CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 22 Illinois wrestling hosts a tri meet with No. 8 Ohio State and Wisconsin at State Farm Center on Sunday at 11 a.m. The meet will run as a round-robin style with two separate mats set up and matches taking place on both mats simultaneously. Streaming will be available through BTN+ with live streams for each mat. The Illini look to build off their 1-0 start to the season following a dominant 39-3 victory at Indiana last Sunday.
PROBABLE STARTERS
QUICK HITS
* No. 22 Illinois begins a three-meet home slate on Sunday with a tri meet, hosting No. 8 Ohio State and Wisconsin at State Farm Center (11 a.m. CT).
* The tri meet will be streamed on BTN+.
* Illinois is 37-36-1 all-time against Ohio State, and 41-28-3 all-time against Wisconsin.
* The Illini will compete at the State Farm Center for the first time since 2013.
* The Illini have six wrestlers ranked in the top 25 across multiple different ranking websites. The highest ranking for each is as follows: Cardani (No. 13), Duncan (No. 11), Carr (No. 7), D. Braunagel (No. 8), Z. Braunagel (No. 10), and Luffman (No. 25).
* Senior Mike Carr returned to the mat and earned a major decision victory at Indiana last Sunday after missing last season due to injury.
* Sophomore Luke Byrd earned his first win in the Illinois starting lineup last weekend, defeating Indiana's Cayden Rooks by major decision.
* Johnny Mologousis earned his first win in the Illinois starting lineup last weekend, defeating Indiana's Jonathan Kervin by major decision with a 10-0 shutout victory.
* The Illini will have three first-year starters in their lineup with Lucas Byrd, Johnny Mologousis, and Trey Sizemore/DJ Shannon.
* Illinois is ranked across multiple different ranking websites, with their highest ranking being No. 22 on InterMat
* Up next, the Illini will host Purude for a dual meet on Friday, January 22.
ILLINI NOTES
Illinois returns five NCAA Championships qualifiers from 2019-20
The Illini return five NCAA qualifiers who started for the team during the 2019-20 season. Justin Cardani, Dylan Duncan, Danny Braunagel, Zac Braunagel, and Luke Luffman all return for the Illini after qualifying for the 2020 NCAA Championships which were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Danny Braunagel secured a 20-6 record during the 2019-20 season, finishing with the second-highest number of wins on the team and earning NWCA Honorable Mention All-American honors at 165-pounds. Zac Braunagel went 18-8 on the season, also earning NWCA Honorable Mention All-American honors at 184-pounds.
Illinois in the Team National Rankings
The Illini are ranked across multiple different ranking websites, including in both tournament and dual polls. The rankings for each: InterMat Dual (No. 22), FloWrestling (No. 24), NWCA Coaches Poll (No. 24).
Illini Wrestlers in the National Rankings
The Illini have six wrestlers ranked in the top 25 across multiple different ranking websites. The highest ranking for each: Cardani (No. 13), Duncan (No. 11), Carr (No. 7), D. Braunagel (No. 8), Z. Braunagel (No. 10), and Luffman (No. 25).
Big Win for Cardani
Illinois sophomore Justin Cardani picked up a big win last Sunday over Indiana's No. 13-ranked Brock Hudkins at 125-pounds. Late in the third period and tied at 1, Cardani finished a takedown with seconds left on the clock to go up 3-1 and win by decision in an exciting and competitive first match of the season for the redshirt-sophomore.
Illini to Watch
2018 B1G Runner-Up and two-time NCAA qualifier Mike Carr is expected to have a big season in 2021. The No. 7-ranked senior got off to a strong start last Sunday, earning his first major decision of the season in a 16-5 win over Indiana's Luke Baughman. Lucas Byrd earned a 14-5 major decision victory in his Illini debut at Indiana last weekend. The sophomore is looking to make a statement in a loaded 133-pound weight class in the Big Ten. Zac Braunagel earned his first fall of the season (6:02) over Indiana's Drayton Harris last Sunday. Braunagel expects to build on his impressive 2019-20 season with more wins over top-ranked opponents in the Big Ten during the 2021 campaign.
UP NEXT FOR THE ILLINI
Illinois hosts No. 16 Purdue in a dual meet next Friday, January 22. The time and location are to be announced, and the meet will be streamed on BTN+.
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