American 25  North Carolina 19

WASHINGTON - The American University wrestling team opened its home schedule Saturday evening with a 25-19 upset victory over North Carolina in Bender Arena. The dual was decided at the final weight class as Kyle Borshoff, ranked 13th in the nation at 149 lbs. but moving up one weight to 157 lbs., defeated Carolina's Thomas Scotton on a last minute take down, 5-2, to claim the team victory for AU. 174 lbs. No. 4 Mike Cannon also moved up one weight class and remained unbeaten on the year, taking a 15-4 major decision over Daniel Llamos.

Due to a Carolina forfeit at 149 lbs., four Eagles wrestled up one weight class. The dual began at 165 lbs. where Patrick Graham, normally a 157-pounder, was tech-falled by No. 17 Keegan Mueller, putting the Tar Heels ahead in the team scores, 5-0. Christopher Stout made the move up to 174 lbs. in the next match and pulled out an exciting 9-5 decision over Kevin Owen. Stout fell behind Owen in the first period, 4-1, but with 56 seconds remaining in the second hit a single-leg take down to cut the deficit to 5-3. Stout began the third period down and quickly escaped to move the score to 5-4 and took his first lead of the match on a re-shot, 6-5, with under one minute remaining. Stout scored once more in the closing moments of the match to take the decision by a final of 9-5.

Cannon, ranked fourth in the nation at 174 lbs., also made the move up a weight and earned a 15-4 major decision over Llamos to remain unbeaten on the year. Cannon started quickly with a double-leg take down of Llamos and scored a second double-leg later in the period to take a 4-1 lead into the second. The junior began the second period down and quickly turned an escape into a takedown for a 7-1 lead just 10 seconds into the stanza. Cannon scored twice in the second and held an 11-3 lead heading into the third. A stalling point early in the period moved the score to 12-3 in favor of Cannon and with riding time after his sixth takedown of the match, Cannon won by major decision, 15-4. Cannon's victory moved American ahead of North Carolina in the team scores, 7-5.

The Tar Heels turned things around at the next two weights and regained the lead over AU, 14-7. 197-pounder Dennis Drury, who entered the match ranked 16th, earned a second period fall over Andrew Silber at the 4:23 mark and Justin Dobies defeated Quinton Pruett by decision, 10-5.

125-pounder Thomas Williams got American back on track with a 16-0 technical fall against Nick Sheilds. Williams used an aggressive cross-face to score three sets of near fall points in the first period and quickly ran up an 11-0 lead over Sheilds with just one take down. Williams scored a second take down early in the second period to move the score to 13-0 and with three more near fall points ended the match by tech. fall, 16-0, at 4:24. The freshman's victory closed the gap in the team scores as North Carolina now led by just two, 14-12.

Carolina however moved its lead back to seven points, 19-12, with a Mike Rappo tech. fall over Jasen Borshoff, 20-5, at the 7:00 mark in the 133 lbs. bout. Needing a victory to stay alive, the Eagles turned to Matt Mariacher at 141 lbs. who answered the call with a 16-7 major decision over No. 20 Vincent Ramirez. Mariacher, who entered the match unranked, scored first on Ramirez with a takedown 30 seconds in the first period. Ramirez would escape though and after scoring on an ankle pick took a 3-2 lead into the second. In the second, Mariacher quickly escaped from his down starting position to tie the score at three.
Ramirez then scored a takedown to regain the lead but Mariacher was able to use Ramirez's own momentum to reverse him and score three back points to go on top, 8-5. Mariacher scored once more on Ramirez as time expired in the second and took a 10-6 lead into the third. Mariacher scored one final takedown in the period after a Ramirez escape, hit the senior for three back points and with riding time earned the victory by major decision, 16-7. Mariacher's bonus point win pulled the Eagles back to within two in the team score, 19-17.

American went on top in the team scores at 149 lbs. as Nick Pitas was awarded a win by forfeit. The forfeit put AU ahead of North Carolina by three, 23-19, with just one final bout remaining. K. Borshoff, who entered the match ranked 13th at 149 lbs., stepped up to 157 lbs. for the dual's finale and gave the Eagles the team victory with a 5-2 decision against Thomas Scotton. K. Borshoff fell behind early to Sutton as the Tar Heel scored a takedown with just over one minute gone from the clock to take a 2-0 lead. K. Borshoff cut his deficit in half later in the period with an escape and went into the second trailing by one, 2-1. The junior began the second riding Sutton and was able to accrue over 1:50 of riding time which he took into the third. K. Borshoff tied the score in the third with an escape from his down starting postion and took his first lead late in the period, 4-2, with a single-leg sweep. Despite Scotton's best efforts he was unable to mount a comeback in the final seconds and K. Borshoff took the bout with riding time, 5-2. The decision helped American to hold off the Tar Heels in the team scores as well as the Eagles took the meet by a final score of 25-19.

AU returns to the mat this Friday, Jan. 16, when the team travels north to Annapolis, Md., and faces EIWA foe Navy at 7 p.m.

American 25, North Carolina 19

165 - Keegan Meuller (NC) tech. fall Patrick Graham (AU), 17-0, 0-5
174 - Christopher Stout (AU) dec. Kevin Owen, 9-5, 3-5
184 - No. 4 Mike Cannon (AU) maj. dec. Daniel Llamos, 15-4, 7-5
197 - Dennis Drury (NC) fall Andrew Silber (AU), 4:23, 7-11
HWT - Justin Dobies (NC) dec. Quinton Pruett (AU), 10-5, 7-14
125 - Thomas Williams (AU) tech. fall Nick Sheilds (NC), 16-0 4:24, 12-14
133 - Mike Rappo (NC) tech. fall Jasen Borshoff (AU), 20-5 7:00, 12-19
141 - Matt Mariacher (AU) maj. dec. Vincent Ramierez (NC), 16-7, 17-19
149 - Nick Pitas (AU), win by forfeit, 22-19
157 - No. 13 Jasen Borshoff (AU) dec. Thomas Scotton (NC), 5-2, 25-19