Brackets

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Five Illinois wrestlers qualified for NCAA Championships with wins during Session II of Big Ten Championships Saturday night. Redshirt senior Eric Barone (157), senior Travis Piotrowski (133), redshirt freshman Danny Braunagel (165), redshirt senior Joey Gunther (174) and redshirt junior Dylan Duncan (141) each punched their ticket to nationals, and have guaranteed themselves a place-finish at the conference tournament. 

Barone, Piotrowski and Braunagel each went 2-0 in wrestlebacks matches Saturday night, and can place as high as third at the Big Ten Championships. Gunther and Duncan went 1-1 and are slated to wrestle in seventh-place matches in their respective weight classes during Session III on Sunday. Freshman Luke Luffman also went 1-1 during Saturday night's consolation matches, and has the opportunity to qualify for NCAA Championships if he wins the 285-pound seventh-place match during Session III.

Redshirt senior Mousa Jodeh (149) and redshirt freshman Zac Braunagel (184) will wrestle in extra ninth-place bracket matches for their weight classes, as there are 10 NCAA Championships automatic qualifying spots allocated to the Big Ten for those weight classes. If both Jodeh and Braunagel win their first matches on Sunday, they will automatically qualify for NCAA Championships. These matches do not count towards Big Ten Championships team scores.

On Saturday night, Eric Barone earned a signature victory by upsetting 157-pound national No. 6 and B1G Championships No. 2 seed Kaleb Young of Iowa in his first wrestlebacks matchup. Barone used a first period takedown and a strong defensive effort to take a 3-1 decision over Young. He then went on to defeat Wisconsin's Garrett Model in a 6-3 decision to punch his ticket to nationals, the third time Barone has qualified for NCAA Championships in his career. In tomorrow's Session III consolation semifinals, national No. 32 Barone will be opposed by Michigan's WIll Lewan, who is ranked eighth nationally.

Travis Piotrowski has now qualified for NCAA Championships in each of his four seasons. Piotrowski first defeated Minnesota's Boo Dryden in a 7-1 decision, then secured his spot at nationals with a 5-2 decision victory over Joey Silva of Michigan. This is Piotrowski's first season qualifying for nationals at 133-pounds after wrestling his first three seasons at 125-pounds. Ranked sixth nationally, Piotrowski will take on No. 3 Austin DeSanto of Iowa in the Session III consolation semis. 

Danny Braunagel will be heading to the national tournament for the first time in his career. Braunagel qualified for nationals with his 4-3 decision over Minnesota's Bailee O'Reilly. Braunagel then earned a second wrestlebacks win, coming from behind 7-1 and taking an 8-7 decision over Michigan's Tyler Meisinger. Ranked 12th nationally, Braunagel will wrestle fifth-ranked Isaiah White of Nebraska in the consolation semifinals at 165-pound. 

Joey Gunther qualified for nationals for the fourth time in his career and for the second year wrestling for Illinois. Gunther earned his spot at nationals by defeating Maryland's Philip Spadafora in tonight's wrestlebacks rounds by decision, 3-1. Gunther, ranked 13th nationally at 174-pounds, is set to take on No. 23 Layne Malczewski of Michigan State in tomorrow's seventh-place match.

Dylan Duncan's 7-5 decision victory over Michigan's Cole Mattin qualified the Illini 141-pounder for NCAA Championships. This is the third time Duncan has qualified for nationals, and his first time at 141-pounds after competing at 133-pounds his first two seasons. In tomorrow's seventh-place match, national No. 18 Duncan will be opposed by Purdue's No. 33 Parker Filius.

In tomorrow's seventh-place match at heavyweight, Luke Luffman will go against Purdue's Thomas Penola with a spot at nationals on the line. Luffman defeated Penola by decision, 7-2, in the opening round of the tournament. In the extra matches, Mousa Jodeh will be opposed by Indiana's national No. 18 Graham Rooks at 149-pounds, and No. 13 Zac Braunagel will take on No. 19 Owen Webster at 184-pounds.

Session III will begin at 11 a.m. CT tomorrow, and can be streamed with subscriptions to either BTN + or FloWrestling.      

Illinois Results

125: #18 (4) Justin Cardani | 1-2
Champ Round 1: #18 (4) Justin Cardani dec. (13) Brandon Cray (Maryland), 6-0
Champ Quarterfinal: #22 (5) Jack Medley (Michigan) TB-1 #18 (4) Justin Cardani, 9-4
Cons. Round of 8 #2: (11) Malik Heinselman (Ohio State) dec. #18 (4) Justin Cardani, 4-0

133: #6 (4) Travis Piotrowski | 3-1
Champ Round 1: #6 (4) Travis Piotrowski major dec. (13) King Sandoval (Maryland), 10-0
Champ Quarterfinal: #3 (5) Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) dec. #6 (4) Travis Piotrowski, 9-4
Cons. Round of 8 #2: #6 (4) Travis Piotrowski dec. (11) Boo Dryden (Minnesota), 7-1 
Cons. Round of 4: #6 (4) Travis Piotrowski dec. (8) Joey Silva (Michigan), 5-2

141: #18 (7) Dylan Duncan | 2-2
Champ Round 1: #18 (7) Dylan Duncan dec. (10) Alec McKenna (Northwestern), 4-0
Champ Round #2 (2) Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) dec. #18 (7) Dylan Duncan, 11-5
Cons Round of 8 #2: #18 (7) Dylan Duncan dec. (9) Cole Mattin (Michigan), 7-5
Cons. Round of 4: #3 (3) Max Murin (Iowa) dec. #18 (7) Dylan Duncan, 9-6

149: (13) Mousa Jodeh | 0-2
Champ Round 1: #7 (4) Kanen Storr (Michigan) dec. (13) Mousa Jodeh, 6-1
Cons. Round of 8 #1: (12) Alex Hrisopoulos (Michigan State) SV-1 (13) Mousa Jodeh, 7-3

157: #32 (8) Eric Barone | 2-1
Champ Round 1: (9) Michael VanBrill (Rutgers) dec. #32 (8) Eric Barone, 6-4
Cons. Round of 8 #2: #32 (8) Eric Barone dec. #6 (2) Kaleb Young (Iowa), 3-1
Cons. Round of 4: #32 (8) Eric Barone dec. (12) Garrett Model (Wisconsin), 6-3

165: #12 (7) Danny Braunagel | 3-1
Champ Round 1: #12 (7) Danny Braunagel major dec. (10) Kyle Cochran (Maryland), 14-1
Champ Quarterfinal: #2 (2) Alex Marinelli (Iowa) major dec. #12 (7) Danny Braunagel, 14-2
Cons. Round of 8 #2: #12 (7) Danny Braunagel dec. #27 (8) Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota), 4-3
Cons. Round of 4: #12 (7) Danny Braunagel dec. (12) Tyler Meisinger (Michigan), 8-7 

174: #13 (7) Joey Gunther | 2-2
Champ Round 1: #13 (7) Joey Gunther TB-1 (10) Jared Krattiger (Wisconsin), 2-1
Champ Quarterfinal: #2 (2) Mark Hall (Penn State) tech. fall #13 (7) Joey Gunther, 16-0
Cons. Round of 8 #2: #13 (7) Joey Gunther dec. (9) Philip Spadafora (Maryland), 3-1
Cons. Round of 4: #8 (6) Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) dec. #13 (7) Joey Gunther, 6-2  

184: #13 (7) Zac Braunagel | 1-2
Champ Round 1: #13 (7) Zac Braunagel dec. #21 (10) Jelani Embree (Michigan), 3-2
Champ Quarterfinal: #7 (2) Cam Caffey (Michigan State) major dec. #13 (7) Zac Braunagel, 14-3
Cons. Round of 8 #2: (9) Johnny Sebastian (Wisconsin) dec. #13 (7) Zac Braunagel, 8-4

197: (11) Matt Wroblewski | 1-2
Champ Round 1: #24 (6) Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) Fall (11) Matt Wroblewski, 0:53
Cons. Round of 8 #1: (11) Matt Wroblewski dec. Nick Willham (Indiana), 3-2
Cons. Round of 8 #2: #6 (4) Christian Brunner (Purdue) dec. (11) Matt Wroblewski, 7-2   

285: #27 (9) Luke Luffman | 2-2
Champ Round 1: #27 (9) Luke Luffman dec. #26 (8) Thomas Penola (Purdue), 7-2
Champ Quarterfinal: #2 (1) Mason Parris (Michigan) Fall #27 (9) Luke Luffman, 0:28
Cons. Round of 8 #2: #27 (9) Luke Luffman med. forfeit #16 (7) Seth Nevillis (Penn State), MFF
Cons. Round of 4: #22 (5) David Jensen (Nebraska) dec. #27 (9) Luke Luffman, 6-1

#- National Ranking
()- Seed/School 

For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Wrestling, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@illiniwrestling) and Instagram (illiniwrestling) and like Fighting Illini Wrestling on Facebook.