March 19, 2011
Final NCAA Team Standings & Brackets 
Watch Kennedy's post-match interview
PHILADELPHIA - Fourth-seeded Jimmy Kennedy (141 pounds) scored a major decision over Missouri's tenth-seeded Todd Schavrien to earn fifth place and seventh-seeded B.J. Futrell (133 pounds) took eighth place to finish Illinois' performance at the 2011 NCAA Championships at the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday. The Illini take twenty-second place with Kennedy and Futrell earning All-America honors, the third of Kennedy's career and first for Futrell.
Kennedy finishes the season 23-4 for an .852 winning percentage, the 25th-best in school history. He also ends his career 120-24, tied for the seventh-most wins in school history with Matt Lackey and holding the fifth-best career winning percentage at .833.
"The hard matches for Jimmy were last night after he got beat," Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan said. "He was pretty upset and it really took a lot out of him emotionally. So the fact that he was able to win two really high-pressure matches last night was good to see. Then today, he just got caught in a tough situation (against Mike Thorn). And I think it was good for B.J. - we talked a lot about this with Jordan (Blanton) last year - to go through the tournament one time for three days and learn what it takes. B.J. made a lot of good progress this year and really improved a lot."
In the Kennedy hit a blast double against Minnesota's second-seeded Mike Thorn with 1:46 left in the first period but Thorn rolled through and scored the defensive fall in 1:29.
Futrell gave up a throw-by for a takedown with 2:29 left in the first period against No. 5 seed Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra) and Ruggirello used a bar tilt for a three-point near-fall to go ahead 5-0. Ruggirello rode him out and Futrell chose a neutral start to the second period. But Ruggirello passed the elbow and threw Futrell by for a takedown to go up 7-0. Ruggirello rode him out and started on top in the third. But Futrell swam over the top for the reversal and added three near-fall points to get within 7-5 with 1:15 left in the bout. Futrell cut him loose and got in on a single-leg but Ruggirello sprawled out of bounds. Ruggirello was given a stall call then was dinged with a point with just a few seconds left, but he held off Futrell and added the riding-time point to take the 9-6 win over the Illini sophomore and give Futrell eighth place.
Kennedy got a leg quickly against Missouri's Todd Schavrien and worked it into a takedown, adding a leg turk and a crossface for three near-fall points and a 5-0 lead with 1:30 left in the first period. Schavrien escaped as Kennedy tried to roll through for more back points but the Illini senior shot back in on his legs and got a takedown on the edge with 10 seconds left before riding him out for a 7-1 lead after five minutes. Schavrien chose a neutral start to the second and Kennedy shot in on a single-leg with 35 seconds left, starting a scramble that ended with the Illini senior scoring a takedown with eight seconds left in the period. He rode out Schavrien for a 9-1 lead after two periods and Kennedy started down in the third. Schavrien cut him loose with 20 seconds left to put Kennedy up 10-1 and Schavrien was called for a penalty point, giving Kennedy an 11-1 major decision win to take fifth place.
133: No. 7 seed B.J. Futrell, r-So., Park Forest, Ill., 28-10
First Round: Dec. Eric Morrill (Edinboro), 11-6
Second Round: Maj. dec. Flint Ray (Utah Valley), 12-4
Quarterfinals: Maj. dec. by No. 2 seed Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State), 10-2
Consolation Round of 12: Dec. No. 9 seed Devin Carter (Virginia Tech), 10-3
Consolation Quarterfinals: Dec. by No. 11 seed Scotti Sentes (Central Michigan), 4-0
Seventh Place: Dec. by No. 5 seed Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra), 9-6
Futrell - 8th Place
141: No. 4 seed Jimmy Kennedy, r-Sr., Ingleside, Ill., 23-4
First Round: Dec. Justin Morrill (Utah Valley), 9-3
Second Round: Pinned Chris Diaz (Virginia Tech), 4:43
Quarterfinals: Dec. by No. 5 seed Montell Marion (Iowa), 8-7
Consolation Round of 12: Dec. No. 11 seed Matthew Mariacher (American), 7-3
Consolation Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 8 seed Zack Bailey (Oklahoma), 3-2
Consolation Semifinals: pinned by No. 2 seed Mike Thorn (Minnesota), 1:29
Fifth Place: Maj. dec. No. 10 seed Todd Schavrien (Missouri), 11-1
Kennedy - 5th Place
