2008-09 Season Preview Table of Contents Fighting Illini
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
2008-09 SEASON PREVIEW 2020-21 TABLE OF CONTENTS About the University of Illinois����������������������������2 THE COACHING STAFF Jim Heffernan���������������������������������������4-6 Jeremy Hunter . 7 Mike Poeta �������������������������������������������8 Bryan Medlin ......................................... 9 Volunteer Assistant Travis Piotrowski ����������������������9 Volunteer Assistant Zane Richards ������������������������9 Support Staff �����������������������������������������9 THE FIGHTING ILLINI Roster ���������������������������������������������11 Justin Cardani . .12 Travis Piotrowski . .13 Dylan Duncan����������������������������������������14 Mike Carr �������������������������������������������15 Eric Barone . .16 Danny Braunagel �������������������������������������17 Joey Gunther�����������������������������������������18 Zac Braunagel ...................................... 19 Matt Wroblewski...................................... 20 Luke Luffman........................................ 21 Returning Wrestlers ��������������������������������22-24 FIGHTING ILLINI FAST FACTS Newcomers������������������������������������������25 � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �Urbana-Champaign Location Assistant Coaches (Alma Mater), Experience 2019-20 SEASON IN REVIEW Enrollment �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �44,087 Jeremy Hunter (Penn State, ’01), 19th season 2019-20 Results ����������������������������������27-31 Nickname � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �Fighting Illini Mike Poeta (Illinois, '09), 4th season 2020 Big Ten / NCAA Championships ���������������������32 Colors� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Orange and Blue Wrestling Address �� � � � � � � � �1700 S� Fourth Street Conference� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Big Ten � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Champaign, IL 61820 THE RECORD BOOK President �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Timothy Killeen Wrestling Phone� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 217�333�5853 Year-by-Year �������������������������������������34-41 Chancellor �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �Robert J� Jones 2019-20 Record � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �10-4 All-Time Records vs� Opponents �������������������������42 Athletic Director �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Josh Whitman 2019-20 Big Ten Record / Finish� � � � � � � 6-3 / 4th Individual Records������������������������������������43 Home Arena �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Huff Hall (4,152) 2020 Big Ten Championships Finish �� � � � � � � �11th Team Records . .44 Head Coach �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Jim Heffernan 2020 NCAA Finish� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Canceled Years as Head Coach� � � � � � � � � � 12th Season All-Americans Returning / Lost � � � � � � � � � � � � �2/1 AWARDS AND HONORS Years at Illinois �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � 29th Season Starters Returning / Lost� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �7/3 NCAA Qualifiers . 46 Alma Mater� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �Iowa ’87 National Champions ����������������������������������47 Big Ten Champions �����������������������������������48 Individual Honors�������������������������������������49 All-Americans ������������������������������������50-53 Individual Awards ���������������������������������54-55 Letterwinners �������������������������������������56-57 ATHLETICS COMMUNICATION Huff Hall ........................................... 58 Sports Information Director �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Kent Brown Wrestling Contact / Athletics Communication Grad Asst. �� � John Peterson Email �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �jrp10@illinois�edu Office Phone / Fax� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 217�300�1449 / 217�333�5540 Peterson's Cell Phone� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �607-592-0897 Website �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �fightingillini�com Mailing Address � � � � � � � � � � � � � �Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �1700 S� Fourth St�, Champaign, IL 61820 2020-21 ILLINOIS WRESTLING // 1 2020-21 SEASON PREVIEW UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is HISTORIC FIRSTS AT ILLINOIS the state’s classic land grant university, dedicated 1868 — first architectural instruction west of the Allegheny Mountains to building on its tradition of excellence in education, 1876 — establishment of the oldest continuous soil fertility research plots in research and public engagement, and driven to innovate the Unites States, the Morrow Plots in each of these missions� True to its commitment to 1893 — first school of library science west of the Alleghenies 1922 — invention of sound-on-film movies provide access to top quality higher education to all of 1935 — discovery of the essential amino acid threonine Illinois, the Urbana campus regularly ranks among the 1940 — invention of the betatron for high energy physics “best buys” among American universities� 1948 — first comprehensive college program for students with severe physical disabilities Nearly 3,000 faculty members lead more than 44,000 1952 — construction of the pioneering ILLIAC and ORDVAC computers undergraduate, graduate and professional students 1959 — development of PLATO, the first computer used for direct education 1970 — construction of the first visible-spectrum semiconductor laser in a process of discovery and learning in 17 colleges 1977 — discovery of a third life form, distinct from the forms that produce and schools and more than 150 research centers and plants, animals and bacterial, called Archaea institutes� 1977 — development of the quantum well laser, which made compact disc players possible 1990 — invention of the e-mail program Eudora Illinois provides a diverse learning environment with 1993 — development of the first browser for the world wide web, Mosaic, which was developed into Netscape students and faculty members from more than 120 1996 — development of a processing method that extends the life of microchips as much as 50 times 2001 — development of self-healing plastics nations, and a choice of 150 undergraduate majors� 2003 — the University Library’s collection exceeds 10 million volumes, the largest collection of any public university in the world Students have opportunities ranging from participating 2004 — development of the laser transistor in research or studying abroad, to leading one of more 2005 — development of the world’s fastest transistor and of a stretchable silicon that can be used to build high-performance electronic than 1,000 student organizations� devices onto rubber substances 2006 — discovery of synthetic molecule that causes cancer cells to self-destruct Illinois faculty members win the most prestigious 2007 — student invention allows wheelchairs to be controlled by thought national and international awards, including Nobel 2008 — development begins on Blue Waters - expected to be the world’s most powerful academic supercomputer and Pulitzer prizes, Guggenheim Fellowships, Center for Supercomputing Applications, Beckman around the world, which benefit students and faculty Tony Awards, and National Medals of Science and Institute and the Siebel Center for Computer Science, alike� Technology� Illinois alumni are similarly recognized; 11 and the campus community enjoys outstanding have won Nobel Prizes� centers for the arts as well as Big Ten sports� In its 2017 rankings, U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges rated Illinois as the No� 14 Campus resources include one of the world’s largest Finally, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign public university and the No� 52 national university� public university libraries, with its online resources is the only U�S� institution of higher education ranking and precious rare book collections, including the in the top 10 in the three key metrics of international earliest specimen of printing in the world, the oldest education: international student enrollment, total book printed in moveable type, and the first folio of number of study abroad students, and the number Shakespeare (1623)� of federally funded Title VI National Resource Centers for international and area studies� The campus has World-class research facilities include the National collaborative relationships with the best institutions 2 // 2020-21 ILLINOIS WRESTLING HEAD COACH JIM HEFFERNAN �����������������������������������4-6 ASSISTANT COACH JEREMY HUNTER ���������������������������� 7 ASSISTANT COACH MIKE POETA ������������������������������������ 8 DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS BRYAN MEDLIN ������������������ 9 VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH TRAVIS PIOTROWSKI . 9 VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH ZANE RICHARDS ���������� 9 SUPPORT STAFF ������������������������������������������������������������ 9 THE COACHING STAFF THE COACHING STAFF JIM HEFFERNAN HEAD COACH // 12TH SEASON // 107-64-2 Jim Heffernan begins his 12th season as head coach after serving as the top assistant under Mark Johnson for 19 years - 17 at Illinois and two at Oregon State� During Heffernan’s time in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois has finished in the top-10 at the NCAA championships on 13 occasions, and in the top-15 in 19 of the last 21 seasons� Heffernan has been a major factor in the renaissance of the Illinois wrestling program, helping lead the team to its greatest prosperity since the post-World War II era, including a Big Ten title in 2005 and four Midlands