April 4, 2002

GREENSBORO, N.C. - In a vote by the league's five head coaches, North Carolina's Chris Rodrigues was named 2002 Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Year.

Rodrigues, a freshman from Marietta, Ga., took eighth place in the 125-pound weight class at the 2002 NCAA Wrestling Championship to earn All-America honors. After losing his opening match of the tournament, Rodrigues won his next four bouts - including three against seeded opponents.

He defeated Drexel's Rob Rebman 5-3, and pinned 10th-seeded A.J. Grant of Michigan in his second wrestleback bout. Rodrigues then upset No. 2 Leroy Vega, a three-time All-American from Minnesota, by a 3-2 decision. He advanced by defeating No. 8 Shaun Williams of Oregon by pin at 6:59, but then lost to fifth-seeded Ben VomBaur of Bosie State. In the seventh-place match, Rodrigues fell to No. 11 Travis Lee of Cornell.

Rodrigues earned an at-large berth to the NCAA meet and was runner-up at the ACC Championship this year. He finished the season with a 32-14 record, 19-9 in dual meets with 12 wins by pin fall.