TAR HEELS TEAM UP TO MAKE THE HOLIDAYS BRIGHTER
Posted: December 23, 2019
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
For more than 20 years, Orange County Social Services (OCSS) has been helping families in need with holiday assistance, bringing joy into their lives this time of year. Carolina Athletics plays a role in that, partnering with OCSS for the annual Share Your Holiday program, the longest-running Christmastime project in which UNC student-athletes participate. Each year, student-athletes gather donations from teammates, coaches and staff, then buy gifts for the children and adults their teams sponsor. This year, Tar Heel teams raised enough money to sponsor 28 individuals. And on Dec. 12, 24 student-athletes representing a variety of team traveled to the OCSS Center in Hillsborough to deliver the presents they purchased. “It’s definitely fun because every year you get a new kid, so you usually get to shop for different things,” said Mia Fradenburg, a senior on the volleyball team. “But I think the time of year is good, too. With final exams, this is just a mini break from that. “It makes you really grateful for everything you do have. And I think this is a really good time for all the sports to come together and do something as a whole.” All 28 varsity teams participate in some sort of holiday gift donation project, most in Share Your Holiday. For the second time, the men’s basketball team partnered with the Me Fine Foundation, a nonprofit that attempts to ease the financial burdens on the caregivers of children who are dealing with a medical crisis. Meanwhile, the football team created packages that will go to needy kids through Operation Christmas Child. Additionally, Department of Athletics staff members donated toys at the department’s holiday luncheon, filling six large bins with games, dolls and other fun items for the OCSS Toy Chest.
With the Share Your Holiday program, each team has a point person who collects donations and plans the shopping date. James Courtney, who held that role for the men’s swimming and diving team, said he and Brooke Bauer, the point person for the women’s swimming and diving team, hoped to raise a combined $400. Ultimately, they surpassed that. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/12/23/student-athlete-development-goheels-exclusive-tar-heels-team-up-to-make-the-holidays-brighter.aspx
GOHEELS EXCLUSIVE: BACK ON THE MAT
When Austin O’Connor pulled onto the rainy campus of Cleveland State University last Saturday morning, it didn’t take long for others on hand to take notice. “There’s that O’Connor kid,” a fellow competitor said just seconds after he walked into Woodling Gymnasium in downtown Cleveland. O’Connor would be competing in a 30-man bracket at the tournament, his first competition of the 2019-20 season. With a grocery bag full of trail mix granola bars and sports drinks in hand, O’Connor kept moving with his headphones over his UNC knit cap and headed into the gym – unfazed, almost like he didn’t even hear it. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/12/20/wrestling-goheels-exclusive-back-on-the-mat.aspx
NO. 17 NORTH CAROLINA CRUISES TO 35-6 WIN OVER LITTLE ROCK
Posted: December 20, 2019
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Clay Lautt and Joey Mazzara led the way with back-to-back pins as No. 17 North Carolina defeated Little Rock on the road Friday night, 35-6, in the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans began the match with a pair of wins at 125 and 133, but Zach Sherman turned momentum in UNC’s direction with the 141-pound match. His 9-4 decision over Conner Ward put UNC on the board to set up #1 Austin O’Connor’s first dual meet appearance for Carolina this year. At 149 pounds, O’Connor collected bonus points for the Tar Heels. He took down Tyler Brennan twice in the first period and never looked back, winning with a 13-4 major decision. At 157, Josh McClure knocked off Little Rock’s Jose Champagne, 4-0, in McClure’s first dual meet appearance for the Tar Heels this season. He was followed by a major decision performance from Kennedy Monday, a 14-2 win over Will Edgar. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/12/20/wrestling-no-17-north-carolina-cruises-to-35-6-win-over-little-rock.aspx?mc_cid=f9cca19b1a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Nebraska Cornhuskers Top Oregon State Beavers 32-3
LINCOLN — The No. 2 Nebraska wrestling team scored bonus points in five matches and won eight of nine bouts overall to defeat Oregon State (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) 32-3 in front of 1,278 fans at the Devaney Center on Friday night. #6 Mikey Labriola (174) started the night off in dominant fashion, racking up six takedowns and eight near-fall points to defeat Colton Beisley by technical fall, 20-5. #5 Taylor Venz (184) picked up right where Labriola left off, picking up a 9-0 major decision over Colt Doyle. #10 Eric Schultz (197) gave the Huskers three consecutive bonus-point victories to start the evening when he replicated Labriola’s 20-5 technical fall victory against the Beavers’ J.J. Dixon. The night’s most exciting match took place at heavyweight. #15 Christian Lance (HWT) led JaMarcus Grant 3-1 late in the third period when Grant earned a one-point escape and two-point takedown to seize a 4-3 lead. Lance responded with a takedown as time expired. An official’s review confirmed the takedown, and Lance was victorious by decision, 5-4. Rest of the story at https://huskers.com/news/2019/12/20/wrestling-oregon-state-recap.aspx?mc_cid=f9cca19b1a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
BULLDOG WRESTLING WINS FIRST-EVER MEETING AGAINST PRESBYTERIAN
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel wrestling team made quick of the Blue Hose of Presbyterian, posting a 37-8 victory, Friday afternoon in McAlister Field House. In the first-ever season of Presbyterian’s wrestling team, the Bulldogs have taken a 1-0 lead over the Blue Hose. Dazjon Casto came away with the fastest victory for the Bulldogs, pinning Noah Hall in one minute and twenty seconds. Selwyn Porter toppled his opponent Bryton Goering in four minutes and twenty-nine seconds. Rest of the story at https://citadelsports.com/news/2019/12/20/bulldog-wrestling-wins-first-ever-meeting-against-presbyterian.aspx?mc_cid=f9cca19b1a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
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