CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Despite a solid start to the match that saw the Mids take an early 6-0 lead, the Navy wrestling team (9-3) was unable to hang on as the 13th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (11-3) dealt the Mids a 24-12 loss Wednesday evening at Carmichael Arena.

"North Carolina is a talented program and I think our team is very positive walking away from this match knowing we can compete at this level," said second-year Navy head coach Joel Sharratt.

The Mids won three of the first five matches, including the first two bouts on the scorecard. Navy sophomore Brant Leadbeter (Owings, Md.) used a takedown 30 seconds into the final period to secure a 6-3 victory over redshirt freshman Anthony Bosco at 125 pounds and give the Mids a 3-0 advantage. Navy pushed its lead to 6-0 when sophomore 133-pound Zack Davis (Granger, Ind.) shut out UNC rookie James Szymanski for a 6-0 victory. Davis has now won five straight matches and improved to 7-3 this season in dual action.

"The youth of the program stood out once again in the first five weights," said Sharratt. "We started off at 125 with another aggressive victory by Brant Leadbeter who is growing into the young man that was a High School All-American. He has found his triggers for competition and is really doing a great job in his matches.

"Zack Davis also continues to produce solid, consistent results against every opponent he faces. We need him to keep developing and produce the bonus points his style and effort are capable of producing."

UNC quickly cut into the Mids' lead as 11th-ranked 141-pound Joey Ward recorded a 16-1 tech fall in the second period against Navy rookie Adam Connell (Chattanooga, Tenn.). It was just the fourth collegiate match for Connell who subbed in for Nicholas Gil (Crystal Lake, Ill.), one of four Navy starters who sat out Wednesday night's match. Meanwhile, fifth-ranked Evan Henderson gave the Tar Heels their first lead of the match with a 4-2 decision over Navy sophomore Corey Wilding (Pittsburgh, Pa.) at 149 pounds. Henderson held a 3-0 advantage going into the final stanza, but Wilding was awarded a takedown on the outer edge as time expired.

"Wrestling our backup at 141 pounds provided us a better idea of the work we need to do to be ready for the future," Sharratt pointed out. "Talent alone is not enough to win at this level, rather it takes development and a commitment to excellence in all areas.

"Corey Wilding took another competitive wrestler to the wire with his constant pressure and is always working at a pace others find hard to keep up with. He is going to surprise those who aren't prepared this post eason."

Navy fought back in the match when sophomore 157-pound Drew Daniels (Overland Park, Kan.) took a 3-0 lead on an escape and a takedown with 13 seconds to go in the second period before riding out Robert Henderson in third frame for the 4-0 victory.

"Drew Daniels scored strong take downs and has really worked hard with the staff improving his top position. I'm happy to see him get a win tonight."

Facing a 9-8 deficit coming out of intermission, the Tar Heels won three straight matches to essentially put the match out of reach. All three wins were by ranked wrestlers, including two - #9 John Michael Staudenmayer at 165 and #2 Ethan Ramos at 174 - ranked among the nation's top 10.

"Michael Coleman (165), Ryan Harman (174) and Robert Mannier (184) stepped up as injuries and other factors lowered the Iron Curtain this week," said Sharratt. "They are young but the experience in a dual meet against the 13th-ranked team shows them exactly what it will take to put this program back in top 10 contention.

Navy had a chance to knot the match with pins in its final two bouts at 197 and heavyweight, but instead split the two. Senior 197-pound Michael Woulfe (Oak Park, Ill.) earned his 26th win of the season and improved to 7-1 in dual matches with an 11-4 victory over Chip Ness, while Nick Mabry (New Braunfels, Texas)succumbed in a 2-0 decision by UNC redshirt freshman Cory Daniel at heavyweight.

"Michael Woulfe worked hard for bonus points, but it's a challenge to build a lead when your opponent doesn't really want to wrestle for the whole seven minutes.

"Mabry is steadily growing and understanding the tactics of being a light heavyweight. His athletic ability will continue to shine through as he gains an understanding of how to utilize his athleticism to his advantage."

The Midshipmen will use the next week-and-a-half to prepare for their final and more important dual of the season - the Army-Navy Star Match - on Saturday, Feb. 20. It is part of an Army-Navy tripleheader as the women's (11:00 am) and men's (1:30 pm) basketball games will be played prior to the wrestling match which is set for a 7:30 pm start at Alumni Hall. The match will be streamed online (FREE) via PatriotLeague.TV and NavySports.com(.)

#13 North Carolina 24, Navy 12
125: Brant Leadbeter (N) dec. Anthony Bosco (UNC), 6-3
133: Zack Davis (N) dec. James Szymanski (UNC), 6-0
141: #11 Joey Ward (UNC) tech fall Adam Connell (N), 16-1 (4:35)
149: #5 Evan Henderson (UNC) dec. Corey Wilding (N), 4-2
157: Drew Daniels (N) dec. Robert Henderson (UNC), 4-0
165: #9 John Michael Staudenmayer (UNC) dec. Michael Coleman (N), 8-3
174: #2 Ethan Ramos (UNC) pinned Ryan Harman (N), 2:59
184: #19 Alex Utley (UNC) maj. dec. Robert Mannier (N), 11-3
197: Michael Woulfe (N) dec. Chip Ness (UNC), 11-4
285: Cory Daniel (UNC) dec. Nick Mabry (N), 2-0

### Go Navy ###