Two matches don’t necessarily constitute a trend, but the North Carolina wrestling team is coming dangerously close to falling into a bad pattern.
But two of its top wrestlers are setting impressive models for their teammates.
With their narrow 18-13 loss to ACC foe Virginia on Friday, the Tar Heels (6-4, 2-2 in the ACC), for the second time, lost to a conference opponent in a match in which one more individual win would have given North Carolina the victory, the first coming Jan. 13 against Maryland.
The day before the Virginia match, head coach C.D. Mock said the Tar Heels should win if every wrestler did his job. And while the Tar Heels’ star 12th-ranked 165-pounder, Keegan Mueller, earned the only major decision of the match, only three of his teammates could manage wins, leaving North Carolina one decision shy of the win.
But despite the loss to Virginia on Friday, the weekend wasn’t a complete loss. Mueller and 18th-ranked heavyweight Justin Dobies continued to pick up conference wins — which will come in handy when the ACC Tournament rolls around — and strengthen their resumes in anticipation of the NCAA Championships.
With wins against both Virginia and Virginia Tech this past weekend, Mueller and Dobies both remained undefeated in dual matches.
Mueller faces a tough test this coming weekend, as the Tar Heels travel to Philadelphia to take on Penn and Drexel. Penn’s 18th-ranked Zach Shanaman (15-5) will be the first ranked opponent Mueller has seen since the Oklahoma’s then No. 12 Max Dean.
-Daniel Price
