CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 10 Fighting Illini wrestling team is set to begin their Big Ten dual season with No. 11 Minnesota on Saturday (Jan. 10) at 1 p.m. CT in Huff Hall.
Illinois ended its nonconference slate with a 7-2 record with ranked wins over No. 7 Lehigh, No. 17 Missouri and No. 25 Little Rock at the National Duals Invitational. Illinois wrestled both No. 11 Missouri and No. 20 Lehigh again later in the season to earn two more ranked wins and capped off the nonconference schedule with a win over No. 18 Cornell.
The Orange and Blue ended the 2025 calendar year at the Midlands Championships where both Michael Gioffre (149 pounds) and Chris Moore (184 pounds) earned silver medals.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
The Golden Gophers boast a 6-2 record on the season with three common opponents so far share with the Illini. Those three are Virginia Tech (wrestled them twice), Missouri and Little Rock. Minnesota beat Virginia Tech twice first on Nov. 15 (19-17) then on Nov. 16 (25-10) where Illinois lost to the Hokies 19-18. Both the Golden Gophers and Illini won their respective duals over Missouri and Little Rock.
Illinois trails in the all-time series to Minnesota at 24-35-2 (.410) with the first meeting dating back to Jan. 23, 1926, which Illinois won 18-2. The last meeting between the two squads came on Feb. 9, 2024, which Minnesota won 28-12 in Champaign. The Orange and Blue's last win against them came on Feb. 12, 2016, in Champaign by a score of 19-16.
PARKING
Illinois wrestling will be providing a complimentary shuttle for our home duals at Huff Hall this season. This shuttle will provide continuous loops between the Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building parking lot and the west entrance of Huff Hall. The Shuttle will begin transporting fans 60 minutes prior to the start of the dual and continue until one hour after the conclusion of the dual.
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 (105-16, .868).
- 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.
- Michael Gioffre is 10-3 overall
- Has the second most tech. falls on the team with three.
- Was a silver medalist at the Midlands Championships.
- Chris Moore is 8-6 overall and 4-5 in dual action.
- Was a silver medalist at the Midlands Championships.
