Illinois Wrestling Suffers Setback to No. 2 Iowa

All rankings courtesy of InterMat

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois wrestling team dropped their final dual in Huff Hall for the 2023-24 season, 6-36, to No. 2 Iowa on Friday, Jan. 26.

True freshman No. 8 (149 lbs.) Kannon Webster knocked off No. 11 Caleb Rathjen (IOWA) in the overtime period after each only registered an escape from each other in regulation. In a fast-paced overtime Webster secured the winning takedown on a scramble about a minute into the extra period to walk off victorious with a 4-1 decision.

Webster improves to a team-best 7-1 against ranked opponents on the season and has a team-high win percentage of 92.3% (12-1). He's also the only wrestler on the roster to be unblemished in both total dual action (6-0) and Big Ten duals (2-0).

Redshirt sophomore No. 29 (184 lbs.) Dylan Connell's match also required an extra period and mirrored the 149 bout in regulation with each wrestler only scoring an escape. Connell didn't need much extra time to takedown Aiden Riggins (IOWA) to win 4-1 as well.

In a top-10 matchup at 174; No. 3 Edmond Ruth was bested by No. 9 Patrick Kennedy (IOWA) in a 5-1 decision. Today's attendance was 1,757, the seventh highest for a wrestling meet in Huff Hall history.

UP NEXT

The Orange and Blue grapplers are back in action in State Farm Center on Friday, Feb. 2 for a dual against Michigan State at 7 p.m. CT.

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