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Final Brackets | Team Scores (Final)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Illini redshirt-freshman Isaiah Martinez won the 157-pound title at the 2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Martinez, the tournament's top-seeded wrestler, finished off a 3-0 weekend with a 12-5 victory over No. 2 Dylan Ness in the championship bout. Martinez' win, along with eight other podium finishes from Illinois grapplers, helped the Illini score 96.0 points to finish sixth.

Martinez took control of the championship match from the opening whistle, jumping out to a 4-1 lead after the first period. Ness stifled the offensive-minded Martinez in the second period, cutting the Illini grappler's lead to 4-2, but Martinez put an exclamation point on the win with a dominating third period. In the final period, Martinez put Ness on the mat three times, sealing a 12-5 win for the first conference title of his career. Martinez was also named the conference "Freshman of the Year" after posting a 30-0 record thus far.

"Isaiah just keeps getting better with every match," said head coach Jim Heffernan. "I really don't know what else to say about him. He keeps meeting the challenge, no matter the opponent he is wrestling against. His accomplishment this weekend is great but he still has to work to do at nationals."

Kyle Langenderfer (149) posted the second-best finish by an Illini at the championships, grabbing third with two wins on Sunday. Langenderfer pinned No. 3 Hunter Stieber (OSU) and took down No. 5 Alec Pantaleo (MICH), 9-7, in sudden victory to earn bronze.

"Kyle had an unbelievable weekend in a very difficult league," Heffernan acknowledged. "He has had times this year where he has been sharp but he hasn't had the consistency we've been seeking. He really put it all together this weekend, and we expected him to do that coming in. He is a gamer and that caught our eye when we were recruiting him."

No. 2 Jesse Delgado (125) came into the final day of competition with a chance to finish as high as third. After beating No. 4 Tim Lambert (NEB) to advance to the third-place match, Delgado forfeited to No. 5 Jordan Conaway (PSU), settling for fourth.

No. 6 Zane Richards (133), No. 5 Jackson Morse (165), No. 5 Zac Brunson (174) and No. 11 Jeff Koepke (197) each made it to the fifth-place match in their respective weight classes, with Richards and Morse coming through with a win. Richards beat No. 3 Jimmy Gulibon (PSU), 4-3, after falling to Gulibon 3-1 in the second round. Morse also faced a familiar opponent in No. 12 Garrett Sutton (MICH), beating him for a second time this weekend, 2-0. Brunson dropped a 3-1 decision in sudden victory to No. 6 Mike Martin (OSU), while Koepke fell 10-1 to No. 6 Max Huntely (MICH).

In the two seventh-place matches featuring Illinois grapplers, the Illini came away with a 1-1 record. At 184 pounds, No. 7 Nikko Reyes beat No. 5 Kenny Courts (OSU), 7-2, to finish seventh, while No. 10 Brooks Black fell, 3-2, to No. 7 Spencer Myers (MD) to take eighth.

All nine of Illinois' placewinners earned automatic bids to the NCAA Champions in St. Louis, Missouri on March 19-21. The last time the Illini had at least nine NCAA qualifiers was in 2009.

"This team progressed very well," stated Heffernan. "Our young guys have gotten better each week. They have been coachable in practice, making corrections that we as a staff have pointed out to them. They are getting physically and mentally stronger and are starting to wrestle their best."

Team Standings - Final
1. Iowa 120.0

1. Ohio State 120.0

 3. Minnesota 108.0

4. Michigan 101.5

5. Penn State 96.5
6. Illinois 96.0

7. Nebraska 85.5

8. Wisconsin 74.0
9. Northwestern 72.0

10. Purdue 37.5

11. Rutgers 20.5

12. Indiana 16.0

13. Michigan State 12.5

 14. Maryland 10.5