Nov. 14, 2001

The UNC wrestling team enters the 2001-02 campaign looking to continue the success it has enjoyed under Bill Lam in his 28 years at the helm in Chapel Hill. This year's team features seven starters from last year's squad that finished 8-5 and finished tied for first in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season with a 4-1 record.

The Tar Heels were well represented at the NCAA Championships, sending four wrestlers to the tournament in Iowa City, Iowa. This experience, coupled with a solid class of newcomers, should have Carolina back at the top of the ACC and competing nationally. This season's Tar Heel squad has only five seniors on its roster, but Lam says there is no shortage of leadership.

"We'll obviously look to guys like Matt Kenny, Brad Byers and Nick Richmond for leadership," Lam says. "But we'll also look to guys like John Paul Igoe, some of our non-starters, for leadership. They've been in the weight room working hard for three and four years and they do a great job helping the young guys on the team."

Kenny, a three-time ACC champion at heavyweight, should provide the Tar Heels with consistency on the mat this season. The Great Meadows, N.Y., native qualified for his third consecutive NCAA Tournament last season and finished the year with a 17-4 overall record. Kenny had eight wins by pin, the quickest coming in 41 seconds. Kenny fell just one win shy of All-America honors the last two seasons, and should compete for national honors again this season.

Byers (133 pounds) and Richmond (184 pounds) could compete for All-America recognition this year. Byers, from Hudson, Ohio, finished last season13-10, while battling a neck injury much of the season. He qualified for the NCAA Tournament his first two seasons and looks to cap his career as a Tar Heel with a return trip to nationals.

Richmond, from Claysville, Pa., finished the 2001 season at 16-13. He had arguably the most memorable win on the squad last season when he defeated Lehigh's Rob Rohn, 6-3, when Rohn was ranked No. 5 nationally. The win was key in Carolina's upset of No. 7 Lehigh, 17-16. Jake Reynolds (165 pounds), Chris Collins (125 pounds), Chris DiGuiseppe (157 pounds) and Michael Booth (141 pounds) also return as starters.

This season's list of newcomers includes three transfers and a talented group of freshmen. Chris Rodrigues (125 pounds) transferred from Michigan and is ranked ninth preseason at 125 pounds. Dusty Heist (149 pounds) transferred from Indiana and was the 2000 Pennsylvania state high school wrestling champion. Jimmy O'Connor transferred from James Madison and was a two-time Maryland state wrestling champion.

Carolina opens the 2001-02 campaign at the East Stroudsburg Open before returning to Chapel Hill to host the annual Sharpie-Carolina Open. This year's event will feature wrestlers from Carolina, Cornell, Appalachian State and the Citadel.

"The Sharpie-Carolina Open should be excellent this year," Lam says. "We've got some great wrestlers coming down, and it should be very competitive and exciting for the fans." The following weekend the Tar Heels travel to the Las Vegas Open and should have a good idea about this season's squad following these two events.

"The competition in Las Vegas and at the Sharpie-Carolina Open should give us an early look at how our team will shape up," Lam says.

Carolina ends 2001 competing at the always-tough Midlands and begins dual-meet competition, Jan. 11-12, at the Virginia Duals.

ACC action gets underway, Jan. 16, when the Tar Heels play host to arch-rival NC State. The last five matches between the two squads have been decided by four points or less and this season's matches should prove to be just as competitive.

Non-conference matches with Ohio, Campbell and UNC Greensboro follow before the Tar Heels get back into ACC action with three matches in five days - at Virginia, Feb. 1, at Maryland, Feb. 2 and hosting Duke, Feb. 5.

Carolina goes out of the conference for a match with Navy, Feb. 9, before traveling to Raleigh, N.C., for the ACC finale versus NC State.

The squad makes a quick trip to Pennsylvania to face Lehigh and Drexel, Feb. 16, and winds up the regular season, Feb. 23, by hosting Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb.

This season's ACC Tournament will be held in Raleigh on March 9. Carolina has won eight of the last 10 ACC crowns and look to give Lam his 15th ACC title while at Carolina.

The season wraps up at the NCAA Tournament in Albany, N.Y., March 21-23.