The Big Ten home-opener is next Friday the 6^th at 7pm at Huff Hall. This year we will be offering a special promotion just for students. Bring your I Card and enter the free Illini Scooters raffle.  This scooter will be given away to one lucky student at the meet.  Don’t miss this amazing opportunity!  Yes, we are REALLY giving this scooter away next Friday at the Northwestern match!  All you have to do is come!  See you there!

Who: Any Student

What: Illini Wrestling vs Northwestern

When: Friday February 6^th at 7 pm

Where: Huff Hall

Why: A FREE SCOOTER and ILLINI WRESTLING

December 13^th, 2008

With the Illini dominating as a team, seven wrestlers won both of their matches. The Illini beat Findlay 32-6 and defeated McKendree 39-9. Many people came out to cheer on the Illini as Jimmy Kennedy (133), John Wise (HWT), Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165), John Dergo (174), Jordan Blanton (184), B.J. Futrell (125), and Grant Paswall (157) each were undefeated against both teams. Futrell started off by pinning Findlay’s Nick Weishan which was followed by Smith-Bergsrud’s technical fall and Dergo’s pin. Jordan Blanton scored a pin in less that a minute and 20 seconds as Ryan Prater was dropped by a decision. Eric Terrazas won 7-5 as Patrick Bond fell 3-2. Paswall earned a win before Futrell received a major decision against McKendree. Zeke Rowan and Terrazas both fell by decisions but Paswall finished strong with a pin. The dual was finished up strong by the Illini who have the next two weeks off for finals before heading to the Mindlands Tournament.

December 4^th, 2008

The Illini showed their strength at the Las Vegas Invitational with three Illini reaching the quarterfinals. Jimmy Kennedy, Ryan Prater, and Jordan Blanton all moved on. Prater and Blanton both fell during the quarter-finals while Kennedy advanced into the semi-finals with a 19-7 win. Kennedy then went on to win the title at 133 at the invitational. This was Kennedy’s first win in a major tournament after being unable to finish last year due to illness. Prater and Blanton both placed in consolations with Prater finishing 8^th after having to medically forfeit his 7^th place spot and Blanton finishing 7^th.

The rest of the Illini headed to the UNI open to take on wrestlers from Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Missouri, and Northern Iowa. True freshman Eric Terrazas and Dan Stelter both fell short of a top five finish, posting the Illini’s best finishes. Stelter took advantage of the wrestlebacks earning a major decision over Missouri’s Brad McCarter and a 4-3 win of Iowa State’s Mike Finch. However, he was dropped to Iowa’s Mike Fahrer. Terrazas defeated his opponent in the first round but was pinned by Wisconsin in the second round. He too took advantage of wrestlebacks, but was dropped by Iowa State’s Dalton Jensen. The Fighting Illini will finally return to the mats at Huff Hall on December 13^th!

November 23^rd, 2008.

Roger Smith-Bergsrud won the 165-pound title at the Missouri Open, while John Wise (HWT), Ryan Prater (141), and Jordan Blanton (184) all took second place in the open division last Sunday. Patrick Bond (197). B.J. Futrell (125), Troy Tirapelle (141), and Joe Barczak (165) all placed third at the event. This was Smith-Bergsrud first win at a tournament for the Illini after finishing second last year at the Missouri Open. Six Illini in the Freshman/Sophomore Division also placed at the event.

November 15^th, 2008

Opening their dual season, the #9 Illini had three persuasive wins over ACC opponents. The Fighting Illini defeated #21 Virginia 39-7, North Carolina Sate 40-7, and North Carolina 26-9. No. 6 John Wise posted a pair of pins and also deafted #13 Justin Dobies from North Carolina. Jimmy Kennedy won three matches, all by major decisions. Jordan Blanton went 3-0 after two pins and an injury default. B.J. Futrell and Roger Smith-Bergsrud also went 3-0. The Illini came out in full force to start the dual season. The Illini will next square off at the Missouri Open.

Wrestling Fans it’s that time of year again! Illini wrestling is about to begin and this is going to be an exciting season. The schedule is intense, but the grapplers are ready. This season will feature some of the best wrestlers from the Big Ten along with key match ups in tournaments. Wrestleheads are pumped and ready for the season to get underway. This year there will be a point system, and depending on the amount of points that you accumulate you have a chance to win some great prizes! We will of course have t-shirts and many other giveaways, but this year is special. The NCAA Tournament is in St. Louis this year and the Illini coaching staff has decided to give us tickets to the NCAA Tournament. Different matches will have different point values and the race will be tight. So make sure that you come out to wrestling and earn you points for some great prizes. The first opportunity is this weekend at 11:30 when wrestle-offs begin at Huff Hall. Hope to see you there!

Illini Wrestling was very successful in post season competition. This years Big Ten tournament was held at Minnesota. Mike Poeta won a Big Ten Championship and seven other wrestlers qualified for the NCAA tournament. Jimmy Kennedy placed second, Gabe Flores placed third, and the team as a whole placed fourth. John Wise, Patrick Bond, John Dergo, and Roger Smith-Bergsrud all joined Poeta, Kennedy, and Flores in St. Louis for the NCAA tournament. The Illini were also successful at the NCAA tournament where Mike Poeta made it to the Championship match where he lost to Jordan Leen. Jimmy Kennedy finished fourth. Both Poeta and Kennedy became All-Americans. Gabe Flores and John Wise were both one win away from becoming All-Americans. The Illini will take some time off and then start off-season workouts and tournaments.

The #11 Illini returned home to face Purdue and won 31-6 with Purdue’s points coming from an injury default victory. The Illini were able to take the rest of their matches which were broadcast on Big Ten network. The Illini earned four major decisions from Gabe Flores, Jimmy Kennedy, Mike Poeta, and Patrick Bond with the rest of the Illini earning decisions. On Sunday the Illini lost a heartbreaker to #1 Iowa. Illini seniors Pat Brownson, Dave Gleissner, Andrew Lukanich, Dan Manzella, and Gabe Flores were recognized before the dual began. The Hawkeyes pulled out three matches in overtime or earned crucial points right before the buzzer to beat the Illini 21-12. #7 Jimmy Kennedy beat #3 Joey Slaton to make him undefeated in the Big Ten for the regular season. Mike Poeta, Roger Smith-Bergsrud, and Patrick Bond also earned decisions on Sunday. The Illini return to action the first weekend of March in the Big Ten Tournament held at Minnesota.

The Illini upset #4 Minnesota and lost to #12 Northwestern. At Minnesota the Illini came out strong with John Wise leading the way in the first match earning a major decision. The Illini also had a pin from Mike Poeta and consecutive victories from Ben Friedl and Patrick Bond to seal the vicotry. In the 133 weight class #9 Jimmy Kennedy upset #5 Mack Reiter. The #8 Illini beat #4 Minnesota 19-17. On Sunday the Illini then traveled to #12 Northwestern were Jimmy Kennedy and Mike Poeta both earned major decisions and Ben Friedl earned a decision. The Illini lost two overtime matches in the 125 and 141 weight classes. They also lost the 197, 174, and 165 matches by three points or less. The final score was 22-11 Northwestern. The Illini return home next weekend to take on Purdue at 5 on Friday and #1 Iowa on Sunday at 1.

Illini Wrestling has been busy the past two weekends with Big Ten action. The Illini lost at Michigan, upset Penn State at home, and took down Wisconsin and Indiana. The #15 Illini lost to #6 Michigan in a 16-22 defeat. Gabe Flores came out strong for the Illini starting the dual out with a pin. Jimmy Kennedy also earned a major decision at the front of the match. #1 Mike Poeta lost to Jeff Marsh and Grant Paswall got pinned. The Illini then headed back home to take on Penn State. This dual started at the HWT class with John Wise. The Illini started strong and earned 6 decisions, but still received a pin and three decisions against them. The Illini won the dual 18-15.  Last weekend the Illini took on Wisconsin at home and won the dual 24-13. Mike Poeta took on #3 Craig Henning and won 1-0. Ryan Prater also upset Kyle Ruschell and #13 Patrick Bond earned the decision over #4 Dallas Herbst. Sunday the Illini then headed to Indiana routing them 23-9. Roger Smith-Bergsrud up set #12 Matt Coughlin while Mike Poeta suffered his second lose on the season by a 3-2 decision to #8 Brandon Becker. John Wise along with Ryan Prater both earned a major decision helping the Illini demolish the Hoosiers. This weekend the #8 Illini head to #4 Minnesota and #12 Northwestern.