MANHEIM, Pa. – Fighting Illini wrestler Zac Brunson has been added to the 51st NWCA All-Star Classic, as announced by the National Wrestling Coaches Association this afternoon. North Carolina's Ethan Ramos will oppose the Illini 174-pound senior, as he joins teammate Zane Richards (133 pounds) in the November 5 exhibition in Cleveland, Ohio at 6 p.m. central time.
Brunson enters his senior season after going 22-5 as a junior in 2015-16 and placing runner-up at Big Ten Championships. The 174-poudner began the season with a 14-0 record before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the first half of the Big Ten season. Leading the team with 11 falls last season, Brunson had his most memorable one in the Big Ten semifinal when he pinned No. 6 Alex Meyer in 2:00. Brunson went 2-2 at NCAA Championships. Brunson begins the 2016-17 season ranked No. 8 by WIN Magazine.
The Eugene, Oregon native joins teammate Richards to become the 20th and 21st Illinois wrestlers to be invited to the event. The previous 18 Illini to wrestle in the event have combined for a 10-8 record. The Illini were last represented in the event in 2012 when the Illini trio of Jesse Delgado (125), B.J. Futrell (141) and Jordan Blanton (174) all competed. This is the second straight year that an Illini wrestler has been selected after Isaiah Martinez was invited last season but did not compete.
The Illini senior will be matched against Ramos, a junior who moved up to 174 pounds last season after beginning his collegiate career as an All-American at 165. Entering NCAA Championships last season as the No. 4 seed, Ramos was unable to earn his second All-America honor, as Iowa's Alex Meyer eliminated him in consolation bracket. Ramos enters his third season with the Tar Heels ranked No. 9 in WIN Magazine's pre-season rankings.
The NWCA All-Star Classic kicks off the collegiate wrestling season as a showcase of the premiere collegiate wrestlers in the country, and has been the opening event for the wrestling season since 2004 when it was switched from its former post-season event status.
Main Event Matchups
125: Barlow McGhee, Jr. (Missouri) vs. Nathan Kraisser, Sr. (Campbell)
133: Zane Richards, Sr. (Illinois) vs. Eric Montoya, Sr. (Nebraska)
141: Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) vs. Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers)
149: Lavion Mayes (Missouri) vs. Anthony Collica, Sr. (Oklahoma State)
157: Max Rohskopf (NC State) vs. Brian Murphy (Michigan)
165: Isaac Jordan, Sr. (Wisconsin) vs. Daniel Lewis, So. (Missouri)
174: Ethan Ramos, Jr. (North Carolina) vs. Zac Brunson, Sr. (Illinois)
184: Gabe Dean, Sr. (Cornell) vs. Myles Martin, So. (Ohio State)
197: Brett Pfarr, Sr. (Minnesota) vs. Brett Harner, Sr. (Princeton)
285: Ty Walz, Sr. (Virginia Tech) vs. Connor Medbery, Sr. (Wisconsin)
