CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois wrestling star Lucas Byrd has been selected to wrestle in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic on November 22 in Austin, Texas. This is the first NWCA All-Star classic in four years.

"It's a great honor to be selected for the All-Star dual," said Illini wrestling head coach Mike Poeta. "This group is the elite of the elite in college wrestling. Pre-season training has been going great for Lucas and the team, he's excited to get out there. First and foremost, his mind is set on the first competition on November 5th. He has plenty of work to do before we head out to Austin, Texas."

Byrd is coming out of his third season in the orange and blue with 27 wins on the year, his personal-best to date. He recorded a team-high 39 dual points and went a perfect 10-0 overall in duals.  He placed fourth at the Big Ten Championships and fifth at the NCAA Championships. He was also selected to All-American honors as a result of his performances.

Every wrestler on the card is a returning All-American. The stage is set for this to be one of the most noteworthy wrestling competitions of the entire year. The event is presented by Cliff Keen and will be live streamed on FloWrestling.