“I thought we really wrestled pretty well,” said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. “We were able to win a lot of close matches which is key in a match like this. Honestly, I know the record of some of their wrestlers may not indicate it, but they have a solid team and we had to wrestle well to win tonight.”
Much like last week’s start against nationally-ranked Maryland, the Mids opened up Friday night’s match against UNC by winning their first two matches via bonus points. Senior team captain Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the opening period and never looked back as he dealt Carolina’s Frank Abbondanza a 14-2 loss at 197 pounds.
Senior heavyweight Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) pushed the Mids’ lead to 8-0 after shutting down rookie Tar Heel Cody Klempay, 9-0.
North Carolina earned the first of its two wins of the evening at 125 pounds where seventh-ranked Nathan Kraisser edged out Navy’s Patrick Prada (Laurel, Md.), 11-7. Prada scored a takedown in the first 20 seconds of the match, however, Kraisser was able to get free and then turned his takedown into a 3-point nearfall to take a 6-2 lead at the end of the period. It was a lead he would not relinquish.
Navy’s Colton Rasche (Plano, Ill.) earned Navy’s third win of the evening and third by major decision as he turned a 2-0 first period lead into a 6-1 advantage going into the final period with nearly four minutes of riding time. Rasche took the bout against Patrick Owens, 10-2, to give the Mids a 12-3 lead.
Seventh-ranked Evan Henderson used three first-period takedowns to take a 6-3 advantage in his match over Navy junior Joe Locksmith (Kissimmee, Fla.) at 141 pounds. The deficit proved too much for Locksmith, who recorded last weekend’s match-winning pin, as Henderson took a 10-4 win.
Navy went on to claim wins in each of the final five bouts, although all five were close. Junior Raymond Borja (Virginia Beach, Va.) looked sharp at 149 pounds, where he won his second straight dual by way of an 8-3 victory over UNC’s Nick Heilmann.
“Ray has stepped up and I’m really pleased with how he is wrestling right now,” added Burnett. “When someone gets hurt, you hope there is someone chomping at the bit to get their chance and come in and help out the team. Ray is a competitor. He’s done a great job and continues to get better each time he steps out onto the mat.”
Senior Bobby Barnhisel, (River Forest, Ill.), ranked 14th at 157 pounds, scored an early takedown to take control of his match against Chris Mears, as he pushed his record to 24-5 on the year, including a 3-1 dual meet mark, following his 4-1 win.
Tacking on a win to his flawless dual ledger this winter (4-0), sophomore Peyton Walsh (Glen Allen, Va.) rode out UNC’s John Staudenmayer the entire second period before earning an escape in the final stanza to capture a 2-0 victory at 165 pounds.
Meanwhile, after dropping back-to-back two-point bouts to nationally-ranked foes, Navy freshman Mathew Miller (Edgewood, Md. earned his 16th win of the season by way of a 4-1 victory over UNC’s Tanner Eitel at 174 pounds. Miller, who is ranked 14th, was tied with Eitel going into the final period, but scored a reversal with 1:16 to go in the match and added a point for riding time to earn the win.
Senior 184-pound Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) edged out Carolina’s Alex Utley in the night’s final bout. Bailey, ranked 20th in the country, scored a point in the second period with an escape. He rode Utley for better than a minute in the final period to gain the riding time point he would need, as Utley was able to cut loose with 40 seconds remaining in the match.
The Mids return to action Saturday evening when they face Rutgers at Wesley Brown Field House beginning at 7:30 pm. Admission to Saturday night’s match is $7 for adults and $5 for students (18 & under). As a reminder, fans are encouraged to park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and ride the shuttle over to the Naval Academy grounds. Access to the grounds is limited to those cars with a Department of Defense sticker.
Additionally, all fans who show their ticket stub at the door from the Navy vs. North Carolina match on Friday receive FREE admission to Saturday’s match vs. Rutgers.
Results:
197: Oscar Huntley (N) major dec. Frank Abbondanza (UNC), 14-2
285: Dan Miller (N) major dec. Cody Klempay (UNC), 9-0
125: #8 Nathan Kraisser (UNC) dec. Patrick Prada (N), 11-7
133: Colton Rasche (N) major dec. Patrick Owens (UNC), 10-2
141: #7 Evan Henderson (UNC) dec. Joe Locksmith (N), 10-4
149: Raymond Borja (N) dec. Nick Heilmann (UNC), 8-3
157: Bobby Barnhisel (N) dec. Chris Mears (UNC), 4-1
165: Peyton Walsh (N) dec. John Staudenmayer (UNC), 2-0
174: #14 Mathew Miller (N) dec. Tanner Eitel (UNC), 4-1
184: Mason Bailey (N) dec. Alex Utley (UNC), 2-1
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