Takedown Report

ACC Conference Recap (1/23/23)

Opening night for the ACC did not disappoint. The Virginia Tech vs NC State dual got the national spotlight and they put on a show. North Carolina and Pitt both took lopsided wins on the road. We are off and running in conference competition; let’s take a look at how the weekend played out.

#28 North Carolina at Duke

North Carolina took on their Tobacco Road rival and left Cameron Indoor Stadium with a statement win. The Tar Heels won the first eight matches, including seven bonus-point victories to open ACC competition.

One of the highlights of the evening was the return of Clay Lautt to the UNC lineup. Lautt has been out since the Appalachian State dual in mid-December. He returned to put on an offensive showcase, taking an 18-3 tech fall over Gaetano Console. Lautt’s season record moves to 6-2 for the season. Lautt will be favored in his next two matches before a top-10 showdown with Mekhi Lewis.

It was a difficult evening for Duke, but they ended the dual with two big wins. Vince Baker edged Max Shaw at 197 to stretch his season record to 5-3; this was a quality win for Baker who has quietly started off strong for the Blue Devils; two of his three losses are to top-12 ranked wrestlers. Jonah Neisenbaum ended the night on a positive note for Duke, gritting out a hard-fought 3-1 sudden victory win over Brandon Whitman.

The Tar Heels put on an offensive display after opening the dual with a forfeit win for Jack Wagner. Their lowest match point total on the evening was from Jace Palmer in a 7-6 decision over Logan Agin. The next six matches were bonus point victories for UNC. Lachlan McNeil dominated in a 17-2 tech fall over Jarred Papscy. Zach Sherman bounced back after a loss last week, gaining his first bonus point win of the year with a 12-1 major decision over Patrick Rowland. Austin O’Connor continued his undefeated season, adding his 11th bonus point victory with a first-period pin of Preston Decker. … rest of story at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/26443

January 30, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized