his first loss of the season, and first-ever against an ACC opponent. […]
UNC Wrestling Tops No. 19 Pittsburgh on Senior Night
The No. 24 UNC wrestling team honored its Class of 2022 in the best way possible: with an emphatic victory over a ranked foe. The Tar Heels took down No. 19 Pittsburgh 19-12 in Carmichael Arena Friday night to improve their ACC record to 3-0. It’s also Carolina’s first win over a ranked team this […]
›