Nov. 18, 2003
Illinois at Missouri Open, Nov. 23
* The Illini return three Missouri Open champions from last year - Kyle Ott (So., 125), Brian Glynn (Jr., 184), and Mark Jayne (Jr., 133).
* There have been nine Missouri Open Champions from the Illini squad in the past three tournaments.
* Nine ranked wrestlers from the Illini squad will be taking to the mat this weekend.
* The Illini will face four Top-25 teams, including No. 1 Oklahoma State
Illini Face Top Competition at Missouri Open
The Fourth Annual Missouri Open will host a number of nationally ranked teams on Sunday. Illinois heads into the tournament ranked No. 2 by Intermat Wrestling. The Illini have competed in each of the last three Missouri Open tournaments, crowning nine champions during that time. Although the event isn't a team-scored competition, the Illini came out on top in 2002 with four weight-class champions in Kyle Ott (125), Mark Jayne (133), Matt Lackey (165) and Brian Glynn (174). Ott and Glynn both beat fellow teammates for the title. In 2001, Lackey and heavyweight John Lockhart won at the Open, while Adam Tirapelle (149), Pat Quirk (197) and Lockhart won in 2000.
The Illini's toughest competition will come from No. 1-ranked Oklahoma State. The returning national championship team boasts four returning All-Americans, including individual national champions Johnny Thompson (Sr., 133) and Jake Rosholt (So., 184). They also return ranked wrestlers at every weight class, with five wrestlers ranked in the Top-5. Other ranked teams expected to attend this year are No. 9 Missouri, No. 17 Oklahoma, and No. 20 Arizona State. Indiana is slated to be in attendance as the only other Big Ten team.
Six NCAA Qualifiers Return for 2003-04 Season
Illinois returns six national qualifiers to the 2003-04 team, including No. 2-ranked Alex Tirapelle. Tirapelle (So., 157) became the first freshman in the school's history to make the NCAA Finals when he flew through the bracket, defeating three-ranked opponents. Junior Brian Glynn has twice qualified for nationals at 174 pounds, but this season will make the jump up to 184. Mark Jayne (Jr., 133) was a qualifier in 2003 at 133 pounds, coming within one win of earning All-America honors. Sophomore Pete Friedl will make the swap with Glynn and return to 174 pounds, despite posting a 2-2 mark at 184 at last year's national tournament. Senior Jason Potter (197) could not make a repeat visit to the NCAAs as he did in 2001 due to an ankle injury, but will return to the lineup this year one weight class heavier. Junior Tyrone Byrd is a two-time qualifier at 197 who will use this season to redshirt.
Illinois Receives Top-5 Billing in Preseason Polls
The Illinois wrestling team is ranked fifth or better in each of the four preseason polls, including No. 2 by Intermat. The Illini, who return seven starters from a team that finished ninth at the 2003 NCAA Championships, are ranked third by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, fourth by W.I.N. Magazine and fifth by The Wrestling Mall. In addition to the team honors, nine wrestlers are ranked in their respective weight classes. Sophomore Alex Tirapelle is second in all four polls, while junior Brian Glynn and sophomore Kyle Ott seem to be consistent Top-5 picks. Junior Mark Jayne and sophomore Pete Friedl are also selected in the Top-10. Here is how the Illini fare in the current rankings:
Wt. Wrestler AWN WIN TWM INW
125 Kyle Ott 4th 5th 4th 3rd
133 Mark Jayne 6th 5th 8th 6th
141 Michael Martin NR NR 19th 13th
149 Cal Ferry 18th 17th 18th 11th
157 Alex Tirapelle 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd
174 Pete Friedl 8th 7th 6th 8th
184 Brian Glynn 3rd 3rd 10th 3rd
197 Jason Potter 11th 11th 11th 10th
Hwt Mike Behnke NR NR NR 20th
* - AWN: Amateur Wrestling News, WIN: W.I.N. Magazine, TWM: The Wrestling Mall, INW: Intermat
Seven Top-10s - 10 Years
After a ninth-place finish in the 2003 NCAA Championships, Mark Johnson's record at Illinois looks phenomenal. In 11 years at the helm, he has led the Illini to seven Top-10 finishes and nine Top-12 at the national tournament. In the last decade Illinois has crowned seven national champions and had 13 NCAA finalists, 28 All-Americans and 85 NCAA qualifiers. Most recently, future Olympian-hopeful and three-time All-American Matt Lackey came away with a national championship title in 2003 at 165 pounds.
