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United Ascent
Vol. 1, No. 3 · August 1, 2026
The people, performances and progress driving North Carolina wrestling forward.
View every United Ascent issueAthlete Development
Wrestling’s Hidden Opponent
When does cutting weight create an advantage — and when does it begin taking more from the wrestler than it gives?
The scale has always occupied a powerful place in wrestling. It determines weight classes, influences lineups and shapes strategy. Responsible weight management can create a competitive advantage while teaching discipline, planning and sacrifice.
But the lowest possible weight is not automatically the best weight.
In a new NC United feature, James Bernthal, PhD, examines the point at which cutting weight stops serving the wrestler and begins controlling him.
The article draws upon the experiences of elite wrestlers including Greyson Pettit and Trent Hidlay, both of whom found greater success after moving closer to their natural weights. Their stories challenge one of wrestling’s most persistent assumptions: that competing lighter always provides an advantage.
A cut only helps if the wrestler can still train intensely, recover properly, think clearly and compete with energy.
For young athletes, the consequences can extend beyond a single match or season. Adolescence is a limited developmental window. Chronic underfueling may interfere with physical growth, bone development, hormonal health, strength and long-term athletic potential.
The purpose of the article is not to argue that wrestlers should never manage their weight. It is to encourage a healthier and more productive question:
Is making this weight helping the athlete become a better wrestler?
The best version of a wrestler is not always the lightest version. It is the strongest, healthiest, clearest and most energized version.
Carrying a Legacy Forward
The Caden Perry Warrior Scholarship
Some legacies deserve more than remembrance. They deserve to be carried forward.
NC United is honored to announce the inaugural Caden Perry Warrior Scholarship, created in memory of Caden Perry — the son of Justin and Nicole Perry and brother of Jacob.
Caden was a North Carolina wrestler who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer at just 13 years old. For more than three years, he faced surgeries, treatments, pain and uncertainty with extraordinary courage before passing away at 16.
The warrior mentality Caden developed through wrestling helped define how he faced the greatest adversity of his life: never back down, never surrender and keep fighting.
The scholarship will provide $1,000 toward wrestling-development expenses for one North Carolina wrestler in grades 6–12. Funds may be used for club dues, private instruction, small-group training, camps, tournaments, travel, apparel or equipment.
This award is not about rankings, records or championships. It is about how a young person responds when life becomes difficult — and what that response reveals about their character.
Nominations: August 1–30, 2026
Presentation: September 19 at the Tournament of Champions
Location: Apex, North Carolina
The future is bright for those who refuse to quit.
Tournament of Champions
Two Hammers. Two Unforgettable Performances.
Winning a Tournament of Champions bracket will require three victories against elite North Carolina competition. But two performances will receive additional recognition.
The Most Outstanding Wrestler Award will honor the athlete whose complete tournament performance rises above the rest. Tournament officials and an NC United selection panel will consider dominance, quality of competition, execution and the significance of the wrestler’s overall performance.
The Match of Champions Award will recognize the championship bout that captures what this event was created to produce: two outstanding wrestlers pushing one another to their highest level on the tournament’s biggest stage.
Not necessarily the widest margin. Not necessarily the most decorated names. The match that best represents elite competition, courage, heart and the principle engraved on the award:
Iron Sharpens Iron.
Two special awards. Two performances remembered long after the final whistle.
Apex, North Carolina
September 18–19, 2026
Championship Tradition
The Bracket Is Back
In an era when nearly every tournament has gone completely digital, the Tournament of Champions is bringing back one of wrestling’s greatest traditions.
Each champion will receive a 24-by-36-inch championship bracket, professionally printed on premium 100-pound cover stock.
A bracket is more than a record of results. It is the story of the tournament.
Every match.
Every advancement.
Every challenge overcome.
The path to a championship is not remembered by a screen or an app. It is earned one match at a time — and now that journey will become something each champion can take home, display and remember for years to come.
Some traditions are worth preserving.
Championship Awards
A Medal Worthy of the Moment
Custom gold, silver and bronze medals will honor the top three finishers in every Tournament of Champions bracket.
The Tournament of Champions medal was inspired by the timeless tradition of Olympic medals and created to recognize North Carolina’s best.
Measuring four inches in diameter, three millimeters thick and weighing 176 grams, each custom medal was designed with a substantial feel and lasting craftsmanship — an award worthy of the achievement it represents.
Gold, silver and bronze medalists will stand on the podium. Only one wrestler in each bracket will leave as champion.
The medals join the championship jacket, commemorative bracket and custom hammer awards in creating an experience athletes will remember long after the final whistle.
Three medalists per weight. One champion.
Commitment Watch
Mason Hocker Commits to Duke
One of North Carolina’s top members of the Class of 2027 has made his college decision.
Mason Hocker, a 2026 NCHSAA state champion from Hoggard High School, has committed to Duke University.
Hocker will remain in his home state while continuing his wrestling and academic career with the Blue Devils.
His commitment is another example of North Carolina talent earning opportunities at outstanding academic and athletic institutions.
Congratulations to Mason, his family, coaches and everyone who has supported his journey.
From North Carolina state champion to Duke Blue Devil.
College Wrestling
UNC Releases 2026–27 Home Schedule
North Carolina wrestling has announced a seven-date home schedule for the 2026–27 season.
The Tar Heels will open with the Blue and White Showcase on November 6 before welcoming Northern Iowa to Carmichael Arena on November 21. A December 20 matchup with App State will be held at Chapel Hill High School.
The home ACC schedule includes Virginia, NC State and Virginia Tech, with Presbyterian closing the regular season on February 14.
2026–27 UNC Home Schedule
- Nov. 6: Blue and White Showcase — Carmichael Arena
- Nov. 21: Northern Iowa — Carmichael Arena
- Dec. 20: App State — Chapel Hill High School
- Jan. 15: Virginia — Carmichael Arena
- Jan. 29: NC State — Carmichael Arena
- Feb. 5: Virginia Tech — Carmichael Arena
- Feb. 14: Presbyterian — Carmichael Arena
Times remain to be announced.
UNC has also previously announced appearances at the National Duals Invitational in Tulsa on December 12–13 and a matchup with South Dakota State in Sioux Falls on December 18.
The Ascent Continues
Health. Character. Opportunity. Competition. Tradition.
This week’s stories reach well beyond wins and losses.
They challenge us to reconsider how young wrestlers manage weight. They carry forward the legacy of a child who faced unimaginable adversity with extraordinary courage. They celebrate a North Carolina state champion earning an opportunity at Duke and bring major college wrestling matchups to Chapel Hill.
They also reveal what the Tournament of Champions is intended to represent: elite competition supported by meaningful awards and traditions that athletes will remember long after the tournament ends.
A championship bracket that preserves the journey.
A medal worthy of the moment.
Two hammers recognizing unforgettable performances.
And a community coming together to create something special for North Carolina wrestling.
North Carolina wrestling is ascending — and we’re covering every step.
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