March 28, 2003

GREENSBORO, N.C. - In a vote by the league's five head coaches, North Carolina Head Coach Bill Lam and sophomore wrestler Evan Sola were named 2003 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach and Wrestler of the Year, respectively.

Lam gains the honor of Coach of the Year for the 10th time in his 30 years of coaching at North Carolina. He finished the year by winning the ACC Championship, his 15th title overall. His 15 titles are second most in the conference as a coach (Maryland's Sully Crouse won 20).

Carolina wrestlers have won at least two weight classes at the ACC meet in 27 of the last 28 championships and had at least one All-America in 19 of the last 23 years. At this season's ACC Championship, North Carolina placed all 10 of their wrestlers in the top three. The Tar Heels had five individual champions, four second place wrestlers and one third place finish.

A sophomore from Reading, Pa., Sola took seventh place in the 133-pound weight class at the 2003 NCAA Championships, earning All-America honors. He had wins over fourth-seeded Witt Durden (Oklahoma) and seventh-seeded Josh Moore (Penn State). Sola defeated West Virginia's Brandon Lauer 4-0 to earn his seventh place finish.

Sola won his first ACC Championship in this year's Championship meet with a 2-0 victory over Virginia's Joe Alexandar and earned his first automatic bid to the NCAA meet.

On the season, Sola led the Tar Heels with 36 wins, tied for 10th best in school history. He had a record of 14-2 in dual matches and finished a perfect 5-0 in the ACC for the second straight season.