Although Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championships brought disappointment to many Duke wrestlers, Matt Mapes, 167 pounds, and Chris Heckel, 126-lbs., both earned a trip to the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, March 19-21, by advancing to the finals in their weight divisions. As a team, the Blue Devils placed fourth in the ACCs which were held at Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday.
"To win in the final was just icing on the cake," said Mapes, who downed N.C. State's Kevin Boross, 7-2. "Going to nationals was my most important goal this year.
"I have no expectations but to do my best against the elite in the nation. I'm not fearful, I just want to wrestle hard and do well out there."
Mapes, a junior, defeated John Qualter from UVA, 4-2, in the semifinals to advance to face Boross. Mapes said that once he caught Boross in a five-point move, he knew that he could win the match. Although Mapes said he had previously won
"I beat him 9-8 and he had controlled that match" Mapes explained, "but I knew that if I pressured him hard he would break."
Heckel, who will accompany Mapes to nationals, made it through to the finals but lost, 6-1, to UNC's C.C. Fisher.
"Fisher just wrested an excellent match," Anderson, "and Heckel wasn't able to pull it off."
He explained that Heckel had previously beaten Fisher but Fisher had raised his intensity and was able to win the final. In addition, Heckel and Fisher have faced each other so many times that they have become intensely familiar with the other's style-making the match more difficult.
"[Fisher] was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler after he beat Heckel," coach Clar Anderson said. 'That's a tribute to Chris."
Anderson said he believes both Mapes and Heckel, a senior, have the potential to do well in the tournament.
"Both wrestlers are All-American and tough enough but it's a very tough tournament," Anderson said. "As long as they have it all together and things are going their way they will do well."
Although Heckel and Mapes were the only Duke wrestlers to make their way to the final, Duke's fourth-place finish was an unexpected achievement.
"We placed higher than Maryland" said Anderson. "They had beaten us earlier so we weren't expected to do better than them."
Fourth place (28.5 points) was higher than Duke had ever placed in the Championships. UNC won the ACCs at 102.5 points with Virginia in second (83.0) and N.C. State in third (68.5).
"It's tough losing" Anderson said. "I have to remind the team that even in the loss we did well.
"Everyone did better than they have against the people they wrestled. We fell short but we went out giving it our best."
Mapes added that he thought everyone had wrestled tougher than they had during the season.
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