2025-26 Wrestling Roster
Lucas Byrd
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- High School:
- La Salle
- Major:
- Crop Sciences
- Position:
- 133
 2025 NCAA Champion - 133 pounds |
 2025 Big Ten Champion - 133 pounds |
 4x All-American |
 5x NCAA Championships Qualifier |
2025-26
- All-American at 133 pounds
- Placed eighth at the NCAA Championships to become only the second four-time All-American in program history
- Placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships
- Finished the season 23-5 overall and a perfect 17-0 in duals and 8-0 in Big Ten duals
- Earned his 100th-career win on Nov. 15, 2025, against Lehigh’s Mason Ziegler
- Finished with the eighth-highest win-percentage in program history (85%)
- His win over Minnesota’s Brandon Morvari was his 50th career dual win (finished 57-3)
- His 119 wins are the eighth most in program history
- Led the team in dual points scored with 62
- Had six top-20 wins on the season
- Owned the fastest fall amongst the starters (1:13)
- Fourth most tech. falls on the team (four)
- Academic All-Big Ten
2024-25
- NCAA Champion at 133 pounds
- Big Ten Champion at 133 pounds
- Became the 21st Fighting Illini wrestler to win a national championship and earned the program's 25th individual national title
- First NCAA Champion at Illinois since 2016 and first ever in the 133 pound weight class
- Became Illinois' 79th Big Ten Champion and the second ever at 133 pounds
- 12th wrestler in program history to win both Big Ten and NCAA titles in the same season
- Seventh-highest career win percentage in school history, 96-16 (.857)
- Went 23-1 overall, 12-1 in duals and 7-1 in Big Ten duals
- Led the team in major decisions with six
- Third on the team in dual points scored with 42
- Academic All-Big Ten
2023-24
- Did not compete - Medical redshirt
- Academic All-Big Ten
2022-23
- NCAA Championships qualifier at 133 pounds
- Placed third at the Big Ten Championships
- Went 30-6 overall, 11-1 in duals and 8-0 in Big Ten duals
- Highest win percentages on the team: Overall (.833), Duals (.917), Big Ten Duals (1.000)
- Tied for second on the team in dual points scored with 33
- Recorded a career-high 4 falls, fastest fall (0:36) at the Michigan State Open
- 5 major decisions
- Academic All-Big Ten
2021-22
- Earned All-American honors at 133-pounds
- Finished fifth at 133-pounds at NCAA Championships
- NCAA Qualifier at 133-pounds
- Team-high 39 dual points
- Went 8-0 in Big Ten duals and 10-0 overall in duals
- Academic All-Big Ten
2020-21
- Earned All-American honors at 133-pounds
- Finished fifth at 133-pounds at NCAA Championships
- NCAA Qualifier at 133-pounds
- Went 17-4 in his first season in the starting lineup
- Scored a team-high 29 dual points and posted a 7-1 dual record on the season
2019-20
- Went 11-4 overall in his redshirt freshman season
- Won the Findlay Open 133-pound title, going 4-0 with two tech. falls
- Finished second in the 133-pound Fresh/Soph Division at the MSU Open, going 3-1
- Recorded two wins by fall, with his fastest at 2:08 against Marshall Craig of Purdue at Midlands
Career Record
| Year | Overall | Dual | Conference | Falls | TF | MD | Big Ten | NCAA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20* | 11-4 | -- | -- | 2 | 3 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2020-21 | 17-4 | 7-1 | 7-1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3rd | 5th |
| 2021-22 | 27-5 | 10-0 | 8-0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4th | 5th |
| 2022-23 | 30-6 | 11-1 | 9-0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 3rd | DNP |
| 2023-24* | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024-25 | 23-1 | 12-1 | 7-1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1st | 1st |
| 2024-25 | 23-5 | 17-0 | 8-0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5th | 8th |
| Career | 119-21 | 57-3 | 39-2 | 13 | 6 | 21 |
*Redshirt Season
Illini Wrestling I Lucas Byrd First Pitch 5/13/25
Saturday, May 17
Illini Wrestling I Lucas Byrd National Champion Highlight Reel 3/31/25
Monday, March 31
Illini Wrestling I Lucas Byrd Media Availability 3/27/25
Thursday, March 27
Illini Wrestling I Mike Poeta Media Availability 3/27/25
Thursday, March 27
