CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 10 Illinois wrestling team is set to end the 2025 calendar year with the 61st Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Monday-Tuesday (Dec. 29-30) at Ryan Field House in Evanston, Ill.
There are 32 teams competing in the tournament with six Big Ten teams to give the Illini some early looks heading into the conference slate. Those six teams are Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern and Ohio State.
SCHEDULE
MONDAY, DECEMBER 29
- 9:30 a.m. – First Session – Championship Rounds 1 & 2, Wrestlebacks
- 7:00 p.m. – Second Session – Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30
- 9:30 a.m. – Third Session – Semis, consolation, women's division begins
- 4:00 p.m. – Fourth Session – Men's 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th place matches, women's division finals with the awards ceremony to follow
The Midlands Championships have been hosted by Northwestern since 1963, when then-head coach Ken Kraft organized the inaugural tournament in La Grange, Ill. Beginning in 1972, the tournament was held annually in Welsh-Ryan Arena until 2017, when it moved off campus. This year's tournament will be the first held in Evanston since then.
NOTES
- Lucas Byrd leads the team with 34 dual points scored on a perfect 9-0 record.
- Earned his 100th-career win on Nov. 15 against Lehigh's Mason Ziegler.
- Fifth highest win percentage in program history (103-16, .866).
- 1. Isaiah Martinez      157/165         2013-17          116-3  .975
- 2. Matt Lackey            165                2000-03          120-14 .896
- 3. Mike Poeta            157                2006-09          105-14 .882
- 4. Alex Tirapelle         157                2003-06          128-18 .877
- 5. Lucas Byrd            133                2020-pres.     105-16 .868
- Is one win away from his 50th win in dual action (49-3 dual record).
- His 105 wins are tied for 21st most in program history, three wins away from moving into top-15 in program history.
- Has four top-20 wins on the season.
- Has not lost since Jan. 17, 2025, (Drake Ayala [IOWA], 4-2 decision).
- Owns the fastest fall on the team in 1:13.
- Kannon Webster is 12-1 overall and 8-1 in dual action to start his redshirt sophomore campaign.
- Third most dual points on the team with 30.
- Team leading most tech. falls with five.
- Colin Kelly is 11-2 overall and 8-1 in duals during his redshirt freshman debut.
- Second most dual points on the team (31).
- Second most major decisions on the team (two).
- Braeden Scoles is 8-4 overall with the fourth most dual points on the team (26).
- Tied for second on the team in tech. falls with two.
- Luke Luffman is 9-3 overall and 6-2 in dual action.
- Has the fifth most dual points on the team (23).
- Has the most major decisions on the team with four.
