Fighting Illini Wrestling Completes Competition at Cougar Clash

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois wrestling team completed the Cougar Clash on Saturday (Dec. 7) at First Community Arena on the campus of SIUE.   

Redshirt senior Jake Harrier posted a fifth-place finish at 149 pounds after registering three wins on the day. Harrier started his tournament run with a hard-fought 6-5 decision over Northern Colorado's Rudy Lopez. He then progressed into the semifinal with a dominant 13-4 major decision against Eric Almarinez of SIUE. After moving into the consolation bracket, Harrier picked up another victory against Almarinez, this time with a pin (4:35) in the fifth-place match. 

Redshirt junior at 184 pounds Dylan Connell finished sixth after totaling three wins during his time at the Cougar Clash. Connell began the day with a 5-1 decision over Bellarmine's Jack Ring before dropping into the consolation bracket. He then defeated Little Rock's Jake Stacy in an 8-6 decision, and he pinned Bellarmine's Sam Schroeder in 1:56 for his third triumph of the meet. 

Freshman 157-pounder Ryan Bennett made his Fighting Illini debut at the meet, securing sixth place in his weight class. Bennett recorded his first collegiate win with an 8-2 decision against SIUE's Braxton Strick. He added two more victories in the consolation bracket, including a 4-1 decision against Bellarmine's Gray Ortis and his first-career pin against Bronson Baxter of Little Rock.   

FULL RESULTS

Joey Ruzic, 125
Champ. Round 1: Joey Ruzic (ILL) dec. Deion Johnson (SIUE), 5-4 
Quarterfinal: Cooper Flynn (MINN) over Joey Ruzic (ILL), fall (4:57) 
Cons. Round 2: Damion Ryan (BELL) dec. Joey Ruzic (ILL), 8-5 
Ruzic eliminated. 

Brian Beers, 133 
Champ. Round 1: Trayce Eckman (BELL) over Brian Beers (ILL), fall (2:27) 
Cons. Round 2: Mikai Alirez (NCU) dec. Brian Beers (ILL), 4-2 
Beers eliminated. 

Jackson Herman, 141 
Champ. Round 1: Owen Uhls (MIZ) tech. fall Jackson Herman (ILL), 18-2 (5:22) 
Cons. Round 2: Armando Garcia (NCU) dec. Jackson Herman (ILL), 5-1 
Herman eliminated. 

Jake Harrier, 149 
Champ. Round 1: Jake Harrier (ILL) dec. Rudy Lopez (NCU), 6-5 
Quarterfinal: Jake Harrier (ILL) major dec. Eric Almarinez (SIUE), 13-4 
Semifinal: Drew Roberts (MINN) dec. Jake Harrier (ILL), 11-4 
Cons. Semifinal: Zeke Seltzer (MIZ) over Jake Harrier (ILL), fall (2:54) 
5th Place: Jake Harrier (ILL) over Erik Almarinez (SIUE), fall (4:35) 
Harrier placed fifth. 

Ryan Bennett, 157 
Champ. Round 1: Ryan Bennett (ILL) dec. Braxton Strick (SIUE), 8-2 
Quarterfinal: James Conway (MIZ) major dec. Ryan Bennett (ILL), 13-1 
Cons. Round 2: Ryan Bennett (ILL) dec. Gray Ortis (BELL), 4-1 
Cons. Round 3: Ryan Bennett (ILL) over Bronson Baxter (ARK-LR), fall (4:30) 
Cons. Semifinal: Joel Mylin (MIZ) major dec. Ryan Bennett (ILL), 11-1 
5th place: Landen Johnson (NIU) tech. fall Ryan Bennett (ILL), 16-1 (4:22) 
Bennett placed sixth.  

Charlie Fifield, 157 
Champ. Round 1: James Conway (MIZ) tech. fall Charlie Fifield (ILL), 18-3 (5:23) 
Cons. Round 1: Charlie Fifield (ILL) dec. Braxton Strick (SIUE), SV-1 4-1 
Cons. Round 2: Brody Hallin (NIU) dec. Charlie Fifield (ILL), 7-3 
Fifield eliminated. 

Caden Ernd, 165 
Champ. Round 1: Caden Ernd (ILL) dec. Kilian Schultz (NCU), 3-0 
Quarterfinal: Cole Nance (BELL) over Caden Ernd (ILL), fall (4:36) 
Cons. Round 3: Brett Smith (NIU) dec. Caden Ernd (ILL), 10-7 
7th place: Austin Keal (ARK-LR) dec. Caden Ernd (ILL), 10-7
Ernd placed eighth. 

Dylan Connell, 184 
Champ. Round 1: Dylan Connell (ILL) dec. Jack Ring (BELL), 5-1 
Quarterfinal: Branson Britten (ARK-LR) major dec. Dylan Connell (ILL), 10-2 
Cons. Round 2: Dylan Connell (ILL) dec. Jake Stacy (ARK-LR), 8-6 
Cons. Round 3: Dylan Connell (ILL) over Sam Schroeder (BELL), fall (1:56)
Cons. Semifinal: Devan Hendricks (BELL) dec. Dylan Connell, 2-0 
5th place: Branson Britten (ARK-LR) dec. Dylan Connell (ILL), 7-0
Connell placed sixth. 

Marko Ivanisevic, 285 
Quarterfinal: Jacob Christensen (NIU) dec. Marko Ivanisevic (ILL), 4-2  
Cons. Round 2: Bryson Buck (SIUE) dec. Marko Ivanisevic (ILL), 5-2 
Ivanisevic eliminated.

UP NEXT  

The Illinois wrestling team is off for about a month before they return to action against No. 6 Ohio State for their Big Ten home opener on Jan. 10.