Austin O’Connor named ACC wrestler of the year
North Carolina wrestler Austin O'Connor is adding another honor to his already extensive career after being named Atlantic Coast Conference wrestler of the year.
The announcement came Thursday through an ACC press release. O’Connor shares this honor with Pittsburgh’s Nino Bonaccorsi as co-winners for the ACC, voted by the league coaches. O’Connor showed complete dominance this year as a graduate student, finishing with a 23-0 record at 157 lbs, including his second national championship during his tenure at UNC.
O’Connor Tar Heel’s legacy was already stamped before this season started. Still, after snagging his second NCAA title, his legacy became that more unique, becoming the second in UNC wrestling history to win multiple championships.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑨𝑪𝑪 𝑾𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓#GoHeels | #TogetherWeWin pic.twitter.com/ao7cyvix9p
— UNC Wrestling (@UNCWrestling) March 30, 2023
O’Connor has been special during his time at UNC, with a record of 131 wins and 13 losses. He has been especially dominant in the ACC, only losing once in the 18-19 season.
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