Jan. 22, 2008

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Maryland's Hudson Taylor, now a four-time league honoree in 2007-08, and North Carolina's Vincent Ramirez have been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Wrestlers of the Week. In dual matches against ACC opponents last week, Taylor and Ramirez recorded impressive pin victories, each stopping their opponents in the contests' opening minutes to propel their respective teams to valuable league wins.

Taylor, a redshirt-sophomore from Pennington, N.J., faced Kevin O'Connor of Virginia Tech in College Park, Md., Saturday afternoon. As he had done 13 times previously during the season, Taylor claimed the win by fall 2:32 into the match, as the Terps went on to prevail 33-8 over the Hokies. Now 21-2 this year, Taylor has won four matches in a row and five of the last six by fall. Currently ranked as the No. 7 197-pound wrestler in the nation, he has not lost a match since dropping a 4-3 decision in the final of the Body Bar Systems Invitational on Nov. 17.

Ramirez, who competes in the 149-pound weight class for the Tar Heels, was just as impressive in a dual meet against Duke on Jan. 17. Taking on the Blue Devils' Mike Bell, the junior from Durham, N.C., brought the bout to an end with a pin at the 0:57 mark, earning six points as the Heels went on to post a 33-6 team win. Ramirez is now 11-7 for the season, with a 5-3 overall record in dual meets and a 2-0 mark in league competition.

Both teams will continue to ease into conference competition this weekend, as Taylor and the Terps host NC State and Duke on Saturday afternoon, and Ramirez and the Heels hit the road to face Virginia on Friday night and Virginia Tech on Saturday.