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 2015 SCHEDULE #10 ILLINOIS @ KAUFMAN BRAND OPEN 0-0 overall, 0-0 Big Ten SATURDAY, NOV. 12 // 9 A.M. // ST. LOUIS, MO Home: 0-0; Away: 0-0; Neutral: 0-0 *Five Illini enter the 2016-17 season ranked in their respective weight classes according to WIN Magazine: #2 Zane Richards DATE OPPONENT TIME/SCORE (133), #1 Isaiah Martinez (165), #8 Zac Brunson (174), #9 Brooks Black (HWT) and #18 Andre Lee (197). The team checks Nov. 12 Kaufman Brand Open 9 a.m. in at #10 in the Tournament Power Index. Nov. 19 Lindenwood Joe Parisi Open 9 a.m. *Seniors Richards and Brunson represented the Illini at last weekend's NWCA All-Star Classic by earning two decision Dec. 3 Northern Iowa Open 9 a.m. victories. Illinois' all-time record in the event improves to 12-8. Dec. 7 SIU-Edwardsville 7 p.m. *A Two-time NCAA and Big Ten champion at 157-pounds, Martinez will move up to 165 pounds this season and will look to Dec. 29-30 @ Midlands Championships ALL DAY become the first Illini to win Big Ten and NCAA titles at two weight classes. Jan. 6 @ #15 Rutgers 6 p.m. *Three Illini are approaching the school's top-25 career wins list: Richards (82), Brunson (75) and Martinez (67) each will aim to surpass former Illini Tony Dallago, Kirk Azinger and Seth Brady who are tied for 25th with 91 wins. Alex Tirapelle Jan. 8 @ Maryland* 10 a.m. holds the school record with 128 wins. Jan. 15 @ #4 Ohio State* 1 p.m. *Martinez needs just seven matches to qualify for the Illinois career win-percentage rankings. His current career win-per- JAN. 20 #6 MICHIGAN* 7 P.M. centage of 0.985 would pass former Illini Matt Lackey's 0.896 school record. JAN. 22 NORTHERN ILLINOIS 1 P.M. *Brunson returns for his senior season after his career-high 9 pins led the team and ranked in the top-10 in the NCAA JAN. 27 MICHIGAN STATE* 7 P.M. *Black finished the 2015-16 season with three wins over ranked opponents at Big Ten and NCAA Championships, highlighted Jan. 29 @ Arizona State 4:30 p.m. by an upset of #6 Denzel Dejournette (Appalachian State) in the first round of NCAA Championships. Feb. 3 @ Northwestern* 7 p.m. *Lee (197) is ranked for the first time in his career, checking in at No. 18 in the WIN Magazine preseason poll. FEB. 5 PURDUE* 1 P.M. Feb. 10 @ #7 Penn State* 6 p.m. FEB. 12 INDIANA*% 3 P.M. March 4-5 Big Ten Championships All Day #10 ILLINI COMMENCE REGULAR SEASON AT KAUFMAN BRAND OPEN (Bloomington, Ind.) March 16-18 NCAA Championships All Day The Fighting Illini begin their 2016-17 campaign with a trip to St. Louis, Missouri for the Kaufman Brand Open on November (St. Louis, Mo.) 12. The tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. central time at Westminster High School, features 24 schools, including No. 5 Missouri, Northern Illinois, Purdue and Virginia. bold = Huff Hall * = Big Ten Match MARTINEZ. KENNEDY SET FOR WORLD TRIALS % = Televised on BTN Current Illinois wrestler Isaiah Martinez and former Illini Jimmy Kennedy will compete for a spot on the USA World team on Friday, November 11 at the Bill Farrell International Open in the 70kg men's freestyle division. Those who advance will compete as part of Team USA at the Non-Olympic Weight Wrestling World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, December 10-11. RICHARDS, BRUNSON WIN AT ALL-STAR CLASSIC Fighting Illini wrestlers earned a sweep of their two matches at the 51st annual All-Star Classic in Cleveland, Ohio, as seniors Zane Richards (133) and Zac Brunson (174) each earned decisions. Richards defeated Nebraska's Eric Montoya by a decision of 9-7, while Brunson took down Ethan Ramos of North Carolina by decision, 5-4. The two victories improve the all-time mark by Illinois wrestlers at the Classic to 12-8. GRAPPLERS RANKED 10TH IN PRESEASON POLL PROBABLE WRESTLERS WIN Magazine tabbed Coach Jim Heffernan's Fighting Illini at No. 10 to begin the season. In addition to the team ranking, five Illini starters are mentioned amongst the top-20 in their respective weight classes. Reigning Big Ten and NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez leads the group with a No. 1 ranking at 165 pounds, while No. 2 Richards (133), No. 8 Zac Brunson (174) and 125 Francis Edelen, Travis Piotrowski, Jake Silzer No. 9 Brooks Black (HWT) each rank in the top-10. Andre Lee makes his WIN Magazine debut at No. 18. 133 Zane Richards 141 Mousa Jodeh FORMER HEAD COACH MARK JOHNSON HONORED BY VARSITY "I" 149 Brock Ervin, Eric Barone The Varsity "I" Association also will induct Mark Johnson as an honorary member for his long-standing loyalty, service and contributions to Illinois athletics. Retiring in 2009, Johnson is the most successful wrestling coach 157 Kyle Langenderfer, Nick Gasbarro in program history, coaching seven individual national champions and 45 All-Americans, as well as winning 174 Zac Brunson, Xaiver Montalvo the 2005 Big Ten team title. 184 Emery Parker, Danny Hicks LINDSEY DURLACHER ENTERS GRECO-ROMAN HALL OF CHAMPIONS 197 Andre Lee Former Fighting Illini wrestling Lindsey Durlacher was inducted into the Alan and Gloria Rice Greco-Roman Hall HWT Duece Rachal of Champions on Saturday, October 22. Durlacher was a two-time All-American at Illinois and a bronze medalist 2016-17 University of Illinois Wrestling Notes // 1 2016-17 Fighting Weight Class Preview certified at 141 pounds, Ervin will wrestle up time IHSA state champion. Coming off their first top-10 finish at NCAA a weight class to start 2016-17. In reserve of Championships since 2012-13, the Fighting Illini Ervin this season will be redshirt freshman Eric Stat to Know: Brunson's nine pins last season return eight of their ten starters from last year's Barone and redshirt sophomore Isaac Reinemann. tied for the ninth-best in Illinois history. Adam team. The Orange and Blue will once again be led Reinemann wrestled up three weight classes last Tirapelle holds the single-season record with 15 by two-time NCAA Champion Isaiah Martinez and season, filling in for an injured Zac Brunson, but in 1999-2000. All-American Zane Richards, while Zac Brunson will return to his preferred weight to start 2016- and Brooks Black both seek their first All-America 17. honor. 184 Stat to Know: Ervin was a five-time Kentucky With the absence created by graduating senior Jeff Koepke, the Illini will turn to red-shirt 125 state champion, including going undefeated against opponents from the state of Kentucky. sophomore Emery Parker to take over at 184 For the second year in a row, the Illini will have pounds. Last season, Parker filled in for Zac a new face at 125. With Francis Edelen likely Brunson at 174 pounds against Michigan and redshirting, the Illini will send out true freshmen 157 Minnesota, and compiled a 4-4 overall record Travis Piotrowski and Jake Silzer. Piotrowski, a It'll be a change of scenery for the Fighting Illini on the season. Coach Heffernan will also have Prairie Ridge High School product, was a three- faithful with Isaiah Martinez not holding down Danny Hicks to provide depth in the weight class, time All-American in high school and the 2016 157. With the two-time NCAA Champion making as the redshirt junior competed at Midlands last IHSA Class 2A state champion at 126 pounds. the move to 165 pounds, Coach Heffernan season and went 3-2 at the Reno Tournament of Coming out of St. Rita of Cascia High School, and staff will look to red-shirt junior Kyle Champions. Silzer was a three-time state placer in Class 3A. Langenderfer, moving up from 149, to fill the void. Langenderfer was a NCAA Championships Stat to Know: Illinois has qualified for NCAA Stat to Know: Prior to Edelen, the Illini hadn't qualifier two years ago, and brings two years of Championships at 184 pounds for 18 straight had a freshman start at 125 since Logan Arlis in experience as a starter. After redshirting last year, seasons. 2010. three-time IHSA champion Carver James will serve as a backup to Langenderfer. 197 133 Stat to Know: Langenderfer placed third at Big Andre Lee began the season with a strong 10-2 Zane Richards took the next step in 2015-16, record, carrying him through a second-place beginning the season by winning his first 23 Ten Championships as a redshirt freshman while wrestling at 149. finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions. matches, and ranking as high as No. 2 at However, upon entering Big Ten play, the first 133. Setting a career-high in wins (27), the year starter struggled to overcome the tenacity Carbondale, Illinois product is only 11 victories 165 of Big Ten wrestling. Although he only recorded shy of the cracking the Illini top-25 career wins After dominating the 157-pound field each of the one win during conference play, Lee progressed list. Richards' 71 points scored in dual matches past two seasons, the two-time champ is moving through the year and will look to build off of the ranked second on the team, and led him to a up to 165 pounds.