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.

Clarke came into the tournament as the No. 15 seed in the 141-pound weight class. In his run to the championship match, Clarke has defeated three top 10 seeds, including No. 2 Jaydin Eierman of Iowa and Pittsburgh’s Matthews, who was seeded No. 6. The run has improved Clarke’s overall record this season to 21-3.

In defeating Matthews, Clarke avenged a loss to him from early February when the Panthers and Tar Heels met in Chapel Hill. Though Clarke lost that bout, Carolina won the match. In Saturday night’s final, Clarke will face the No. 1 wrestler in the field and the defending national champion: Nick Lee of Penn State. Clarke will look to follow up teammate Austin O’Connor in 2021 as a national champion. He would be the seventh national champion in UNC program history.

Clarke is wrestling in his fifth season in college, after spending his first four seasons with American. He transferred to Carolina before the 2021-22 season and is currently studying to become a lawyer. This is his first appearance in the NCAA wrestling championships.

Coverage of the wrestling championships will be broadcast on ESPN Saturday night at 7 p.m.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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