Nov. 8, 2009
Complete Hokie Open Results
SALEM, Va. -
Highlighted by junior Thomas Scotton's first-place finish at 157 pounds, North Carolina placed 10 wresters in the top six of their respective weight classes at the Hokie Open Sunday at Salem Civic Center. Scotton, who was 5-0 on the day, was one of five Tar Heels to post a top-three finish in the first action of the season.
In addition to Scotton's 157-pound title, Carolina also got runner-up finishes from junior Nick Stabile at 149 pounds and freshman Zac Bennett at 197. Junior Mike Rappo took third at 141, as did senior Dennis Drury at 197. At 133 pounds, redshirt freshman Ky Corley was fourth, and senior Jeremy Shaw was sixth. Junior Danny Lopes was fourth at 141, and sophomores Kyle Kiss and Nick Tenpenny took fifth at 165 and 184, respectively.
Coming off a solid run at nationals a year ago, Scotton cruised to the final Sunday with four decisive victories, including a 10-2 major decision William Powell of Appalachian State in the final. Scotton scored a 4-2 overtime decision over ACC rival Jesse Dong of Virginia Tech, who had posted four straight pins, to take the title.
Stabile and Bennett also reached finals with unbeaten marks and took second place. Stabile won his first four bouts in dominating fashion by a combined 44-3 margin, including 15-1 and 16-0 victories in his first to bouts, but forfeited the final. Bennett won his first three bouts, including a 39-second pin of Cumberland's Eric Metzler, before being pinned in the final by Jesse Strawn of Old Dominion in 6:18.
Bennett was joined in the top three at 197 by Drury, who was 3-1 on the day. He won his first two bouts before being edged by Strawn in the semifinals. Drury bounced back with a pin of Newberry's Keeno Griffin in just 1:56 in the third-place match.
Rappo and Lopes gave the Tar Heels a pair of top-four finishers at 141 pounds. Both captured their first three matches to advance to the semifinals, and Rappo won via default over Lopes in the third-place bout.
Corley went 3-2 and advanced to the semifinals at 133 but dropped his final two bouts to take fourth. Shaw, who went 4-2 on the day, was sixth after losing his first match and reeling off four straight in the consolation bracket.
Kiss was 5-1 to take fifth at 165, while Tenpenny was 4-1 at 184 to take fifth.
The Tar Heels are back in action Sunday in the fourth-annual ACC Challenge at the Eddie Smith Field House.
