CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 17 Fighting Illini Wrestling hits the mat for the first time in nine days Sunday afternoon at No. 14 Wisconsin. The dual will begin at 2 p.m. CT at the UW Field House, and can be streamed on BTN2Go.
*Rankings from FloWrestling
Quick Hits
*No. 17 Illinois hits the mat for the first time in nine days Sunday as they travel to No. 14 Wisconsin.
*The Illini were defeated by the Badgers last season on Friday, February 11 at Huff Hall, 19-16.
* Illinois leads the all-time series against Wisconsin, 41-27-3.
*Redshirt sophomore No. 4 Mike Carr is projected for another top-10 bout this week, going against No. 8 Tristan Moran. Carr is 6-0 in B1G duals this season and 10-2 overall.
*Last weekend vs. No. 2 Ohio State, four Illini picked up victories. Mike Carr earned his first win by tech. fall of the season with a 20-5 win against Clay Ragon. Redshirt junior Joey Gunther won his team-leading 16th match of the season with a 3-1 overtime decision over Kaleb Romero
*The Illini are 2-6 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten after dropping duals after losing to No. 2 Ohio State, 23-14, on February 1.
*FloWrestling National Rankings: 125: No. 11 Travis Piotrowski, 141: No. 4 Mike Carr, 157: No. 9 Eric Barone, 165: No. 18 Joey Gunther, 184: No. 5 Emery Parker. Redshirt junior Joey Gunther Redshirt sophomore Dylan Duncan is ranked No. 19 by InterMat and W.I.N. Magazine.
*Up next, the Illini will travel for a dual at No. 9 Northwestern on Friday, February 15, at 7 p.m. Illinois then heads home for Senior Day and the last home dual of the season on Sunday, February 17, at 2 p.m. Both Duals can be streamed on BTN2Go.
Illini Notes
Sizing Up The Badgers
No. 14 Wisconsin has four wrestlers ranked inside the top-15 in FloWrestling's latest national rankings. 165-pound redshirt sophomore Evan Wick leads the group, ranked third in the weight class and 21-1 on the season. Redshirt junior Tristan Moran also ranks inside the top-10, sitting at No. 8 at 141-pounds with a record of 20-5. Wisconsin is 7-5 overall and 2-5 in Big Ten duals. The Badgers won their last dual at Maryland, 30-13, on Saturday, February 2.
Last Time Out
The Illini lost its last dual vs. No. 2 Ohio State, 23-14 at Huff Hall on Friday, February 1. Four Illini won matches against the Buckeyes. Redshirt sophomore Mike Carr acheived his first win by tech. fall of the season with a 20-5 victory over Clay Ragon. Redshirt junior Joey Gunther picked up his team-best 16th victory with a 3-1 overtime decision against Kaleb Romero. The Illini won the final two matches of the dual, with redshirt senior Deuce Rachal winning over Gary Traub in a 3-2 decision, and junior Travis Piotrowski following up with a 3-1 decision over Hunter Lucas in the 125-pound bout.
Six Illini Ranked Nationally
The Fighting Illini are currently No. 17 in the latest FloWrestling national rankings. Here are the Illini's best ranks across the national rankings: No. 4 Mike Carr, (FloWrestling, InterMat, TrackWrestling, W.I.N. Magazine), No. 5 Emery Parker (FloWrestling, W.I.N. Magazine, OpenMat, Trackwrestling), No. 9 Eric Barone (FloWrestling) No. 11 Travis Piotrowski (FloWrestling), No. 17 Joey Gunther (W.I.N. Magazine) and No. 19 Dylan Duncan, (InterMat, W.I.N. Magazine).
Illini to Watch
141: Mike Carr
No. 4 Mike Carr heads into the Wisconsin dual undefeated at 6-0 against Big Ten Opponents. He will have his third matchup of the the conference season against an opponent ranked inside the top-10 Sunday, going against No. 8 Tristan Moran. Carr won duals against Michigan's No. 6 Kanen Storr (Dec., 3-2) and Minnesota's No. 7 Mitch McKee (Dec., 5-2) last month. Carr is 10-2 overall in the 2018-19 season.
184: Emery Parker
Redshirt senior No. 5 Emery Parker will look to bounce back in the 184-pound bout vs. Mason Reinhardt, who is ranked No. 18 by both Trackwrestling and W.I.N. Magazine. Parker is 11-2 on the season and 4-2 in Big Ten Duals.
125: Travis Piotrowski
Barone enters Piotrowski enters the Wisconsin dual with a 14-7 overall record and a 4-2 mark against Big Ten opponents. He's coming off a 3-2 decision victory against Hunter Lucas in the Ohio State dual last Friday. This week, Piotrowski looks for win number 15, going against Ethan Rotondo.
Up Next
Up next, the Illini will travel for a dual at No. 9 Northwestern on Friday, February 15, at 7 p.m. Illinois then heads home for Senior Day and the last home dual of the season on Sunday, February 17, at 1 p.m. Both Duals can be streamed on BTN2Go.
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