Nov. 14, 2008
ACC/Big Ten Clash Probable Starters in PDF Format 
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -
The No. 9 Illinois wrestling team travels to Chapel Hill, N.C., this weekend for the ACC/Big Ten Clash, where it will face North Carolina State at 11 a.m. (CT), No. 21 Virginia at 1 p.m. and North Carolina at 3 p.m. at Eddie Smith Field House. No. 12 Wisconsin and Michigan State also will represent the Big Ten in an event that allows each team to face all three teams from the opposite conference.
The Fighting Illini will be led by All-American and fourth-ranked Jimmy Kennedy at 133, seniors John Wise (No. 9 at heavyweight), Troy Tirapelle (No. 14 at 141) and Roger Smith-Bergsrud (No. 13 at 165), and junior Patrick Bond (No. 8 at 197). Virginia boasts three ranked wrestlers in their starting lineup, with No. 16 Ross Gitomer at 125, No. 16 Chris Henrich at 174 and No. 9 Rocco Caponi at 184. North Carolina State has the No. 4 wrestler in the country at 149 in Darrion Caldwell, and North Carolina heavyweight Justin Dobies is ranked No. 13.
This event marks the first time that Illinois has started the season with a dual meet since traveling to Missouri in 2001, and only the sixth time in head coach Mark Johnson's 17 years the Illini have opened a campaign with a dual. Illinois last squared off with an ACC squad in 2007 when it defeated both the Tar Heels and Maryland on Jan. 13. Illinois is 8-1 all-time against teams from the ACC.
A full recap will be available on fightingillini.com following the day's action. Results will be available after each meet on North Carolina's official athletics site.
Illinois Probables
125 - B.J. Futrell (Fr., Park Forest, Ill.)
133 - #4 Jimmy Kennedy (Jr., Ingleside, Ill.)
141 - Ryan Prater (So., Plainfield, Ill.)
149 - #14 Troy Tirapelle (Sr., Clovis, Calif.)
157 - Grant Paswall (So., Katonah, N.Y.)
165 - #13 Roger Smith-Bergsrud (Sr., Lake Bluff, Ill.)
174 - Ben Friedl (So., Orland Park, Ill.)
184 - Jordan Blanton (Fr., Richmond, Ill.)
197 - #8 Patrick Bond (Jr., Chesapeake, Va.)
HWT - #6 John Wise (Sr., Pittsfield, Ill.)
