#8 Illinois Travels to Midlands
December 28, 2008 | Wrestling
Dec. 28, 2008
#8 Illinois at Midlands
Dec. 29-30 // Welsh-Ryan Arena // Evanston, Ill.
• #2 Jimmy Kennedy (133) has won 29 of his last 32 matches dating back to Jan. 20, 2008, and is 11-0 this season with a title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and a Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor under his belt. He earned the honor after defeating #2 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) at the NWCA All-Star Classic by a 7-5 margin.
• True-freshmen #16 Jordan Blanton (184) and B.J. Futrell (125) have been exceptional early in their collegiate careers, combining for a 26-6 record. Blanton finished seventh at the Las Vegas Invitational and earned Co-Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors on Nov. 18 after starting his career 3-0 at the ACC/Big Ten Clash. Meanwhile, Futrell's three losses have come by a combined six points. Blanton leads Illinois with six pins and Futrell has four, which ranks second on the team.
• #11 Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165) is 9-0, his best start to a season in his career. Smith-Bergsrud won the Missouri Open and is 5-0 in dual meets.
• #5 John Wise (HWT) has started strong in his senior season, holding a 7-1 record with his only loss coming to #4 Mark Ellis (Missouri) in the Missouri Open championship. Wise is second on the team with four pins. His 7-1 start also is a career-best.
• John Dergo (174) was impressive in his first time on the mat this year, going 2-0 against Findlay and McKendree on Dec. 13. It took Dergo less than the length of a normal match in winning two bouts by fall in 0:51 and by technical fall in 5:33. Although he was ranked No. 11 by Intermat on Dec. 16, he was not included in the Dec. 23 rankings.
Illini Travel to Midlands
Following a pair of dual wins over Findlay and McKendree on Dec. 13, No. 8 Illinois heads to the 46th Midlands Wrestling Tournament at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., one of seven Big Ten teams scheduled to appear at the event. In addition to the Illini and host Northwestern, No. 1 Iowa, No. 10 Wisconsin, No. 18 Indiana, Purdue and Michigan State also will be competing. No. 2 Iowa State, No. 5 Missouri, No. 12 Central Michigan and No. 22 Penn also will be at the tournament.
Starters Pile Up Early Wins
Illinois' projected dual starters have been nothing short of dominant early in the season, despite being without two-time All-American Mike Poeta at 157 and No. 11 John Dergo at 174. The nine starters who have competed thus far have racked up a combined record of 76-23 with 21 pins, nine technical falls and 14 major decisions.
Illini Start Season in Pinning Mood
After just four weekends of competition, Fighting Illini wrestlers have won 32 bouts by fall, three more than the 29 pins racked up by the 2007-08 squad and tenth-most in school history. Illinois needs only four more pins to jump into the school's top 10 for pins in a season. True-freshman Jordan Blanton leads the team with six falls, while John Wise and B.J. Futrell each have four.
Blanton, Kennedy Earn Big Ten Honors
True-freshman Jordan Blanton (184) was named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 18 after he dominated the ACC/Big Ten Clash on Illinois' opening weekend. Blanton started his college career by pinning his first two foes, then wrapped up the weekend by taking an injury default win in a match he led by a comfortable margin. Blanton's honor is the first by a true-freshman in school history.
Two weeks later, on Dec. 2, No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy (133) earned Wrestler of the Week honors after toppling No. 2 Jayson Ness (Minnesota), 7-5, at the NWCA All-Star Classic. It was Kennedy's first career weekly honor. Kennedy currently is ranked No. 3 in the NWCA/Intermat rankings.
Poeta Reclaims Top Spot in Rankings
Two-time All-American Mike Poeta ascended to the top spot in the NWCA/Intermat rankings at 157 pounds on Nov. 18 despite not wrestling at the ACC/Big Ten Clash. Poeta was ranked No. 2 heading into the weekend behind Cornell's Jordan Leen, but was elevated to the top spot despite neither wrestler stepping on a mat. Poeta has been ranked No. 1 for 22 weeks in his career but was dropped from the most recent rankings because he has not yet wrestled this season.
Pair of True-Freshmen in Illini Lineup
For the third-straight year, Illinois coach Mark Johnson has a pair of true-freshmen in his starting lineup. Rookies B.J. Futrell (125) and Jordan Blanton (184) showed they are worthy of their starting jobs at the ACC/Big Ten Clash as each went 3-0. Blanton pinned a pair of opponents and recorded an injury default win on the opening weekend, while Futrell notched two major decisions. The duo combined to score 32 team points at the event. Last year, Ryan Prater and Grant Paswall competed at 141 and 149, respectively, as rookies, while Jimmy Kennedy (133) and John Dergo (174) were freshmen starters in 2006-07.
Kennedy, Tirapelle Move Up Lists
Junior All-American Jimmy Kennedy now ranks fifth on the career winning percentage chart at .837 after starting the season in ninth with an .813 winning percentage.
Senior Troy Tirapelle also moved up the career pins list with two falls at the Missouri Open. Tirapelle is now seventh all-time at 20 pins.
Illini Blast Findlay, McKendree
Seven wrestlers for the No. 8 Fighting Illini won both of their matches as Illinois dominated Findlay, 32-6, and McKendree, 39-9, Dec. 13 at Huff Hall. No. 2 Jimmy Kennedy (133), No. 6 John Wise (HWT), No. 11 Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165), No. 11 John Dergo (174), No. 17 Jordan Blanton (184), B.J. Futrell (125) and Grant Paswall (157) each went undefeated in the Illini's pair of victories.
Shorthanded Illini Post Highlights at Las Vegas Invitational
Despite being without four starters at the 27th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, No. 7 Illinois finished in 13th and No. 3 Jimmy Kennedy breezed through the 133-pound bracket to win the title. In addition, Jordan Blanton took seventh at 184 and Ryan Prater finished eighth at 141 after defaulting out of the seventh-place match. B.J. Futrell also finished one win short of placing, losing to No. 9 Marcos Orozco (UC Davis), 8-6, in the round of 12.
Illini Placewinners
1st: Jimmy Kennedy (133)
7th: Jordan Blanton (184)
8th: Ryan Prater (141)
Illinois Finds Success at Mizzou Open
No. 8 Illinois represented well at the Missouri Open despite competing shorthanded. No. 12 Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165) won a title, while No. 17 Ryan Prater (141), No. 6 John Wise (HWT) and Jordan Blanton all finished second. B.J. Futrell (125), Troy Tirapelle (149), Joe Barczak (165) and No. 8 Patrick Bond (197) placed third, while Ben Friedl (174) took fourth. The Illini were without No. 1 Mike Poeta (157) and No. 12 John Dergo (174), who are recovering from injuries, and No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy, who was wrestling at the NWCA All-Star Classic the next night.
In addition, Illinois' young wrestlers fared well, with redshirt-freshmen Zeke Rowan (133) and Martin Smith (197) taking sixth in the open division, and Daryl Thomas (125) placing third in the fresh-soph bracket. Reese Taylor (149) and Pat Walker (HWT) both finished fourth in the fresh-soph division, while Eric Terrazas (149) placed fifth, and Jake Kimberlin (157) and Matt McCarter (184) finished sixth.
Illini Placewinners
1st: Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165)
2nd: Ryan Prater (141), Jordan Blanton (184), John Wise (HWT)
3rd: B.J. Futrell (125), Troy Tirapelle (149), Joe Barczak (165), Patrick Bond (197)
Ben Friedl (174)
6th: Zeke Rowan (133), Martin Smith (197)
Illini Dominate ACC/Big Ten Clash
Illinois burst out of the gates in the 2008-09 season by going 3-0 at the ACC/Big Ten Clash. The Fighting Illini defeated North Carolina State, 40-7, No. 21 Virginia, 39-7, and host North Carolina, 26-9. No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy (133), No. 6 John Wise (133), B.J. Futrell (125) and Jordan Blanton (184) all went 3-0, while Ryan Prater (141), Troy Tirapelle (149) and Ben Friedl (174) each went 2-1 in the event.
Tirapelle Era at Illinois Nears End
When senior Troy Tirapelle's career ends after this season, it will mark the end of an era in Illinois wrestling history. The 2008-09 season marks the 12th year that a Tirapelle has been on the Fighting Illini wrestling team, with Adam wearing the Orange and Blue from 1998-2001, Alex from 2003-06 and Troy from 2004-09. The three brothers have combined for 307 career wins and 67 career pins. Alex holds the career wins record and ranks second in career winning percentage, while Adam ranks second in wins and fourth in winning percentage. Adam also holds the career pins record, while Troy is currently tied for eighth on that list.
Illinois Returns 7 NCAA Qualifiers
The Fighting Illini enter the season with most of the weight classes pretty well set. Junior All-American Jimmy Kennedy will be UI's 133-pounder, while sophomore Ryan Prater is likely to be the starter at 141. Senior Troy Tirapelle, who reached the NCAA Tournament in 2005-06 at 149, will wrestle in that class once again after dropping down to 141 last season. Senior two-time All-American Mike Poeta will wrestle at 157, senior two-time NCAA qualifier Roger Smith-Bergsrud will be Illinois' 165-pounder and junior two-time NCAA qualifier John Dergo will wrestle at 174. Two-time NCAA qualifier Patrick Bond is Illinois' 197-pounder and two-time qualifier John Wise will wrestle at heavyweight for the Illini.
Illinois Signs Two For 2009
Head coach Mark Johnson announced the signing of two of the top wrestlers in the nation for the Class of 2009 on Nov. 13. Sam White, of Massillon, Ohio, and Tony Dallago, of Harrisburg, Pa., will join the Illini squad next year. White is currently listed as the No. 7 recruit in the nation across all weight class by RevWrestling.com and was a finalist at Freestyle Junior Nationals in 2008. He also finished second at Freestyle Cadet Nationals in 2007 after winning the Ohio state title that season. White will wrestle at 133 at Illinois.
Dallago is a three-time PIAA state medalist, taking eighth at 112 in 2006, second at 140 in 2007 and fifth at 152 in 2008. He's 124-25 in his career and will wrestle at one of the upper weights at Illinois.
Johnson Begins 17th Year at Illinois
Head coach Mark Johnson is in the midst of his 17th season at the helm of the Illinois wrestling program. He has led the Illinois program to more wins, NCAA Champions, NCAA qualifiers and All-Americans than any coach in the school's history. Also during his tenure, Illinois has finished in the Top-10 at the NCAA Championships on nine occasions and in 11 of the last 13 seasons finished in the Top-12. He has compiled a 190-42-3 record at Illinois for an .815 winning percentage.
