North Carolina wrestling redshirt-freshman Lachlan McNeil cruised to the 65 KG title at the 2023 Canadian Wrestling Championships Saturday.
The Toronto, Ontario product won via technical fall in all four of his matches on the day. Wrestling for Team Impact Wrestling Club, McNeil defeated Mike Asselstine (Edmonton WC) in the opening round, 10-0, following with another matching 10-0 verdict in the quarterfinals against Jeremy Podlog (Cochrane Cowboys WC).
In the semifinal match, McNeil was victorious over Hassan Al-Hayawi (London-Western WC), closing out his day with his fourth consecutive 10-0 outcome in the final over Jacob Alexander Torres (Burnaby Mountain WC).
McNeil joined nearly 600 of Canada's top wrestlers competing for Senior, Junior and Cadet championships. The event is key in determining the country's representation at the upcoming Pan-American Games and World Wrestling Championships.
McNeil has already boasted an outstanding international resume thus far, collecting gold medals at the Pan-American Championships (2016, 2017, 2021), and a silver medal at the 2018 Pan-American Championship. In 2021, McNeil was named the WCL's Most Outstanding Junior Wrestler.
Up next, McNeil will turn his focus to the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on March 16-18, in Tulsa, Okla. Last week, McNeil earned the No. 10 seed in the 141-pound bracket, drawing No. 23 Cole Mattin of Michigan in the opening round.
MCNEIL WINS CANADIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY NIGHT
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