Takedown Report

North Carolina thumps Bucknell

LEWISBURG, Pa. — Josh McClure’s upset of No. 10 Zach Hartman and No. 4 Austin O’Connor’s second-period pin helped No. 17 North Carolina beat Bucknell, 31-6, Friday night at Sojka Pavilion. Joe Heilmann began the night for the Tar Heels (9-5) with a dominant 4-0 win over Bucknell’s (5-7) Jakob Campbell. The true freshman was strong on top and used a lengthy third-period ride to start things in the right direction. Gary Wayne Harding followed that up with his second-straight major decision win, while Jaime Hernandez’s 6-4 decision at 141 pounds gave Carolina an early 10-0 lead.

At 149, it didn’t take long for O’Connor to win via fall for the sixth time in his redshirt freshman season. He and Matthew Kolonia started the second period neutral, and it took just 14 seconds for O’Connor to secure the pin. That marked his 24th win of the season, advancing the Carolina lead to 16-0. O’Connor’s performance sparked plenty of momentum, but McClure’s upset of No. 10 Zach Hartman was the highlight of the night. Tied 1-1 late in the third period after a back-and-forth battle, McClure found a way to use a tricky position in his favor and score a takedown with under 25 seconds in the match. He fought until the final whistle and held on, winning a 3-1 decision. Rest of the story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/21318

February 2, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized