10/11 Illinois@ Midlands
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WRESTLING MEET NOTES Athletics Communication // 1700 South Fourth Street // Champaign, IL 61820 Wrestling Contact: Chad Beyler // Office: 217-300-1449 // Cell: 217-493-3777 // [email protected] // fightingillini.com FIGHTINGILLINI.com @IlliniWrestling @IlliniWrestling @IlliniWrestling 2016-17 SCHEDULE & RESULTS #10/11 ILLINOIS @ MIDLANDS 1-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten THURS-FRI, DEC. 29-30 // ALL DAY // EVANSTON, ILL. (BTN PLUS & BTN) Home: 0-0; Away: 0-0; Neutral: 0-0 *Five Illini are currently ranked in their respective weight classes according to InterMat: #2 Zane Richards (8-0), #1 Isaiah DATE OPPONENT TIME/SCORE Martinez (6-0), #12 Zac Brunson (12-2), #15 Emery Parker (14-1) #6 Brooks Black (4-1). The team checks in at No. 8 in the Nov. 12 Kaufman Brand Open NTS latest Tournament Power Index and No. 11 in the dual rankings. Nov. 19 Lindenwood Joe Parisi Open NTS *The Fighting Illini will be competing for the 41st time at the 54th annual Midlands competition. Illinois has won the team Dec. 3 Northern Iowa Open NTS title four times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2012) and have had 11 individual champions. Martinez won the 2014 Midlands 157-pound title, while Richards and Brunson finished runner-up. Dec. 7 SIU-Edwardsville W, 30-10 *Two Illini carry 10-match win streaks into Midlands, as No. 15 Emery Parker (14-1) and Kyle Langenderfer (10-1) have both Dec. 29-30 @ Midlands Championships ALL DAY reeled off 10 wins in a row. Parker has scored bonus points in seven of the 10 matches, while Langenderfer has six. Jan. 6 @ #13 Rutgers 6 p.m. *Two Illini will likley move into Illinois all-time wins list during the two-day Midlands tournament, as Richards (90) and Jan. 8 @ Maryland* 10 a.m. Brunson (87) are within striking distance of former Illini Tony Dallago, Kirk Azinger and Seth Brady who are tied for 25th on Jan. 15 @ #4 Ohio State* 1 p.m. the all-time list with 91 wins. Alex Tirapelle holds the school record with 128 wins. JAN. 20 #10 MICHIGAN* 7 P.M. *Martinez needs just one more match to qualify for the Illinois career win-percentage rankings. His current career win-percent- JAN. 22 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 1 P.M. age of 0.986 will pass former Illini Matt Lackey's 0.896 school record once he registers his 75th career match. JAN. 27 MICHIGAN STATE* 7 P.M. *Seven Illini have won individual tournament titles so far thjs season, as Richards (133), Ervin (149), Langenderfer (157) Jan. 29 @ #20 Arizona State 4:30 p.m. Martinez (165) Brunson (174), Parker (184) and Black (HWT). Parker and Richards lead the team with two a piece. Feb. 3 @ Northwestern* 7 p.m. *A two-time NCAA and Big Ten champion at 157-pounds, Martinez is looking to become the first Illini to win Big Ten and NCAA FEB. 5 PURDUE* 1 P.M. titles at two weight classes. Feb. 10 @ #3 Penn State* 6 p.m. *Only two Illini remain undefeated, as Richards (8-0) and Martinez (6-0) have unblemished records. Richards went a perfect 23-0 during the regular season last year. FEB. 12 INDIANA*% 3 P.M. March 4-5 Big Ten Championships All Day (Bloomington, Ind.) March 16-18 NCAA Championships All Day #10 ILLINOIS COMPETE AT 54TH ANNUAL KEN KRAFT MIDLANDS (St. Louis, Mo.) After spending three weeks away from competition, the Fighting Illini return to the mat December 29-30 for the 54th annual Ken Kraft Midlands at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois. The two-day bold = Huff Hall tournament will be broadcasted live on BTN+ on December 29 and the morning session on December 30. * = Big Ten Match Big Ten Network will broadcast the finals live on the evening of December 30. For tickets, go online at % = Televised on Big Ten Network nusports.com. Adult general admission passes are $40. All-session passes start at $50 for upper level reserved seats, $60 for reserved. Schedule of Events (CT) Thursday, Dec. 29 Friday Dec. 30 9:30 a.m. Session I 12 p.m. Session III 7 p.m. Session II 7:05 p.m. Session IV ILLINOIS PROBABLE WRESTLERS ILLINOIS MIDLANDS HISTORY 125 -/-/- Travis Piotrowski (6-4, 0-1), Fr. Since the inaugural Midlands in 1963, the Fighting Jake Silzer (unattached) Illini have participated in 40 of the 53 Midlands ILLINOIS QUICK FACTS 133 2/2/2 Zane Richards (8-0, 1-0), r-Sr. tournaments. Entering their 41st appearance in Location: Champaign-Urbana, Ill. Dylan Duncan (unattached) this week the Illini have won the title four times, Founded: 1867 141 -/-/- Mousa Jodeh (7-6, 1-0), So. most recently in 2012. Individually, Illini wrestlers Enrollment: 44,520 149 -/-/- Eric Barone (1-0, 0-0), r-Fr. have placed 127 times at the annual holiday Nickname: Fighting Illini 157 -/-/- Kyle Langenderfer (10-1, 1-0),r-Jr. Carver James (2-2, 0-0), r-Fr. tournament, while 11 Illini have been crowned Colors: Orange and Blue champions. Isaiah Martinez is the most recent Conference: Big Ten 165 1/1/1 Isaiah Martinez (6-0,1-0), r-Jr. 174 12/13/14 Zac Brunson (12-2, 1-0), r-Sr. to win a title at Welsh-Ryan Arena, doing so as Head Coach: Jim Heffernan (8th Season / 25th at Illinois) a redshirt freshman in 2014 on his way to an Associate Head Coach: Mark Perry (6th Season) Xavier Montalvo (8-3, 0-0), r-Fr. Assistant Coach: Jeremy Hunter (16th Season) 184 14/15/11 Emery Parker (14-1, 1-0), r-So. undefeated 2014-15 season. Volunteer Assistant Coach: Wynn Michalak (5th Season) 197 -/-/- Andre Lee (7-3, 0-1), r-So. HWT 10/12/10 Brooks Black (4-1, 0-1), r-Jr. Home Venue: Huff Hall In addition to Martinez's title, two other current 2016 Big Ten Finish: 7th Duece Rachal (4-3, 0-0), r-So. Rankings are listed in Intermat, W.I.N., OpenMat Illini wrestlers have placed at Midlands. In 2014, 2016 NCAA Finish: T-9th Zane Richards (133) and Zac Brunson (174) both Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/5 All-Americans Returning/Lost: 2/1 finished runner-up in their weight classes. Brunson Starters Returning/Lost: 8/2 also placed seventh back in 2013 at 157 pounds. Newcomers: 8 2016-17 University of Illinois Wrestling Notes // 1 Notes // Headlines opponent No. 4 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) who under Illinois all-time wins leader, Adam WEIGHT CLASSES TO WATCH Black will wrestle in Tempe, Arizona on January Tirapelle at Clovis High School and Mologousis 29. is coached by All-American Griff Powell at Lyons Township High School. 133 MARTINEZ TO BECOME ILLINI ALL-TIME WIN After cruising through his first eight matches PERCENTAGE LEADER #10 ILLINI TALLY FOUR INDIVIDUAL TITLES AT of the season, All-American Zane Richards will Isaiah Martinez (73-1) is just one match shy face a bevy of ranked opponents at Midlands. KAUFMAN BRAND OPEN of qualifying for the Illinois all-time career Four Fighting Illini wrestlers won individual Currently ranked No. 2, Richards is joined by No. 1 win-percentage list. After his first match at Cory Clark (Iowa), No. 4 Eric Montoya (Nebraska), crowns, as Head Coach Jim Heffernan's squad Midlands, Martinez (0.986) will overtake Matt began the 2016-17 season at the Kaufman No. 6 Seth Gross (South Dakota State), No. 7 Dom Lackey's (0.896) school record. Lackey went Forys (Pitt), No. 10 Ear Hall (Iowa State) and No. Brand Open in St. Louis, Missouri. Zane Richards 120-14 from 2000-2003 while wrestling at 165 (133), Zac Brunson (174), Brock Ervin (149) and 11 Tyler Goodwin (Maryland). Richards went 1-2 pounds. against top-ranked Clark last season, dropping Emery Parker (184) each won their respective weight class brackets to pace the Illini. True the Big Ten final and the NCAA semifinal to RICHARDS ON THE CUSP OF ALL-TIME LIST the Hawkeye senior. Richards also enters with freshman Wesley Kibler also took home an 3-1 collegiate record against No. 4 Montoya, Senior 133-pounder Zane Richards enters individual crown, as the St. Joseph, Illinois as well as an exhibition victory over the Husker Midlands with 90 career wins, one shy of entering native won the 197-pound amateur bracket. grappler earlier this fall at the All-Star Classic the all-time list in Illinois history. With this next in Cleveland, Ohio. Richards has won 29 straight victory, Richards will move into a tie with Tony B.J. FUTRELL WINS 65KG TITLE AT BILL FARRELL; regular season matches, including five against Dallago, Kirk Azinger and Seth Brady for 25th KENNEDY DEFEATS MARTINEZ IN 70KG SEMIS ranked opponents. all-time on Illinois' list. Alex Tirapelle owns the Former Illini wrestler B.J. Futrell won the program record with 128 wins from 2003-2006. 65kg/143lbs weight division at the Bill Farrell Fellow senior Zac Brunson is currently four wins Open, defeating former Ohio State wrestler 165 shy of 91 victories. Hunter Stieber in the gold medal match, 12-10. After making a statement in his first tournament Also competing at Bill Farrell was current Illini at 165 pounds with a victory over No. 3 Daniel EMERY PARKER ENTERS RANKS Isaiah Martinez and former Illini Jimmy Kennedy. Lewis (Missouri), Martinez will again be tested In his first season as Illinois' projected starter Kennedy defeated Martinez in the semifinal at Midlands with six ranked wrestlers, headlined at 184 pounds, Emery Parker checked into the round by a 10-9 decision before dropping the by No.