Chris Foca Wins Gold to Lead Tar Heel Wrestling Club at Central American and Caribbean Games7/31/2026  The Tar Heel Wrestling Club was represented by three athletes at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with the team bringing home one gold medal and one silver medal while proudly representing three different nations.
Representing the Dominican Republic at 86 kilograms, Chris Foca captured the gold medal. Wrestling in front of a home crowd, Foca closed out the competition with a convincing 5-0 victory over Kevin De Leon of Mexico in the championship match to stand atop the podium. At 65 kilograms, Shannon Hanna represented The Bahamas and advanced to the gold medal match. Hanna faced Joey Silva of Puerto Rico in the finals, where Silva earned a 3-0 victory. Hanna finished with the silver medal, while helping The Bahamas reach the podium. Unfortunately, Ethan Ramos was unable to compete for Puerto Rico after being forced to withdraw due to illness.
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 The Tar Heel Wrestling Kid's Club is back on the mat this August, welcoming both new and returning wrestlers for another season of learning, competing, and growing through the sport of wrestling.
Held inside the UNC Wrestling Room on the campus of the University of North Carolina, the THWKC provides world-class instruction in a positive, age-appropriate environment where athletes develop sound fundamentals, confidence, discipline, and a strong work ethic. The program is designed for everyone from first-time wrestlers to experienced youth competitors looking to sharpen their skills. "Our goal is to create an environment where every child can build confidence, develop discipline, and learn the value of hard work while having fun. Whether a wrestler is stepping on the mat for the first time or preparing for a competitive season, we want them to leave every practice better than when they walked in—not just as athletes, but as people. We're excited to welcome everyone back and can't wait to get another great season started." said Brian Tucker, Director of the Kid's Club. The fall program begins Tuesday, August 18, with practices held every Tuesday and Thursday. Practice Schedule: Kindergarten through 3rd Grade
4th through 12th Grade
Monthly memberships:
Families who are new to the program are encouraged to come experience the club. First-time participants can attend one week of practices before registering if they decide the program is the right fit. As a USA Wrestling Chartered Club and the official U.S. Olympic Regional Training Center for North Carolina, the Tar Heel Wrestling Club offers young athletes the opportunity to train in the same environment that has helped develop national team members, world medalists, and Olympians. Whether your child is stepping onto the mat for the very first time or preparing for the upcoming competition season, the Tar Heel Kids Wrestling Club provides expert coaching, a supportive team atmosphere, and a clear pathway for long-term development. Registration is now open. For more information or to register, visit: Tar Heel Wrestling Kid's Club.  Photo Credit United World Wrestling Tar Heel Wrestling Club will have two athletes representing their nations on one of wrestling's biggest international stages this week as Shannon Hanna (Bahamas) and Chris Foca (Dominican Republic) compete at the 2026 Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial Ranking Series in Budapest, Hungary.
The Budapest Ranking Series is the final United World Wrestling Ranking Series event before the 2026 Senior World Championships, bringing together many of the world's top freestyle wrestlers as they battle for valuable ranking points and international medals. Hanna Draw Hanna opens his tournament against India's Kaliraman. A victory would setup a next round match vs Hungary's Mizsei. His quarterfinals opponent would be Azerbaijan's Babazade. The upper half of the bracket features Zakashvili (Georgia) along with United States standout Bartlett, who are projected to meet in the quarterfinals. Should Hanna navigate his opening rounds, he would likely need to defeat one of those favorites to reach the championship match. Foca's Draw Foca opens against the winner of Germany's Morodion and Azerbaijan's Dzhioev. A likely quarterfinal match with Georgia's Samkharadze awaits. Follow the Action LiveCompetition begins Wednesday, July 15, with all times listed in Eastern Time. 4:30 – 6:30 a.m. – Qualification Rounds 6:30 – 7:30 a.m. – Semifinals 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. – Repechage 12:00 – 2:30 p.m. – Medal Matches Fans can watch the Budapest Ranking Series love on FLO Wrestling, while brackets, results, and match by match updates are available though UWW Arena.  Ethan Ramos represented Tar Heel Wrestling Club at the Grand Prix of Spain over the weekend, finishing the tournament with a 1-1 record in senior freestyle competition.
Ramos opened the event with a technical fall victory to advance into the next round where he dropped his second match and ending his tournament before reaching the medal rounds. The focus now shifts to Budapest, Hungary, where Tar Heel Wrestling Club will have multiple athletes competing at the UWW Ranking Series event later this week. The tournament is one of the premier stops on the international calendar, featuring many of the world's top wrestlers and serving as an important opportunity to earn ranking points ahead of the World Championships. The official draws for Budapest will be released tomorrow afternoon, giving fans a first look at the opening-round matchups for Tar Heel Wrestling Club's athletes. Once the brackets are announced, we'll have a complete preview of each wrestler's path through the tournament and what to watch for as competition gets underway. Follow Tar Heel Wrestling Club throughout the week for draw announcements, live results, and complete coverage from Budapest as our athletes continue competing on the international stage.  The Tar Heel Wrestling Club will host the Tar Heel Summer Freestyle Duals Tournament this Saturday on the campus of the University of North Carolina.
The event will feature high school divisions and showcase athletes representing nine programs including Believe to Achieve Wrestling Club, Great Neck Wrestling Club, Harrisburg Wrestling Club, Raleigh Area Wrestling, Tioga, Triangle Wrestling Academy, Union Pines, Virginia Team Predator, and Lake Highland Prep. Designed to maximize competition and development, the tournament utilizes a pool and round-robin dual meet format, ensuring athletes receive multiple matches against quality opponents throughout the day. As a USA Wrestling-sanctioned event, competitors will have the opportunity to test themselves under the sport's national governing body while gaining valuable freestyle experience during the offseason. "The Summer Duals provide a tremendous opportunity for wrestlers to gain valuable freestyle experience while competing alongside their teammates," said Brian Tucker. "We're excited to welcome programs from several states to Chapel Hill and continue building one of the premier summer wrestling events in the Southeast." The tournament will use the high school weight system with a three-pound allowance and will feature the following weight classes: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 175, 190, 215, and 285. Wrestling fans, families, and supporters are encouraged to attend and watch.  The Tar Heel Wrestling Club (THWC) will once again be represented on the international wrestling stage as Ethan Ramos travels to Madrid, Spain, to compete in the Grand Prix of Spain on Sunday, July 12th. Ramos will compete in the men's freestyle 86KG weight class.
The event will be held in Madrid, Spain, and will feature men's freestyle, women's freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling over three days of competition. Wrestlers from numerous nations are expected to compete. Fans can follow competition updates and results throughout the tournament on Tar Heel Wrestling Club social media channels. Competition begins July 10 in Madrid, Spain. Tar Heel Wrestling Club Athletes Set to Compete at UWW Ranking Series Event in Budapest, Hungary6/13/2026  The Tar Heel Wrestling Club (THWC) will be represented on the international stage this July as two of its elite athletes travel to Budapest, Hungary, to compete in the United World Wrestling (UWW) Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial Ranking Series event. The competition, scheduled for July 15th, is the fourth and final UWW Ranking Series tournament of the 2026 season and will feature many of the world's top wrestlers competing for valuable international ranking points ahead of the Senior World Championships.
Leading the Tar Heel Wrestling Club delegation is Chris Foca, who will represent the Dominican Republic in the men's freestyle 86KG division. Joining him in Budapest will be Shannon Hanna, representing the Bahamas in the men's freestyle 65KG weight class. The Budapest Ranking Series tournament annually attracts Olympic medalists, World Champions, and top-ranked wrestlers from around the globe. As the final Ranking Series event before the World Championships, the competition plays a critical role in determining international rankings and seeding for the sport's premier events. Fans can follow competition updates, results, and behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the week on THWC social media channels as Foca and Hanna represent both their nations and the Tar Heel Wrestling Club on the international stage in Budapest.  The Tar Heel Wrestling Club concluded competition at the U23 World Team Trials on Saturday with Mikey Calcagno earning a fourth-place finish at 92 kg.
Calcagno put together the club's best finish of the tournament, battling through the consolation bracket after an earlier championship-round loss. The North Carolina standout opened day two with a pin over Coy Raines before receiving a medical forfeit victory in the consolation quarterfinals. He continued his impressive run with a 10-0 technical fall over Patrick Brophy in just 38 seconds and followed with a 6-2 decision over Nick Nosler to earn a spot in the third-place match. Calcagno ultimately finished fourth after falling to Mac Stout in the bronze-medal bout. At 79 kg, Collin Carrigan turned in one of the tournament's strongest performances for THWC. Carrigan reached the championship quarterfinals after winning four consecutive matches on Friday, including three technical falls. His run came to an end Saturday after losses to eventual All-Americans Matthew Singleton and William Henckel, finishing one win shy of the placement rounds. Nolan O'Boyle also made a deep run at 86 kg. After battling back through the consolation bracket on Friday, O'Boyle opened day two with a pin over Gage LaPlante before falling in the consolation quarterfinals. O'Boyle finished the tournament with six victories, tied for the most by a Tar Heel wrestler during the event.  The Tar Heel Wrestling Club opened day one at the U23 World Team Trials on Friday, advancing five wrestlers into Saturday's action at the SPIRE Institute.
Leading the way was Collin Carrigan (79 kg), who remains unbeaten through the championship side and advanced to the quarterfinals after four impressive victories. Carrigan opened with a 10-0 technical fall before adding a 12-1 technical fall, a 20-7 technical fall, and a 9-1 decision to secure his spot among the final eight. Four Tar Heel wrestlers battled back through the consolation bracket to stay alive for a podium finish. All will need to win two matches tomorrow secure a placement at the U23 World Team Trials. At 57 kg, Cam Stinson responded to a championship-round loss by winning three straight consolation matches to advance into the consolation sub-quarterfinals. At 74 kg multiple Tar Heel wrestlers compete Laird Root leading the way to the round of 16 with victories over Joseph Clark, Brayden Leach, and Conner Harer before dropping into wrestle backs, where he continued his tournament with a hard-fought 10-8 victory. At 79 kg, THWC placed two wrestlers onto day two. Alongside Carrigan's championship-bracket run, Sabino Portella advanced to the consolation sub-quarterfinals after posting four victories on the day. Nolan O'Boyle (86 kg) showcased his resilience by winning four matches and battling back through the wrestle backs to remain in contention entering day two. At 92 kg, Michael Calcagno recorded a pair of dominant technical falls before losing in the quarterfinals. He finished his night with a win and is in the consolation sub-quarterfinals tomorrow. Heavyweight Nolan Neves (125 kg) picked up a few technical falls before dropping his quarterfinals bout. He closed the night with a technical fall and is into the consolation sub-quarterfinals tomorrow. Day Two Match Ups 79 kg – Collin Carrigan vs Matthew Singleton (Championship Quarterfinals) 57 kg – Cam Stinson vs Tyler Harper (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 74 kg – Laird Root vs Dylan Evans (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 79 kg – Sabino Portella vs Ryan Ford (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 86 kg – Nolan O'Boyle vs Gage LaPlante (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 92 kg – Michael Calcagno vs Coy Raines (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) 125 kg – Nolan Neves vs Grant Stromberg (Consolation Sub-Quarterfinals) Results 57 kg – Cam Stinson Championship Bracket
Consolation Bracket
61 kg – Marco Tocci Championship Bracket
Consolation Bracket
70 kg – Mitchell Younger Championship Bracket
70 kg – Nikolaus O'Neill Championship Bracket
74 kg – Laird Root Championship Bracket
74 kg – Joey Showalter Championship Bracket
Consolation Bracket
74 kg – Nathaniel Askew Championship Bracket
79 kg – Collin Carrigan Championship Bracket
79 kg – Sabino Portella Championship Bracket
79 kg – Omaury Alvarez Championship Bracket
79 kg – Colin Nugent Championship Bracket
86 kg – Nolan O'Boyle Championship Bracket
86 kg – Aidan Schlett Championship Bracket
92 kg – Michael Calcagno Championship Bracket
125 kg – Jacob Levy Championship Bracket
125 kg – Nolan Neves Championship Bracket
Competition resumes Saturday morning at 10:00AM EST.  Tar Heel Wrestling Club opened competition at the 2026 U20 and U23 World Team Trials with three athletes earning All-American honors at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio.
Leading the way was Robert Platt, who captured a third-place finish at 97 kg in the U20 freestyle division. Platt continued his spring campaign with another podium performance. Nate Askew added a fourth-place finish at 70 kg in U20 freestyle. In U23 Greco-Roman competition, Omaury Alvarez earned a fifth-place finish at 77 kg, giving the Tar Heel Wrestling Club its third All-American performance of the day. Attention now shifts to the U23 Freestyle World Team Trials, which begin Saturday and continue through Sunday. The Tar Heel Wrestling Club will be represented by 16 athletes. Competing for the Tar Heel Wrestling Club in U23 freestyle will be: 57 kg: Cameron Stinson Jr. 61 kg: Marco Tocci 70 kg: Mitchell Younger, Nikolaus O'Neill 74 kg: Colin Nugent, Joey Showalter, Laird Root, Nate Askew 79 kg: Omaury Alvarez, Collin Carrigan, Sabino Portella 86 kg: Aidan Schlett, Nolan O'Boyle 92 kg: Michael Calcagno 125 kg: Nolan Neves, Jacob Levy Fans can follow results and updates throughout the weekend on USA Wrestling and the Tar Heel Wrestling Club's social media channels. You can watch live on Flo Wrestling. |
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THWC is a USA Wrestling chartered club and an official U.S. Olympic Regional Training Center site that operates in accordance with all NCAA, USA Wrestling, and U.W.W rules and regulations.