March 14, 2001

The University of North Carolina wrestling team will have four wrestlers competing at the NCAA Championships in Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend. JohnMark Bentley, Corey Bell and Matt Kenny earned the honor after capturing Atlantic Coast Conference titles earlier this month, while Clint Osborn makes the trip to Iowa after a second-place ACC Tournament finish.

Bentley, a junior from Newland, N.C., enters his third NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed in the 149-pound weight class. He has a 29-1 record for the season and has not lost a match since suffering a one-point defeat in early December, a streak measuring 20 matches. Bentley captured his third ACC title on March 3, defeating NC State's Tommy Davis, 4-1. He was also named Most Outstanding Wrestler of this year's ACC Tournament.

Bell, a senior from Durham, N.C., makes his fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament after becoming only the third four-time ACC champion in Carolina history. Bell defeated NC State's Dustin Kawa, 6-5, to win the 174-pound title at the ACC Tournament to improve his record to 23-5 for the year.

Also making a return trip to the NCAA Tournament is heavyweight Matt Kenny. Kenny won his third ACC title by defeating Josh Etu of Virginia, 19-3. The junior from Great Meadows, N.J., is 17-2 for the season and has won eight matches by pin fall.

Osborn is the Tar Heel's representative in the 197-pound weight class in Iowa City. A junior from Chapel Hill, Osborn finished second at this year's ACC tournament and has an 11-13 record for the season. Osborn is making his second appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Action in Iowa City starts Thursday at 11 a.m. and continues through Saturday with the championship finals occurring at 1 p.m. Saturday.