Feb. 12, 2006

Champaign, Ill. - The sixth-ranked Illinois wrestling team finished the weekend 2-0 as they put away the No. 18 Michigan State Spartans, 22-15, at Huff Gym. The Illini have won the last three duals against the Spartans and are now 8-3 in head coach Mark Johnson's 14-year career at Illinois. Illinois improves to 10-2 and 5-2 in the Big Ten.

The dual started at 149 and saw Troy Tirapelle (Clovis Calif.) upset No. 15 Darren McKnight, 6-4. With no scoring in the first period, McKnight opened the second with an escape, but Tirapelle closed the period with a takedown. The Illini redshirt-freshman added another point on an escape to start the third but McKnight countered with a takedown to tie the score at three a piece. With a minute to go, Tirapelle went up by a point on an escape, then added a takedown seconds later. McKnight scored an escape late in the period but time ran out before he could add any more points. At 157, top-ranked Alex Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) overwhelmed Tony Greathouse in a major decision, 11-2. Tirapelle took the early lead with a takedown halfway through the first period. In the second, Tirapelle chose bottom and scored a reversal to increase his lead to 4-0 but Greathouse scored on an escape. As the period came to an end, however, the Illini senior All-American scored on a takedown. Greathouse opened the third by scoring an escape, but Tirapelle countered with a takedown and a two-point nearfall to get the major decision. The Illini led the dual 7-0.

At 165, No. 7 Mike Poeta (Highwood, Ill.) manhandled Bryan Harney to win by major decision, 14-2. In the first period, Poeta took an early lead on a takedown and a two-point nearfall. In the second, Poeta extended his lead on an escape and a takedown. After a Harney escape, Poeta took him down as time expired. In the third, Poeta added two more points on a crushing takedown to extend his lead to 11-2. For extra measure, Poeta finished the third with another takedown.

After taking the first three matches of the dual, Michigan State finally got on the board as No. 16 Donny Reynolds (Frankfort, Ill.) fell to No. 5 R.J. Boudro, 10-4, in their 174-pound match. In the third period, with Boudro leading 8-2, Reynolds scored a takedown to narrow the lead, but the margin was too great to overcome. The Illini got back in the winning column as No. 6 Pete Friedl (Orland Park, Ill.) won a major decision over Joe Williams, 9-1, in their 184-pound bout. Friedl took the early lead in the first period by scoring a takedown. The Illini senior narrowly missed a pin as time expired, but came away with three back points instead. In the second, the Illini All-American extended his lead on an escape and a takedown. The only scoring in the third was an escape point by Williams as Friedl's major decision extended the Illini lead in the dual to 15-3.

At 197, No. 8 Tyrone Byrd (Clinton, Ill.) outlasted Jeff Clemens, 4-3. In the third period, with Byrd in front 3-1, Clemens tied the match with a stall call and an escape, but 3:32 of riding time gave Byrd the victory. In the heavyweight bout, Matt Weight (Batavia, Ill.) dropped a heartbreaker to Max Lossen, 4-1. With no scoring in the first period, the two big men traded escapes the next two periods. With 30 seconds left in the third, Lossen took the lead and the match with a takedown and handing Weight his fifth straight loss.

The matchup of the day was at 125 and saw No. 6 Kyle Ott (Huber Heights, Ohio) fall No. 3 Nick Simmons, 14-0. The two rivals went 1-1 last season only seeing each other at the Big Ten tournament and Nationals. Simmons took an early lead in the first by scoring a takedown and a three-point nearfall. In the second, Simmons extended his lead by adding three more on back points. In the third, Simmons put the match away with a takedown and a three-point nearfall. Ott is now 0-3 against ranked opponents in the Big Ten. The Spartans now trailed the Illini by eight, 18-10.

Gabe Flores (Madera, Calif.) sealed the win for the Illini by abusing Jeff Wimberley, 14-3. The Illini's 133-pound sophomore scored a takedown to take the early lead in the first period. In the second, Flores added four points on a reversal and a takedown to extend his lead. In the third period, Flores scored a takedown then almost pinned the Spartan resdshirt-freshman-only to come away with a three-point nearfall. Flores finished off Wimberley by scoring another takedown as time expired. The Ilini were now ahead 22-10. At 141, Dan Manzella (Chicago, Ill.) started in place of Cassio Pero--who was out due to injury. Manzella suffered a technical fall to No. 5 Andy Simmons, 16-0 at 5:46.

Head coach Mark Johnson commented on the pair of big wins this weekend: "We wanted to get back on the winning track after last weekend's disappointing performance. We wrestled well and got it done."

Illinois finishes up the regular season at home on Sunday, February 19 at 1 p.m. The Illini will be honoring seven seniors, including starters Kyle Ott (125), Alex Tirapelle (157), Pete Friedl (184), Tyrone Byrd (197) and Matt Weight (Hwt.).

# 6 Illinois 22, #18 Michigan State 15
Attendance: 587
149: Troy Tirapelle (ILL) dec. #15 Darren McKnight (MSU), 6-4		3-0
157: # 1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) major dec. Tony Greathouse (MSU), 11-3	7-0
165: #7 Mike Poeta (ILL) major dec. Bryan Harney (MSU), 14-2		11-0
174: #5 R.J. Boudro (MSU) dec. #16 Donny Reynolds (ILL)10-4		11-3
184: #6 Pete Friedl (ILL) major dec. Joe Williams (MSU), 9-1		15-3
197: #8 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) dec. Jeff Clemens (MSU), 4-3			18-3
HWT: Max Lossen (MSU) dec. Matt Weight (ILL), 4-1 			18-6
125: #3 Nick Simmons (MSU) major dec. #6 Kyle Ott (ILL), 14-0		18-10
133: Gabe Flores (ILL) major dec. Jeff Wimberley (MSU), 14-3		22-10
141: #5 Andy Simmons (MSU) tech. fall Dan Manzella (ILL), 16-0 (5:46)	22-15

149: Troy Tirapelle (ILL) dec. #15 Darren McKnight (MSU), 6-4
1st Period:
no scoring
2nd Period: McKnight chooses bottom
1:52 McKnight escape (0-1)
0:40 Tirapelle takedown (2-1)
3rd Period: Tirapelle chooses bottom
1:58 Tirapelle escape (3-1)
1:20 McKnight takedown (3-3)
1:05 Tirapelle escape (4-3)
0:35 Tirapelle takedown (6-3)
0:22 Tirapelle stalling warning
0:19 McKnight escape (6-4)
157: # 1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) major dec. Tony Greathouse (MSU), 11-2
1st Period:
1:30 Tirapelle takedown (2-0)
2nd Period: Tirapelle chooses bottom
1:26 Tirapelle reversal (4-0)
0:37 Greathouse escape (4-1)
0:02 Tirapelle takedown (6-1
3rd Period: Greathouse chooses bottom
1:36 Greathouse escape (6-2)
1:17 Tirapelle takedown (8-2)
1:10 Tirapelle near fall (10-2)
Tirapelle riding time 3:27 (11-2)
165: #7 Mike Poeta (ILL) major dec. Bryan Harney (MSU),14-2
1st Period:
1:49 Poeta takedown (2-0)
0:52 Poeta nearfall (4-0)
0:17 Harney stalling warning
2nd Period: Poeta chooses bottom
1:55 Poeta escape (5-0)
1:04 Poeta takedown (7-0)
0:57 Harney escape (7-1)
0:12 Poeta takedown (9-1)
3rd Period: Harney chooses bottom
1:54 Harney escape (9-2)
0:32 Poeta takedown (11-2)
0:08 Poeta takedown (13-2)
Poeta riding time 2:15 (14-2)
174: #5 R.J. Boudro (MSU) dec. #16 Donny Reynolds (ILL), 10-4
1st Period:
2:11 Boudro takedown (0-2)
1:20 Reynolds escape (1-2)
0:36 Boudro takedown (1-4)
2nd Period: Reynolds chooses neutral
1:35 Boudro takedown (1-6)
0:23 Reynolds escape (2-6)
0:09 Boudro takedown (2-8)
3rd Period: Boudro chooses neutral
0:49 Reynolds takedown (4-8)
0:40 Boudro escape (4-9)
Boudro riding time 2:22 (4-10)
184: #6 Pete Friedl (ILL) major dec. Joe Williams (MSU), 9-1
1st Period: 1:57 Friedl takedown (2-0)
0:01 Friedl near fall (5-0)
2nd Period: Friedl chooses bottom
1:42 Friedl escape (6-0)
0:07 Friedl takedown (8-0)
3rd Period: Williams chooses bottom
1:40 Williams escape (8-1)
Friedl riding time 2:02 (9-1)
197: #8 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) dec. Jeff Clemens (MSU), 4-3
1st Period:
2:33 Byrd takedown (2-0)
0:27 Clemens stalling warning
0:01 Clemens escape (2-1)
2nd Period: Byrd chooses bottom
1:37 Byrd escape (3-1)
3rd Period: Clemens chooses bottom
1:36 Byrd stalling warning
0:40 Byrd stalling (3-3)
0:34 Clemens escape (3-3)
Byrd riding time 3:32 (4-3)
HWT: Max Lossen (MSU) dec. Matt Weight (ILL), 4-1
1st Period:
no scoring
2nd Period: Weight chooses bottom
1:17 Weight escape (1-0)
3rd Period: Lossen chooses bottom
1:58 Lossen escape (1-1)
0:37 Lossen takedown (1-3)
Lossen riding time 1:14 (1-4)
125: #3 Nick Simmons (MSU) mjor dec. #6 Kyle Ott (ILL), 14-0
1st Period:
2:13 Simmons takedown (0-2)
Simmons near fall (0-5)
2nd Period: Ott chooses bottom
0:48 Simmons near fall (0-8)
3rd Period: Simmons chooses neutral
1:15 Simmons takedown (0-10)
0:55 Simmons near fall (0-13)
Simmons riding time 5:23 (0-14)
133: Gabe Flores (ILL) major dec. Jeff Wimberley (MSU), 14-3
1st Period:
2:31 Flores takedown (2-0)
2nd Period: Flores chooses bottom
1:10 Flores reversal (4-0)
0:56 Wimberley escape (4-1)
0:25 Flores takedown (6-1)
3rd Period: Wimberley chooses bottom
1:58 Wimberley escape (6-2)
1:07 Flores takedown (8-2)
0:40 Flores near fall (11-2)
0:31 Wimberley escape (11-3)
0:02 Flores takedown (13-3)
Flores riding time 2:48 (14-3)
141: #5 Andy Simmons (MSU) tech fall Dan Manzella (ILL), 15-0
1st Period:
2:24 Simmons takedown (0-2)
1:00 Simmons near fall (0-5)
0:24 Simmons near fall (0-8)
2nd Period: Manzella chooses bottom
0:56 Simmons near fall (0-11)
3rd Period: Simmons chooses neutral
1:41 Simmons takedown (0-13)
1:14 Simmons near fall (0-15)
Simmons riding time 4:50 (0-16)