Brackets | NCAA Release | Ticket Information

INDIANAPOLIS - The NCAA announced the seeds and brackets for NCAA Championships next week on Wednesday evening, revealing the first round matchups for the six Fighting Illini qualifiers. Redshirt senior Emery Parker leads the Illini with the No. 4 seed at 184-pounds. Redshirt sophomore Mike Carr joins Parker with a top-10 seed with the No. 6 seed at 141-pounds. Junior Travis Piotrowski is the No. 11 seed at 125-pounds, while redshirt junior Eric Barone is the No. 15 seed at 157-pounds. Rounding out the Illini qualifiers are No. 26 Joey Gunther (165) and No. 30 Dylan Duncan (133). All 33 wrestlers at each weight class received seeds. 

Three-time NCAA qualifier Emery Parker receives the highest seed of his career at NCAA Championships with the No. 4 seed at 184-pounds. Parker enters the championships with an 18-3 overall record. Parker just finished third at Big Ten Championships last weekend, defeating Nebraska's Taylor Venz in a 5-1 decision in the third-place bout. Last year at NCAA Championships, Parker placed third at 184-pounds to claim All-American honors. Parker will be opposed by Virginia's Will Schany (29) in the opening round. 

Mike Carr holds the six seed at 141-pounds after entering nationals last season as the No. 11 seed. Carr went 12-5 this season, including 7-0 in Big Ten duals. Carr will take on Binghamton's Anthony Sparacio (27) in the first round. 

Travis Piotrowski, a three-time NCAA qualifier, holds the No. 11 seed at 125-pounds for the 2019 NCAA Championships. Piotrowski finished as the team leader in wins with 20, finishing with a 20-10 overall record for the season. He's coming off a fifth-place finish at this year's Big Ten Championships. In the opening round, Piotrowski will face off against Northern Iowa's Jacob Schwarm (22).   

Eric Barone qualifies for nationals for the second time in his career. The No. 15 seed at 157-pounds this season, Barone was a qualifier at 149-pounds in 2017. This season, Barone finished with an overall record of 18-14. Barone is set to wrestle No. 18 Logan Parks out of Central Michigan in the first round.

After qualifying for nationals in his first two seasons at Iowa, Joey Gunther qualifies for the third time of his career this season as a member of the Illini. Gunther finished the year with a record of 13-12. No. 26 Gunther will take on No. 7 Isaiah White of Nebraska in the opening round. 

Dylan Duncan heads to Pittsburgh for his second-straight appearance at nationals. Duncan, who finished the year 13-12, is the No. 30 seed and is slated to take on No. 3 Nick Suriano in the first round.   

NCAA Championships will be held on March 21-23 in Pittsburgh, Pa. For the third consecutive year NCAA Championships will be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks. Sessions 1 & 2 will be on Thursday, March 21, with Session 1 beginning at 11 a.m. CT on ESPNU and Session 2 starting at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. Session 3 will begin at 10 a.m. CT on ESPNU, and Session 4 will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. CT. The final day of action will begin with Session 5 starting at 10 a.m. CT on ESPNU. The championship session will air at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN. 

Illini First Round Matchups:

125: (11) Travis Piotrowski vs. (22) Jacob Schwarm (Northern Iowa)
133: (30) Dylan Duncan vs. (3) Nick Suriano (Rutgers)
141: (6) Mike Carr vs. (27) Anthony Sparacio (Binghampton) 
157: (15) Eric Barone vs. (18) Logan Parks (Central Michigan)
165: (26) Joey Gunther vs. (7) Isaiah White (Nebraska)
184: (4) Emery Parker vs. (29) WIll Schany (Virginia) 

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