Feb. 23, 2003

The eighth-ranked University of Illinois wrestling team got key wins from seniors Matt Lackey at 165 and Twan Pham at 125 as they competed in their final match at Huff Hall, winning 17-16 over No. 6 Michigan State, Sunday afternoon. The Illini won upset matches at 125 and at 157 pounds in front of a season-high attendance of 1,202, to improve to 11-3 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten. The squad has rattled off five straight wins in conference action, following the win over the Spartans.

After falling in the hole, 6-0 with losses at 197 and heavyweight, the Illini got on the board with an upset win at 125 pounds as Pham (Sr., Palatine, Ill.) got a takedown with six seconds remaining in the match for the 8-6 decision over No. 5 Nick Simmons. Pham scored his first takedown in the first period and got a point for illegal hold for a 3-0 lead after one. He got another takedown in the second, but an escape by Simmons and multiple warnings against Pham made the lead 5-2 heading into the third. Simmons was able to turn Pham from the down position to get near fall points to tie the match at 5 apiece. Pham escaped and gave up another point for stalling to make the score 6-6, but was able to score in the final seconds to make the team score 6-3.

At 133, Mark Jayne (So., Elyria, Ohio) dominated Shane Martin for a 19-6 major decision. Leading only by a score of 6-4 after two periods, Jayne turned on the action in the third with 13 points in the two-minute period. The win put Illinois up 7-6 after four weight classes. Michigan State took the lead once again, 13-7, with a decision at 141 and a major at 149, leading to the 157-pound match.

Freshman Alex Tirapelle (Fr., Clovis, Calif.), ranked seventh nationally, took on senior fourth-ranked Gray Maynard in the pivotal bout. Neither wrestler scored in the first and Maynard got the first score with an escape in the second. Tirapelle, however, got the match's only takedown at the 1:02 mark of the second to lead 2-1 heading into the third. In the final period, Tirapelle added an escape, which was enough for the 3-1 upset win, his fifth of the season.

A major decision at 165 by No. 1-ranked Lackey (Sr., Moline, Ill.) gave Illinois the lead once again. Lackey scored at will on Michigan State's Arsen Aleksanyan, winning 13-5, without allowing an offensive point. Lackey finished the Big Ten season unbeaten for the second straight year and recorded his 111th career win.

Eighth-ranked Brian Glynn (So., Orland Park, Ill.) won the final match for Illinois taking a 3-1 decision over No. 19 Rashad Evans at 174 pounds. Glynn got the only takedown of the bout with 16 seconds remaining in the second period. Jason Potter (Jr., St. Charles, Ill.) returned to the lineup at 184 pounds, after a high ankle sprain earlier in the season. He was unable to get the win in his first match back, falling to Nate Mesyn, 2-1.

125: #14 Twan Pham (ILL) dec. #5 Nick Simmons (MSU), 8-6 3-6
133: #9 Mark Jayne (ILL) major dec. Shane Martin (MSU), 19-6 7-6
141: #17 Ryan L'Amoreaux (MSU) dec. Cal Ferry (ILL), 2-3 7-9
149: #11 Karl Nadolsky (MSU) major dec. Tony Pedrosa (ILL), 5-13 7-13
157: #7 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) dec. #4 Gray Maynard (MSU), 3-1 10-13
165: #1 Matt Lackey (ILL) major dec. Arsen Aleksanyan (MSU), 13-5 14-13
174: #8 Brian Glynn (ILL) dec. #19 Rashad Evans (MSU), 3-1 17-13
184: Nick Mesyn (MSU) dec. Jason Potter (ILL), 1-2 17-16
197: #6 Nik Fekete (MSU) dec. #13 Tyrone Byrd (ILL), 4-6 0-3
Hwt: John Wechter (MSU) dec. Chris Little (ILL), 2-7 0-6

197: #6 Nik Fekete (MSU) dec. #13 Tyrone Byrd (ILL), 4-6
Period 1: 2:30 Byrd TD (2-0); 2:06 Fekete ESC (2-1); 1:24 Fekete TD (2-3); 0:31 Byrd ESC (3-3)
Period 2: Byrd starts down; 1:28 Byrd ESC (4-3); 0:55 Fekete TD (4-5)
Period 3: Neutral start; 0:05 Fekete WARN (4-5); Fekete +1 Riding Time (4-6)

Hwt: John Wechter (MSU) dec. Chris Little (ILL), 2-7
Period 1: 1:08 Little WARN (0-0); 0:02 Little WARN (0-1)
Period 2: Wechter starts down; 1:52 Wechter ESC (0-2)
Period 3: Little starts down; 1:50 Little ESC (1-2); 1:18 Wechter TD (1-4); 0:28 Wechter WARN (1-4); 0:28 Little WARN (1-5); 0:18 Little ESC (2-5); 0:02 Wechter TD (2-7)

125: #14 Twan Pham (ILL) dec. #5 Nick Simmons (MSU), 8-6
Period 1: 0:12 Simmons ILLEGAL HOLD (1-0); 0:06 Pham TD (3-0)
Period 2: Neutral start; 0:35 Pham WARN (3-0); 0:21 Pham TD (5-0); 0:11 Simmons ESC (5-1); 0:01 Pham WARN (5-2)
Period 3: Pham starts down; 1:18 Simmons NF (5-5); 1:07 Pham ESC (6-5); 0:33 Pham WARN (6-6); 0:06 Pham TD (8-6)

133: #9 Mark Jayne (ILL) major dec. Shane Martin (MSU), 19-6
Period 1: 2:36 Jayne TD (2-0); 2:20 Martin ESC (2-1); 1:29 Jayne TD (4-1); 1:25 Jayne NF (6-1); 0:38 Martin ESC (6-2)
Period 2: Martin starts down; 1:41 Martin R (6-4)
Period 3: Neutral start; 1:38 Jayne TD (8-4); 0:38 Martin ESC (8-5); 0:35 Jayne TD (10-5); 0:30 Jayne NF (13-5), 0:28 Martin ESC (13-6); 0:15 Jayne TD (15-6); 0:07 Jayne ESC (16-6); 0:05 Jayne TD (18-6); Jayne Riding Time +1 (19-6)

141: #17 Ryan L'Amoreaux (MSU) dec. Cal Ferry (ILL), 2-3
Period 1: 1:51 L'Amoreaux TD (0-2); 1:46 Ferry ESC (1-2)
Period 2: Ferry starts down; 1:35 Ferry ESC (2-2)
Period 3: 1:35 L'Amoreaux ESC (2-3)

149: #11 Karl Nadolsky (MSU) major dec. Tony Pedrosa (ILL), 5-13
Period 1: 1:42 Pedrosa TD (2-0); 1:27 Nadolsky ESC (2-1)
Period 2: 1:53 Nadolsky ESC (2-2); 1:38 Nadolsky TD (2-4)
Period 3: 1:40 Nadolsky TD (2-6); 1:27 Pedrosa ESC (3-6); 1:24 Nadolsky TD (3-8); 1:20 Pedrosa (4-8); 1:15 Nadolsky TD (4-10); 1:00 Pedrosa ESC (5-10); 0:50 Nadolsky TD (5-12); Nadolsky Riding Time +1 (5-13)

157: #7 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) dec. #4 Gray Maynard (MSU), 3-1
Period 1: NO SCORE
Period 2: Maynard starts down; 2:00 Tirapelle CAUT (0-0); 1:49 Maynard ESC (0-1); 1:02 Tirapelle TD (2-1)
Period 3: Tirapelle starts down; 0:33 Tirapelle ESC (3-1)

165: #1 Matt Lackey (ILL) major dec. Arsen Aleksanyan (MSU), 13-5
Period 1: 1:52 Lackey TD (2-0)
Period 2: Lackey starts down; 1:54 Lackey ESC (3-0); 1:23 Lackey TD (5-0); 1:10 Aleksanyan ESC (5-1); 0:38 Lackey TD (7-1)
Period 3: Aleksanyan starts down; 1:58 Aleksanyan ESC (7-2); 1:35 Lackey TD (9-2); 1:21 Aleksanyan ESC (9-3); 1:05 Lackey TD (11-3); 0:58 Aleksanyan ESC (11-4); 0:35 Lackey TD (13-4); 0:14 Aleksanyan ESC (13-5)

174: #8 Brian Glynn (ILL) dec. #19 Rashad Evans (MSU), 3-1
Period 1: NO SCORE
Period 2: Glynn starts down; 0:57 Glynn ESC (1-0), 0:16 Glynn TD (3-0)
Period 3: Evans starts down; 1:50 Evans ESC (3-1)

184: Nate Mesyn (MSU) dec. Jason Potter (ILL), 1-2
Period 1: NO SCORE
Period 2: Mesyn starts down; 1:54 Mesyn ESC (0-1)
Period 3: Potter starts down; 0:39 Potter CAUT (0-1); 0:35 Potter ESC (1-1), Mesyn Riding Time +1 (1-2)