The dual kicked off in the 133 class where junior Isaac Jimenez took on No. 25 Rico Montoya. Montoya narrowly edged by Jimenez, 6-5, to put the Bears on the board for their only lead of the day.
Sophomore Alec Opsal, who finalized a 7-1 dual record on the season, set the tone for the rest of the dual by pinning his opponent 66-seconds into the first period. Opsal leads the team with four pins in dual action this season.
Falcon veterans Dane Robbins and Alex Mossing continued the charge, posting decision wins in their respective weight divisions. Robbins, who leads the team with nine dual meet wins, took a 6-2 decision over Jimmy Fate, while Mossing won, 5-3, over Tyler Kinn to propel the Falcons to a 12-3 lead.
Alex Lopouchanski took the mat against No. 20 Keilan Torres determined to make some noise in the coaches' poll. A staunch defensive battle yielded an escape point apiece; however, it was Lopouchanski who would score the takedown before the whistle, knocking off the 2017 national qualifier, 3-1.
Falcon senior Michael Billingsley followed up with a 6-5 win over Seth Bogulski in the 174 class. Northern Colorado's Dylan Gabel would notch the Bears' final win of the night as he narrowly got by Zen Ikehara, 2-0.
The Falcons' big guys, Anthony McLaughlin and Matt Wagner, responded with decision wins in their respective matches. McLaughlin outpaced Tanner Davis to a 6-3 victory, while Wagner beat Robert Winters, 2-1.
The final bout at 125 came down to the wire as the Tony DeCesare and Sean Cannon entered sudden victory knotted at two. DeCesare proved to be hungrier as he got in on Cannon's leg and chased him down for two points and the win, securing the Falcons' victory, 27-6.
Sam Barber's Falcons finalized their most winning season since Barber took the helm four seasons ago. The Falcons will prepare to do battle at the conference tournament, March 3-4, in Tulsa, Oklahoma's, BOK Center.
Results:
133: #25 Rico Montoya (UNC) Dec. Isaac Jimenez (AF) –6-5 | UNC 3, AF 0
141: Alec Opsal (AF) Fall Benjamin Polkowske (UNC) –1:06 | AF 6, UNC 3
149: Dane Robbins (AF) Dec. Jimmy Fate (UNC) –6-2 | AF 9, UNC 3
157: Alex Mossing (AF) Dec. Tyler Kinn (UNC) –5-3 | AF 12, UNC 3
165: Alex Lopouchanski (AF) Dec. #20 Keilan Torres (UNC) –3-1 | AF 15, UNC 3
174: Michael Billingsley (AF) Dec. Seth Bogulski (UNC) –6-5 | AF 18, UNC 3
184: Dylan Gabel (UNC) Dec. Zen Ikehara (AF) –2-0 | AF 18, UNC 6
197: Anthony McLaughlin (AF) Dec. Tanner Davis (UNC) –6-3 | AF 21, UNC 6
285 Matt Wagner (AF) Dec. Robert Winters (UNC) –2-1 | AF 24, UNC 6
125: Tony DeCesare (AF) Dec. Sean Cannon (UNC) – 4-2 SV1 | AF 27, UNC 6
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