Dec. 29, 2003

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Junior Venroy July placed fourth at 197 pounds, and two other Tar Heels earned top-six finishes, to pace the North Carolina wrestling team to seventh place Monday at the Southern Scuffle at UNC Greensboro's Fleming Gymnasium. Carolina scored 47 points, while winner Missouri scored 185 points to claim the team title.

After a 2-1 record on day one, July won three straight consolation bouts Monday. After wins over Edinboro's Jim Gibson (3-1) and Mike Labella (4-0), July downed teammate David Dashiell, 2-1, to advance to the consolation final. VMI's Jason Cox defeated July, 9-3, to take third place, while July, who went 5-2 in the tournament, earned fourth. July improved his record this season to 11-10.

Dashiell, who advanced to the championship semifinals Sunday, lost all three bouts Monday but earned a sixth-place finish. He won both of his matches on Monday.

Rounding out the scoring for Carolina was senior Ryan Adams, who earned a fifth-place finish in the heavyweight division. Adams, who went 6-2 in the tourney, defeated four seeded wrestlers, including three Monday. Following wins over No. 4 Derrell Lothridge of Old Dominion (6-2) and No. 8 Josh Walker of Penn State (Fall 1:44), Adams lost to Rider's Carmelo Marrero by a 4-2 count. But Adams, who is now 15-7 this season, bounced back with a win over The Citadel's Billy Linane (Fall 3:26) to secure the fifth-place finish.

Carolina returns to action Jan. 9-10 at the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va.