ILLINOIS WRESTLING05-06

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1 ILLINOIS WRESTLING05-06 SID: VICTOR CORTEZ // // W: // F: // 1700 SOUTH FOURTH ST., CHAMPAIGN, IL #4 ILLINOIS (10-2-1, NCAA Championships March // Ford Center // Oklahoma City, Okla. The Illini qualified all 10 wrestlers for the tournament the most in the country and only the third time in school history (2006, 2000, 1995). Illinois came in second in the Big Ten Tournament, behind top-ranked Minnesota. All ten grapplers placed in the tournament the most of the field. Illinois enters the championships with eight ranked wrestlers. Seniors Alex Tirapelle and Pete Friedl reached 100 wins in their career. Tirapelle needs one more win to tie his brother, Adam, for the school win-lead. Alex Tirapelle (157) and Tyrone Byrd (197) both finished undefeated in the conference to earn No. 1-seeds for the Big Ten Tournament. Illinois won the Midlands Tournament for the third straight year joining Iowa and Iowa State as the third team to do so. In 2005, Illinois ended a 53-year drought, bringing home their first Big Ten title under head coach Mark Johnson. The Illini have finished in the Top-10 at the NCAA Championships nine times in the last 11 years. Illinois have four returning All-Americans for the 2005 season. ILLINI SCOREBOARD Date Opponent Time/Result Missouri Open NTS Las Vegas Invitational 6th/52 UNI Open NTS 12/11 AUGUSTANA 45-0 W Midlands 1st/66 San Francisco State 44-0 W Fresno State 37-3 W Stanford 39-0 W 1/20 PURDUE 27-7 W Harper College 30-9 W Indiana 26-6 W Ohio State W 2/3 MICHIGAN L Northwestern L Iowa W 2/12 MICHIGAN STATE W 2/19 WISCONSIN T 3/4-5 Big Ten Championships 2nd/11 (Bloomington, Ind.) 3/17-19 NCAA Championships All Day (Oklahoma City, Okla.) Illini Head to NCAA Tourney The fourth-ranked University of Illinois wrestling team will bring all ten qualifiers to aid the squad in its quest for its tenth Top-10 NCAA finish in 11 years. The Championships will take place in Oklahoma City, Okla. at the Ford Center on March The ten wrestlers going to nationals this year beat last season s nine qualifiers, that finished the season sixth overall with one NCAA finalist in All-American Kyle Ott (125). The team is also led by fellow All-Americans Cassio Pero (141), Alex Tirapelle (157) and Pete Friedl (184). The Illini are the only team to send 10 wrestlers to the Championships. Last year, Minnesota was the only team to qualify all 10 wrestlers. Defending national champions Oklahoma State will bring nine as well as Edinboro, Lehigh, Michigan and Nebraska. Nine Top-10 Finishes 11 Seasons After a sixth-place finish in the 2005 NCAA Championships, Mark Johnson s record at Illinois looks phenomenal. In 14 years at the helm, he has led the Illini to nine Top-10 finishes and 11 Top- 12 at the national tournament. In the last decade Illinois has crowned seven national champions and had 14 NCAA finalists, 38 All-Americans and 114 NCAA qualifiers. Most recently, threetime All-American Matt Lackey came away with a national championship title in 2003 at 165 lbs. NCAA TOP-10 TEAM FINISHES (last 10 seasons) 1. University of Iowa 11 Oklahoma State University Iowa State University 9 Oklahoma University 9 University of Illinois 9 University of Minnesota 9 7. Penn State University 5 NCAA individual champions (last 10 seasons) 1. University of Iowa Oklahoma State University Iowa State University 9 4. University of Illinois 7 University of Minnesota 7 5. Penn State University 5 NCAA Championship History As the the Fighting Illini head into the 2006 NCAA Championships, they will be looking to continue a top-10 team scoring streak that began in the 2000 season. In the last six NCAA championships, the Illini have placed sixth, fifth, 10th, ninth, seventh and sixth. Illinois has placed in the top-10 a total of nine times in the last 11 seasons. The Illini have never won a national championship, but they have placed second twice in 1930 and 1938 During the Mark Johnson era, the Illini have crowned seven national champions out of 15 finalists, and produced 38 All-Americans. The best finish under Johnson was in 2001, when the Illini placed fifth. The following is a breakdown of the Illini s finish and qualifiers at the NCAA Championships the last 13 years: Year NCAA Finish Qualifiers th th th th th th th th th th th T37th T23rd 3 ILLINI NATIONAL QUALIFIERS 125: No. 4seed, #4 Kyle Ott (11-4, 5-3) Sr., Huber Heights, Ohio 133: #18 Gabe Flores (12-6, 4-4) So., Madera, Calif. 141: Cassio Pero (13-10, 3-3) Jr., Chicago Heights, Ill. 149: No. 12 seed, #18 Troy Tirapelle (24-10, 4-4) R-Fr., Clovis, Calif. 157: No. 3 seed, #3 Alex Tirapelle (28-2, 7-0) Sr., Clovis, Calif. 165: No. 9 seed, #9 Mike Poeta (26-5, 7-1) R-Fr., Highwood, Ill. 174: #14 Donny Reynolds (21-9, 4-3) Jr., Frankfort, Ill. 184: No. 6 seed, #7 Pete Friedl, Sr. (27-4, 6-2) Sr., Orland Park, Ill. 197: No. 9 seed, #8 Tyrone Byrd, Sr. (25-5, 8-0) Sr., Clinton, Ill. Hwt: Matt Weight, Jr. (18-15, 2-6) Jr., Batavia, Ill. Tirapelle and Friedl Aim For Illinois Career Victory Record Seniors Alex Tirapelle and Pete Friedl aim to beat the school record of 127 career wins this wrestling season. The record was set by Alex s brother, 2001 NCAA champion Adam Tirapelle. Both wrestlers have already reached the coveted 100-win mark. Tirapelle needs one win to tie the school record. In his last three years as an Illini he has easily reached the 30-win mark each year, including 35 wins during the season. Friedl, who posted 38 wins last year, can tie the school record with seven more wins this year.

2 Rk. Wrestler Wt. Wins 1. Adam Tirapelle, Alex Tirapelle, 2003-present John Lockhart, Hwt Ernest Benion, Pete Friedl, 2002-present 174/ Matt Lackey, Steve Marianetti, / Brian Glynn, / Eric Siebert, Jevon Herman, Mark Jayne, Pat Quirk, Jon Llewellyn, Hwt Kevin Puebla, Griff Powell, Carl Perry, / Nate Patrick, Illini Settle for Big Ten Runner Up After a successful consolation round Sunday morning, the Illini wrestling team took a slim one-point lead into the placing matches of the 2006 Big Ten Championships, but dropped all five of their finals matches to walk away runners up, unable to defend their conference title from a year ago. The Illini qualified 10, the maximum number, for the 2006 NCAA Championships, the most for an Illini team since the 2000 season and only the third time in school history (2000, 1995). The day started at 125 pounds as Kyle Ott (Sr., Huber Heights, Ohio) lost his finals match to second-seeded Nick Simmons of Michigan State, 7-0. It was the second straight year he has taken second at the Big Ten Championships, falling at the hands of Simmons. At 149 pounds, freshman Troy Tirapelle s (Clovis, Calif.) Cinderella run to the finals came to an end with a 12-0 loss to fellow freshman Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota. The loss gave Minnesota a two-point lead following 149 pounds. One match later, the elder Schlatter, C.P., gave the elder Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.), a rough match at 157 pounds as the Gophers won 5-2, increasing their lead to six points. Freshman Mike Poeta (Highwood, Ill.) got the only win for the Illini in the placing round, taking third with a 6-2 win over Eric Luedke of Iowa to get the margin five points. Illinois then needed a big win from senior Pete Friedl (Sr., Orland Park, Ill.) in the final Gopher/Illini head-to-head matchup, but it wasn t in the cards as Roger Kish defeated Friedl, 3-1, at 184 pounds to lock up the team race. In the last final for the Illini, senior Tyrone Byrd (Clinton, Ill.) looked to have Penn State s Phil Davis on his back, but lost the hold and was reversed and gave up back points to fall, 4-0. Sophomore Gabe Flores (Madera, Calif.) was on the receiving end of a medical forfeit win to place fifth at 133 pounds, while Donny Reynolds (Jr., Frankfort, Ill.) medically forfeited for his sixth place finish at 174 pounds after suffering an injury in his consolation match earlier in the day. Heavyweight Matt Weight (Batavia, Ill.) fell to Dustin Fox, 5-2, of Northwestern to take fourth place. TOP-25 POLLS USA Today/ NWCA (March 8) 1. Minnesota 2. Oklahoma State 3. Michigan 4. ILLINOIS 5. Nebraska 6. Oklahoma 7. Central Michigan 8. Iowa State 9. Missouri 10. Penn State 11. Iowa 12. Northwestern 13. Lehigh 14. Arizona State 16. Cornell University 16. Edinboro 17. Michigan State 18. Indiana 19. Hofstra 20. Wisconsin 21. Cal Poly 22. Navy 23. Penn 24. Northern Illinois 25. Northern Iowa In the consolation brackets, Illinois suffered a tough loss at 141 pounds, as junior Cassio Pero (Chicago Heights, Ill.) dropped a 10-4 decision to Penn State DeWitt Driscoll to finish eighth. Team Standings 1. Minnesota Illinois Michigan Penn State Northwestern 87.5 Illinois Placewinners 2nd: Kyle Ott (125), Troy Tirapelle (149), Alex Tirapelle (157), Pete Friedl (184), Tyrone Byrd (197) 3rd: Mike Poeta (165) 4th: Matt Weight (Hwt) 6th: Donny Reynolds (174) 5th: Gabe Flores (133) 8th: Cassio Pero (141) 125: No. 4 seed #6 Kyle Ott (11-4) Quarterfinals: Pinned No. 5 seed Lucas Magnani (IOWA), 5:52 Semifinals: Dec. Joe Dubuque (IND), 5-4 tb2 Finals: Lost to No 2 seed Nick Simmons (MSU), : No. 7 seed #19 Gabe Flores (12-6) Pigtail: dec. Jeff Wimberley (MSU), 6-3 Quarterfinals: Lost by Med. For. No. 2 seed Chris Fleeger (PU) Conso. 1st Round: Maj. dec. Daniel Dennis (IOWA), 10-2 Conso. 2nd Round: Maj. dec. Andrae Hernandez, (IND), 12-5 Conso. Semis: Lost by maj. dec. No. 4 seed M. Moos (MICH), 13-2 Fifth Place: Won by forfeit No. 2 seed Chris Fleeger (PU) 141: No. 6 seed Cassio Pero (13-10) Quarterfinals: Lost by maj. dec. No. 3 seed Alex Tsirtsis, 9-3 Conso. 1st Round: Lost to No. 7 seed Manuel Rivera (MINN), 6-2 Seventh Place: Lost to No. 4 seed DeWitt Driscoll (PSU), : Troy Tirapelle (24-10) Pigtail: Dec. No. 3 seed Eric Tannenbaum (MICH), 6-4 tb2 Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 6 seed Tyler Turner (WISC), 6-5 Semifinals: Dec. No. 2 seed Ty Eustice (IOWA), 4-1 Finals: Lost by maj. dec. to No. 1 seed Dustin Schlatter (MINN), : No. 1 seed #1 Alex Tirapelle (28-2) Quarterfinals: Dec No. 8 seed Nathan Galloway (PSU), 5-1 Semifinals: Dec. No. 4 seed Joe Johnston (IOWA), 4-2 Finals: Lost to No. 3 seed C.P. Schlatter (MINN), : No. 2 seed #8 Mike Poeta (26-5) Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 7 seed Will Durkee (NU), 7-3 Semifinals: Lost to No. 3 seed Matt Nagel (MINN), 4-2 Consolation Semifinals: Dec. No. 8 seed Max Dean (IND), 3-2 Third Place: Dec. Eric Luedke (IOWA), : No. 6 seed #3 Donny Reynolds (21-9) Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 3 seed R.J. Boudro (MSU), 8-7 Semifinals: Pinned by No. 2 seed Mark Perry (IOWA), 1:14 Conso. Semis: Lost to No. 8 seed Gabriel Dretsch (MINN), 6-4 sv Fifth Place: Medical forfeited to No. 4 seed James Yonushonis (PSU) The Wrestling Mall (March 7) 1. Minnesota 2. Oklahoma State 3. ILLINOIS Oklahoma 5. Michigan 6. Iowa State 7. Central Michigan 8. Nebraska 9. Iowa 10. Arizona State 11. Cornell University 12. Lehigh 13. Missouri 14. Michigan State 15. Northwestern 16. Penn State 17. Edinboro 18. Wisconsin 19. Cal Poly 20. Hofstra 21. Purdue 22. Indiana 23. Penn 24. Northern Iowa 25. Navy W.I.N. Magazine (March 7) 1. Minnesota 2. Oklahoma State 3. ILLINOIS 4. Oklahoma 5. Michigan 6. Iowa State 7. Central Michigan 8. Nebraska 9. Iowa 10. Cornell University 11. Missouri 12. Arizona State 13. Lehigh 14. Michigan State 15. Northwestern 16. Penn 17. Edinboro 18. Wisconsin 19. Cal Poly 20. Hofstra 21. Purdue 22. Indiana 23. Penn 24. Northern Iowa 25. Navy 184: No. 4 seed #5 Pete Friedl (27-4) Pigtail: Dec. Justin Curran (IND), 7-1 Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 5 seed Paul Bradley (IOWA), 5-0 Semifinals: Dec. No. 1 seed Eric Bradley (PSU), 2-1 tb1 Finals: Lost to No. 3 seed Roger Kisch (MINN), : No. 1 seed #8 Tyrone Byrd (25-5) Quarterfinals: Dec. No. 8 seed Dallas Herbst, 6-1 Semifinals: Dec. No. 5 seed Nathan Moore (PU), 3-1 Finals: Lost to No. 2 seed Phillip Davis (PSU), 4-0 Hwt: No. 8 seed Matt Weight (18-15) Quarterfinals: Pinned by No. 1 Seed Cole Konrad (MINN), F 2:45 Consolation 1st Round: Dec. Aaron Keough (PU), 6-1 Consolation 2nd Round: Dec. Max Lossen (MSU), 3-2 Consolation Semifinals: No. 6 seed Kirk Nail (OSU), M For. Third Place: Lost to No. 3 seed Dustin Fox (NWU), 5-2 Wrestling Attendance Ranked No. 10 Nationally The Fighting Illini wrestling team finished in the Top-10 for home dual attendance for the second straight year, posting an average of 1,033 fans over five home meets at Huff Hall. The Illini s largest crowd this season was on Feb. 3 against Michigan when they drew 2,309 fans the second largest attendance in school history. National Rankings Rk Top Total / Home Duals 1. Okla St. 3,782 4,542 30,254 (8) 2. Iowa 3,569 5,073 24,985 (7) 3. Penn St. 2,763 2,209 16,579 (6) 4. Minnesota 2,673 2,123 18,711 (7) 5. Lehigh 2,254 2,488 15,775 (7) 6. Iowa St. 2,069 1,946 14,481 (7) 7. Cornell 1, ,747 (5) 8. Ohio St. 1,472 n/a 5,886 (4) 9. Michigan 1,323 1,371 7,938 (6) 10. ILLINOIS 1,033 1,436 5,163 (5) Huff Hall Top-10 Wrestling Attendance 1. 3,573 vs. Iowa (1/28/05) 2. 2,309 vs. Michigan (2/3/06) 3. 2,048 vs. Northwestern (2/17/05) 4. 2,037 vs. Minnesota (2/4/01) 5. 1,669 vs. Minnesota (2/6/04) 6. 1,623 vs. Purdue (2/17/00) 7. 1,533 vs. Iowa (2/24/02) 8. 1,512 vs. Marquette/SIUE (12/11/99) 9. 1,397 vs. Purdue (2/22/04) 10. 1,378 vs. Iowa (2/7/98)

3 Illinois Tie Wisconsin, The sixth-ranked Illinois wrestling team s regular season came to a close on Sunday as they tied No. 23 Wisconsin, The Illini and the Badgers won five matches a piece in the tie. Illinois still leads the all-time series against the Badgers, Illinois finishes the season overall, and in the Big Ten. Sunday afternoon not only marked the last dual meet of the season for the Illinois wrestling team, it also was the last home dual meet for five of the Fighting Illini starters. Kyle Ott (125), Alex Tirapelle (157), Pete Friedl (184), Tyrone Byrd (197) and Matt Weight (Hwt.) wrestled in the friendly confines of Huff Hall for the last time in their illustrious careers. Together, the five starters have a combined record of over the last four years. Seniors Ott, Tirapelle, Friedl and Byrd will leave Illinois with spots on the Top-25 all-time season victories list and among the most elite wrestlers in school history. Although only a junior in eligibility, Matt Weight is a senior academically and will not be back with the team next season. Also graduating are Cal Ferry (149) and Matt Fletcher (Hwt.). The dual started with the Illini dropping their first three matches. At 133, No. 19 Gabe Flores (Madera, Ill.) fell to No. 6 Tom Clum, 6-1. Flores found himself in the Top-25 for the first time in his career this week after winning back-to-back major decisions last week against Iowa and Michigan State. At 141, Ed Gutnik overwhelmed Joel Karr (Clinton, Ill.), 6-2. At 149, Troy Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) fell to No. 11 Tyler Turner, Wisconsin lead the dual, 9-0. Illinois turned the match around at 157 when top-ranked Alex Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) outlasted No. 5 Craig Henning, 2-0. Tirapelle finished the regular season undefeated. Coming into the match, the two grapplers were both 6-0 in Big Ten action. Tirapelle, 11-0 in duals this season, finished 4-0 against ranked opponents in the Big Ten. With no scoring after two periods, the Illini senior took the first lead with an escape. With riding time added, the Illinois All-American came out with the 2-0 victory. Illinois now trailed the dual, 9-3. At 165, No.7 Mike Poeta (Highwood, Ill.) won a decision against No. 17 Jake Donar, 7-1. In the first period, Illinois finally scored their first takedown of the day as Poeta took the early lead. Poeta extended his lead in the second with a reversal and a two-point nearfall. The Illini were now only down by three in the dual, 9-6. At 184, senior All-American Pete Friedl, (Orland Park, Ill.) took a decision over Matt Maciag, 9-2. The fifth-ranked Friedl took the early lead in the first period on a takedown. In the second, Friedl added another takedown to extend his lead. In the third, Friedl added an escape and a takedown for good measure. At 197, No. 8 Tyrone Byrd defeated Dallas Herbst, 1-0. With the win, Byrd stays undefeated in the regular season and, more importantly, ties the score in the dual, At heavyweight, Matt Weight fell to Lee Kraemer, 7-5. With the match tied, 3-3, in the second period, Kraemer got Weight on his back and came away with a three-point nearfall. In the third, Weight scored a late takedown but couldn t overcome the big lead. Wisconsin led the dual, with one match to go. In the final match of the day, senior All- Amercian Kyle Ott, (Huber Heights, Ohio) defeat Colin Cudd, 5-3. Ott needed a decision to tie the dual and a major decision to win. The Illini All-American came out firing scoring two takedowns in the opening period but that s all the scoring as Illinois settled for the tie. #6 Illinois 15, #23 Wisconsin : #6 Tom Clum (WIS) dec. #19 Gabe Flores (ILL), : Ed Gutnik (WIS) dec. Joel Karr (ILL), : #11 Tyler Turner dec. Troy Tirapelle (ILL), : #1 Alex Tirapelle(ILL) dec. #5 Craig Henning (WIS), : #7 Mike Poeta (ILL) dec. #17 Jake Donar (WIS), : #14 K. Flaherty (WIS) dec. R. Smith-Bergsrud (ILL), : #5 Pete Friedl (ILL) dec. Matt Maciag (WIS), : #8 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) dec. Dallas Herbst (WIS), HWT: Lee Kraemer (WIS) dec Matt Weight (ILL), : #8 Kyle Ott (ILL) dec. Colin Cudd (WIS), Illinois Top Spartans, The sixth-ranked Illinois wrestling team finished the weekend 2-0 as they put away the No. 18 Michigan State Spartans, 22-15, at Huff Gym. The Illini have won the last three duals against the Spartans and are now 8-3 in head coach Mark Johnson s 14-year career at Illinois. Illinois improves to 10-2 and 5-2 in the Big Ten. The matchup of the day was at 125 and saw No. 6 Kyle Ott (Huber Heights, Ohio) fall No. 3 Nick Simmons, The two rivals went 1-1 last season only seeing each other at the Big Ten tournament and Nationals. Simmons took an early lead in the first by scoring a takedown and a three-point nearfall. In the second, Simmons extended his lead by adding three more on back points. In the third, Simmons put the match away with a takedown and a three-point nearfall. Ott is now 0-3 against ranked opponents in the Big Ten. The Spartans now trailed the Illini by eight, Gabe Flores (Madera, Calif.) sealed the win for the Illini by abusing Jeff Wimberley, The Illini s 133-pound sophomore scored a takedown to take the early lead in the first period. In the second, Flores added four points on a reversal and a takedown to extend his lead. In the third period, Flores scored a takedown then almost pinned the Spartan resdshirtfreshman only to come away with a three-point nearfall. Flores finished off Wimberley by scoring another takedown as time expired. Head coach Mark Johnson commented on the pair of big wins this weekend: We wanted to get back on the winning track after last weekend s disappointing performance. We wrestled well and got it done. # 6 Illinois 22, #18 Michigan State : T. Tirapelle (ILL) dec. #15 D. McKnight (MSU), : # 1 A. Tirapelle (ILL) maj. dec. T. Greathouse (MSU), : #7 M. Poeta (ILL) major dec. B. Harney (MSU), : #5 R.J. Boudro (MSU) dec. #16 D. Reynolds (ILL) : #6 Pete Friedl (ILL) maj. dec. Joe Williams (MSU), : #8 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) dec. Jeff Clemens (MSU), HWT: Max Lossen (MSU) dec. Matt Weight (ILL), : #3 N. Simmons (MSU) maj. dec. #6 Kyle Ott (ILL), : Gabe Flores (ILL) maj. dec. Jeff Wimberley (MSU), : #5 A.Simmons (MSU) TF D. Manzella (ILL), 16-0 (5:46) Illini Wrestlers Shoot Down Hawkeyes, The sixth ranked Illinois wrestling team finished their Big Ten road schedule Friday night as they defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes The Illini ended their losing streak at two. In front of 3,352 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Illini won their first dual at Iowa in head coach Mark Johnson s 14-year career at Illinois. The win also marks the first time the Illini have posted back-to-back victories against the Hawkeyes since the and seasons. The Illini improve to 9-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. Kyle Ott, (Huber Heights, Ohio) pinned Trent Goodale at 3:30. Ott was looking to bounce back from last week s surprising pin he suffered at Northwestern. With a 2-0 lead in the second period, Ott scored another two points on a reversal, then quickly moved in for the pin. At 133, Gabe Flores (Madera, Calif.) defeated Daniel Dennis, Flores came out firing in the first period on a takedown and a three-point nearfall. Dennis countered, however, by scoring a reversal to end the period. In the second, Flores added another three-point nearfall to extend his lead to 8-2. Flores started the third with an escape point and never let the Iowa freshman into the match. After the two big wins, the Illini had a 13-3 lead. At 174, No. 16 Donny Reynolds (Frankfort, Ill.) won a major decsion over Ben Stedman, 8-0. The only scoring in the first period was a takedown by Reynolds. In the second, Reynolds took control of the match by scoring an escape and a takedown. Reynolds added another takedown to start the third and was awarded another point on a stalling call en-route to the major decision. The win gave the Illini a lead and also guaranteed the Illini the victory over the Hawkeyes. At 184, No. 6 Pete Friedl defeated #7 Paul Bradley, 4-2. The two met earlier this season at the All-Star Dual with the Illini All-American taking the decision. Friedl took an early lead in the first period with a takedown. A point was added to Friedl when Bradley was called for an illegal hold. In the third, with Friedl up 4-1, Bradley narrowed the lead with an escape, but that s all he could do before time expired. #6 Illinois 24, #9 Iowa : #8 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) vs. Dan Erekson (IOWA), Hwt: #19 Ryan Fuller (IOWA) dec. Matt Weight (ILL), : #6 Kyle Ott (ILL) pinned Trent Goodale (IOWA), 3: : Gabe Flores (ILL) maj. dec. Daniel Dennis (IOWA), : #14 Alex Tsirtsis (IOWA) dec. Cassio Pero (ILL), : Alex Grunder (IOWA) dec. Troy Tirapelle (ILL),

4 157: #7 J. Johnston (IOWA) maj. dec. Dan Zeman (ILL), : #7 Mike Poeta (ILL) maj. dec. Eric Luedke (IOWA), : #16 D. Reynolds (ILL) maj. dec. B.Stedman (IOWA), : #6 Pete Friedl (ILL) dec. #7 Paul Bradley (IOWA), Shell-Shocked Illini Fall to Wildcats, Illinois 10 dual meet winning streak against Northwestern was snapped on Sunday afternoon as the Wildcats stunned the thirdranked Fighting Illini wrestling team, Illinois hasn t lost two in a row in the Big Ten since the season. The Illini came into the weekend undefeated, but the pair of losses sends them to 8-2 overall and 3-2 in the Big Ten. Illinois tough afternoon started at 125 and saw No. 8 John Velez pin No. 3 Kyle Ott (Huber Heights, Ohio) at 1:06 of the third period. In last year s dual, Velez upset the Illinois All-American in the final seconds of their match. In the third period, with the match tied 1-1, Velez took a quick shot and got Ott on his back seconds later, the pin was recorded. For the second time in three days, the match came down to the heavyweights. With the dual tied up at 16-16, Matt Weight (Batavia, Ill.) fell to No. 8 Dustin Fox, 2-1 in overtime. With no scoring in the first period, Weight opened up the second by scoring on an escape. In the third period, Fox tied the score on an escape of his own and sending the match into overtime. A late shot by Weight went uncalled and the match went into a second overtime. In the second overtime, Fox scored an escape point to win the match and the dual, Head coach Mark Johnson said, We re disappointed. We didn t wrestle tough. We re going to go back and find out what we re made of. #3 Illinois 16, #16 Northwestern : #8 John Velez (NU) pinned #3 Kyle Ott (ILL.), 6: : Gabe Flores dec. Daniel Quintela (NU), : #6 Ryan Lang (NU) dec. Cassio Pero (ILL.), : Troy Tirapelle (ILL.) dec. Marty Gould (NU), : #1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL.) maj. dec. Greg Hagel, : #8 Mike Poeta (ILL.) dec. #18 Will Durkee (NU), : #2 Jake Herbert maj. dec. #16 Donny Reynolds, : #11 Mike Tamillow dec. #4 Pete Friedl (ILL.), : #9 Tyrone Byrd (ILL.) dec. #12 Matt Delguyd (NU), Hwt: #8 Dustin Fox (NU) dec. Matt Weight (ILL.), 2-1 TB Illinois Drop Heartbreaker to Michigan, Big Ten powerhouses collided on Friday as No. 3 Illinois suffered their first loss of the season by falling to No. 4 Michigan The defeat was also the team s first loss in the Big Ten in two seasons. With 2,309 fans in attendance, the second largest in team history, the electricity at Huff Gym was undeniable. Last season, the two teams logged the first tie in their program s long history Friday night s match was just as close. With the loss, the Illini move to 8-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten. The dual started at 125 pounds and saw All- American Kyle Ott (Huber Heights, Ohio) post an18-6 major decision against Michael Watts. Once again, the Illini senior came out firing and scored three takedowns in the first period. By the end of the match, Ott overwhelmed the Michigan freshman as he added five more takedowns in the victory. After splitting the next eight matches, the Illini found themselves ahead of the Wolverines with one match to go. With the Illini leading the dual, 17-12, dual came down to the heavyweights. Michigan needed a technical fall to tie and a pin to win. In dramatic fashion, Michigan s No. 3 Greg Wagner pinned Illinois Matt Weight (Batavia, Ill.) at 1:09 in the second period. The pin gave the Wolverines the six points they needed in their come-from-behind victory. #3 Illinois 17, #4 Michigan : #3 Kyle Ott (ILL) major dec. Michael Watts (UM), : #12 Mark Moos (UM) dec. Gabe Flores (ILL), : #4 Josh Churella (UM) dec. Cassio Pero (ILL), : #5 Eric Tannenbaum (UM) dec. Troy Tirapelle (ILL), : #1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) dec. #11 Steve Luke (UM), : #1 Ryan Churella (UM) dec. #8 Mike Poeta (ILL), 6-5 ot : #16 Donny Reynolds (ILL) dec. #10 N. Roy (UM), : #4 Pete Friedl (ILL) major dec. Hassen Berri (UM), : #8 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) dec. Casey White (UM), Hwt: #3 G. Wagner (UM) won by fall Matt Weight (ILL), 3: Time and Location Changed For Illinois Wrestling Dual Against Northwestern The wrestling dual meet between No. 3 Illinois and No. 16 Northwestern has been changed to 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 at Rolling Meadows High School. The dual was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5. Doors at Rolling Meadows High School will open at noon for the Big Ten dual meet. Prior to that, two local youth club teams will be competing in a dual starting at 11 a.m. Tickets prices will be $4 for students and $7 for adults. Rolling Meadows High School is located at 2901 Central Road, in Rolling Meadows, Ill. Maps to the venue can be found online at Questions can be directed to the Northwestern media services office at (847) Illini Cruise Past Ohio St., The third-ranked Fighting Illini wrestling team stayed perfect by defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes, at Columbus, Ohio. The Illini improve to 8-0 overall and 3-0 in the Big Ten. The win also marks nine in a row over the Buckeyes. Since head coach Mark Johnson s arrival to Illinois, the Illini have posted a 9-1 record over OSU. The highlight of the day saw All-American Kyle Ott pin Anner Arroyo with 36 seconds left in the first period. Ott (an Ohio native from Huber Heights) not only gave family and friends something to scream about, he sealed the victory for the Illini with the pin. With a 2-0 lead in the first period, the Illini senior used his explosive quickness to overwhelm the Buckeye freshman who was competing in his first match. At 133, Gabe Flores (Madera, Calif.) finally posted a Big Ten victory by winning a major decision over Reece Humphrey, #3 Illinois 27, Ohio State : Cassio Pero (ILL.) dec. T.J. Enright (OSU), : #8 J Jaggers (OSU) dec. Troy Tirapelle, : #1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL.) maj. dec. S. Sommer (OSU), : #8 Mike Poeta (ILL.) maj. dec. N. Auguston (OSU), : B. Maurer (OSU) pinned #6 Donny Reynolds (ILL.), 2: : #4 Pete Friedl (ILL.) dec. Alex Picazo (OSU), : #9 Tyrone Byrd (ILL.) dec. Corey Morrison (OSU), 17-9 HWT: Kirk Nail (OSU) dec. Matt Weight (ILL.), 4-2 (sv) : #3 Kyle Ott (ILL.) pinned Anner Arroyo (OSU), 0: : Gabe Flores (ILL.) maj. dec. R, Humphrey (OSU), Illini Overwhelm Indiana, 26-6 The third-ranked University of Illinois wrestling team won its third conference match of the year with a 26-6 victory over No. 15 Indiana Friday evening in Bloomington, Ind. Both teams came into the evening unbeaten and only one would leave that way. The Illini improved to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten. The Illini are now 10-2 against the Hoosiers in head coach Mark Johnson s 14-year career. The Illini were looking to repeat last season s domination of Indiana which resulted in a 37-0 shutout at Huff Gym. However, with both teams posting nine wrestlers in the Top-25, tonight s match turned out to be closer than last season s. The dual began with the highly anticipated rematch at 125 pounds as senior All-Americans No. 3 Kyle Ott (Huber Heights, Ohio) and No. 1 Joe Dubuque renewed acquaintances once again. The last time the two met was at the 2005 NCAA finals where Dubuque won a 2-0 decision. For Ott, this match wasn t only about keeping his perfect record intact, it was for redemption. In the closing seconds of the first period, Ott took a shot but failed to score. The only scoring in the second period was on a Dubuque escape to lead the match 1-0. In the third period, Dubuque scored a takedown and rode Ott for the rest of the period en route to a 4-0 victory and giving Indiana a 3-0 lead. After dropping the first two matches, the Illini turned the dual around by winning the next eight matches. At 184, Pete Friedl (Orland Park, Ill.) looked to bounce back from last week s loss to Purdue s Ben Wissel. The Illinois senior All-American scored a takedown against Justin Curran 15 seconds into the match. The Illini s fourth ranked wrestler added four more takedowns to dominate the sixth-ranked Curran and win by major decision, Justin joins Brendan and Andrew of Northwestern as the third Curran brother to fall to Friedl. #3 Illinois 26, #15 Indiana 6 125: #1 Joe Dubuque (IU) dec. #3 Kyle Ott (ILL.), : Andrae Hernandez (IU) dec. Gabe Flores (ILL.), : Cassio Pero (ILL.) maj. dec. Nick Spatola (IU), : Troy Tirapelle dec. Matt Cooper (IU), : #1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL.) dec. #7 Brandon Becker (IU), : #8 Mike Poeta (ILL.) dec. Max Dean (IU), : #6 Donny Reynolds (ILL.) dec. Marc Bennett (IU), : #4 Pete Friedl (ILL.) maj. dec. Justin Curran (IU), : #9 Tyrone Byrd (ILL.) dec. #5 Brady Richardson (IU), HWT- Matt Weight (ILL.) dec. Dave Herman (IU), 3-1 (sv) 26-6

5 Illini Open Big Ten Season With 27-7 Victory Over Purdue The third-ranked University of Illinois wrestling team kicked off their Big Ten Conference schedule Friday night with a 27-7 victory against Purdue at Huff Gym. Although this is the first head-to-head matchup for the two teams this season, wrestlers from both teams have faced each other at the Las Vegas Invite and at the Midlands Tournament. The Illini finished their non-conference portion of their schedule 4-0 and the win keeps their unbeaten record intact. The dual started at 197 pounds with No. 9 Tyrone Byrd (Clinton, Ill.) squaring off against Nathan Moore. The two wrestlers have already met twice this season once at the Las Vegas Invite and then at the Midlands Tournament with Byrd winning both matches. In the third period, with the match tied at two, Byrdscored an escape point to go ahead byapoint and eventually winning the match, 3-2. The main event of the evening was at 184 pounds as Senior All-American Pete Friedl (Orland Park, Ill.) met Purdue s Senior All- American, Ben Wissel. This was the third time the seniors have met this season. The two wrestled at the finals of both the Las Vegas Invite as well as the Midlands Tournament each coming away with a victory. With no scoring in the first period, the Illini s second-ranked wrestler scored the only point of the period on an escape. With the match tied 1-1 and one second on the clock, the fourth-ranked Wissel scored a takedown to win the match in dramatic fashion, 3-1. No. 3 Illinois 27, Purdue 7 197: #9 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) dec. Nathan Moore (PU), Hwt: Matt Weight (ILL) dec. Aaron Keough (PU), : #3 Kyle Ott (ILL) major dec. Brandon Tucker (PU), : #6 Chris Fleeger (PU) major dec. Gabe Flores (ILL), : Cassio Pero (ILL) dec. Jason Cook (PU), : Troy Tirapelle (ILL) dec. Mark Powell (PU), : #1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) dec. Jake Murphy (PU), : #9 Mike Poeta (ILL) major dec. Dan Bedoy (PU), : #17 Donny Reynolds (ILL) maj. d. Nick Corpe (PU), : #4 Ben Wissel (PU) dec. #2 Pete Friedl (ILL), Illini Finish Non-Conference Schedule Unbeaten The fourth-ranked University of Illinois wrestling begin their Big Ten Conference schedule 4-0 as they defeated Stanford University on Sunday, The Illini finished the California swing of their schedule unbeaten with the three Clovis High School alumni Alex and Troy Tirapelle and Gabe Flores each going 3-0. The Illini are 92-4 in head coach Mark Johnson s 14-year career. With three duals in two days, the team looked at these matches as the final preparation before their grueling Big Ten schedule. The grapplers finished the weekend losing only one match in three duals. On Friday night, the Illini dismantled San Francisco State, 44-0, in the first meet of the three team dual at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, Calif. In front of their family and friends, the three local wrestlers didn t allow the Gators to score a takedown. In the main event of Friday night s threeteam dual, Illinois defeated Fresno State, The Illini allowed finally lost a match for the first time this season as heavyweight Matt Weight dropped a close decision to Cody Parker. No. 4 Illinois 44, San Francisco State 0 133: Gabe Flores maj. dec. Virgil Lockett, : Cassio Pero pinned Alek Butler, 1: : Troy Tirapelle tech. fall Jeff Johnson (SF St.), 17-2, 5: : #1 Alex Tirapelle maj. dec. Kirk Fitzpatrick, : #9 Mike Poeta maj. dec. Will Simmons, : #17 Donny Reynolds tech. fall Danny Dahl, 16-1, 7: : #3 Pete Friedl dec. Richard Escobar, : #8 Tyrone Byrd won by forfeit 36-0 Hwt: Matt Weight dec. Sandeep Singh, : #3 Kyle Ott maj. dec. Brian Watanabe, No. 4 Illinois 37, Fresno State 3 133: Gabe Flores dec. Sean Carlson, : Cassio Pero dec. Garrett Spooner, : Troy Tirapelle pinned Dustin Rocha, 4: : #1 Alex Tirapelle dec. Charles Jones, : #9 Mike Poeta won by forfeit : #17 Donny Reynolds won by forfeit : #3 Pete Friedl dec. Greg Gifford, : #8 Tyrone Byrd dec. Brandon Halsey, Hwt: Matt Weight lost to Cody Parker, : #3 Kyle Ott maj. dec. Cory Borges, No. 4 Illinois 39, Stanford 0 125: #3 Kyle Ott dec. #11 Tanner Gardner, : Gabe Flores tech. fall Eric Minnic, 17-1 (4:43) : Cassio Pero dec. Tyler Parker, : Troy Tirapelle dec. Josh Zupancic, : #1 Alex Tirapelle maj. dec. Scott Loescher, : #9 Mike Poeta dec. Ray Blake, : #17 Donny Reynolds maj. dec. Luke Feist, : #3 Pete Friedl maj. dec. Ryan Hagen, : #8 Tyrone Byrd won by forfeit 35-0 Hwt: Matt Weight maj. dec. Jared Boyer, Friedl Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week University of Illinois All-American Pete Friedl, the nation s third-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors, following a perfect 5-0 record at the 43rd Annual Midlands Tournament. The senior s dramatic win in the finals clinched the title for the fourth-ranked Illini. Friedl came into the tournament fourth in the country and the No. 3 seed in the tournament. His perfect tournament included upset wins over fifth-ranked No. 2 seed Kurt Backes (Iowa State) and fourth-ranked, No. 1 seed Ben Wissel (Purdue). Friedl s 3-1 victory over then third-ranked Wissel with one second left in sudden-death overtime gave the Illini their third consecutive Midlands title a feat only accomplished by two other teams in the tournament s history. With the five wins, the Orland Park, Ill., native improved to 11-1 this season and for his career. Illini Get Midlands Three-Peat! The fourth-ranked University of Illinois wrestling team accomplished a feat only seen by three teams in Midlands Tournament history and that is a three-peat for the team championship. Fueled by four wrestlers in the finals, the Illini scored points for their third straight Midlands title. Seniors Alex Tirapelle (157) and Pete Friedl (184) brought home individual titles - Tirapelle winning his second and Friedl clinching the win for the team. Senior 157-pounder Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) won his second Midlands title as he defeated No. 2 seed Joe Johnston of Iowa, 3-0, in the finals. Tirapelle defeated the Hawkeye for the second time this year and the fourth time of his career. After no scoring in the first two periods, Tirapelle chose bottom and scored an escape and a takedown to secure the win. Friedl (Orland Park, Ill.) found himself in a familiar spot after clinching the Big Ten team title in 2005 with his win in the championship match. Once again his win at 184 pounds secured the team title for the Illini. He needed overtime to get it done and won in dramatic fashion getting the takedown over Purdue's Ben Wissel with only one second remaining in the match. After exchanging escape points in regulation, the two wrestlers went to sudden victory over time. Wissel got in a shot at the 27- second mark, but couldn't finish it out. Friedl took a shot with 10 seconds left, finally getting the call just before the buzzer. Team Standings (out of 66) 1. Illinois Central Michigan Michigan State Iowa Iowa State ILLINI PLACEWINNERS 1st - Alex Tirapelle (157), Pete Friedl (184) 2nd - Mike Poeta (165), Tyrone Byrd (197) 5th - Donny Reynolds (174) 7th - Troy Tirapelle (149) Illini Dominates Augustana in Home Opener, 45-0 The seventh-ranked University of Illinois wrestling team opened their home season today by beating Augustana College The meet was originally scheduled to have three teams, but due to the inclement weather, Cumberland University couldn t make the trip. After a disappointing performance in the Las Vegas Invite, the Illini were determined to come out strong and they did. No. 2 Kyle Ott (125) started the Illini s dominant day by pinning Leo Byrd in the opening period. Today s match was the first for Ott (Huber Heights, Ohio) this season. The senior All-American showed no signs of rust by taking care of Byrd in 1:43 of the first period. The spotlight of the day, however, was on the senior All-American Pete Friedl (157). Freidl (Orland Park, Ill.) needed one more win to get to the coveted 100-win mark in his career. He picked up the 100th in fine fashion by pinning Brian Kerr in 1:38 of the first period. 125: #2 Kyle Ott (ILL) won by fall Leo Byrd (AC), 1:43 133: Joe Gomez (ILL) dec. Dan Stanton (AC), : #13 Cassio Pero (ILL) dec. Ryan McMurray (AC), : Troy Tirapelle (ILL) dec. Jeff Keske (AC), : #2 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) won by fall Mike Kerr (AC), 2:32 165: #13 Mike Poeta (ILL) dec. Brian Daly (AC), : #16 Donny Reynolds (ILL) major dec. Dan Krcmar (AC), : #3 Pete Friedl (ILL) won by fall Brian Kerr (AC), 1:38 197: #12 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) tech fall John Parkhurst (AC), 17-1 (3:53) Hwt: Ben Zulauf (ILL) won by forfeit

6 Tirapelle and Friedl Upset in Las Vegas Invite The Illini wrestling team got a preview of their Big Ten opponents as senior top-seeded All-Americans Alex Tirapelle (157) and Pete Friedl (184) took on #20 No.6-seed Steve Luke of Michigan and #4 No. 2-seed Ben Wissel of Purdue. Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) suffered a heart-breaking 4-3 upset at the hands of the reshirt-freshman. Friedl (Orland Park, Ill.) found himself on the losing end of a 6-2 decision. Tirapelle scored on an escape in the second period and Luke doing the same in the third, sending the match into overtime. With both wrestlers scoring escapes in the third and fourth overtimes, the decision came down to four seconds of riding time. Friedl only managed to score on two escapes as the Boilermaker senior scored two takedowns in the first and second periods. With the two losses, the Illinois team finishes the tournament in sixth place. Team Standings (out of 52) 1. Michigan Cornell Missouri Edinboro Arizona St Las Vegas Invitational Placewinners 2nd - Alex Tirapelle (157), Pete Friedl (184) 5th - Mike Poeta (165) 6th - Donny Reynolds (174) 7th - Tyrone Byrd (197) 8th - Matt Weight (Hwt.) Two Illini Wrestlers Place at UNI Open While many of the Illini wrestlers headed to Las Vegas this weekend, 15 remaining grapplers headed to competition at the Northern Iowa Open. Freshmen heavyweight Ben Zulauf and 165-pounder Mark Lukaszewski both placed in the top-6 of the tournament, with Zulauf taking fifth and Lukaszewski placing sixth. Zulauf (r-fr., Sterling, Ill.) lost in the second round of the championship bracket to Dave Zabriskie of Iowa State before winning six consecutive matches in the consolations to take fifth-place. In the tournament, Zulauf recorded two pins and a notable 3-1 win over fellow teammate John Wise, 3-1. At 165 pounds, true-freshman Lukaszewski (Wayne, Ill./Barlett) slipped up in his first match of the tournament, but got four wins in the wrestlebacks before dropping the fifth-place bout to Andy Pickar of Minnesota State, 6-4. Along the way, Lukaszewski recorded a major decision over Minnesota State's Channing Ehlert and a pinned Nat Schut of St. Cloud State. Tirapelle and Friedl Top Iowa Foes at NWCA All-Star Match The NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by the United States Marine Corps, matched Alex Tirapelle and Pete Friedl with two Iowa rivals. In Stillwater, Oklahoma Tirapelle (157 lbs.) defeated All-American Joe Johnston of Iowa, 4-2, and Friedl (184 lbs.) defeated All-American Paul Bradley, also of Iowa, 4-3. Tirapelle last met Johnston at the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship last year. By the third period both Tirapelle and Johnston had a point for an escape. Tirapelle scored a takedown with 1:15 left, making the score 3-1.Johnston made one final escape and Tirapelle gained a point for riding time to win. Tirapelle is 4-2 against Johnston in their career. Friedl and Bradley had never wrestled eachother. Bradley Friedl scored a takedown and an escape by the end of the second period. Bradely also scored an escape and a takedown late in the third period, tieing the match. With 30 seconds left in the match, Friedl scored an escape wining 4-3. Four All-Americans Return for Season Once again, the Illini return a strong nucleus of its 2005 squad, including four All-Americans in 125-pounder Kyle Ott, 141-pounder Cassio Pero, 157-pounder Alex Tirapelle and 184- pounder Pete Friedl. In a lineup that features newcomers at four weight classes, there is a true mix of youth and experience. Johnson Leads Illini to First Big Ten Title in 53 Years Last season marked a milestone for the Illinois wrestling program as the team took home a Big Ten team title for the first time in 53 years. For his efforts, head coach Mark Johnson was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. Illinois also became only the third conference team to win a league championship in the past 30 years (Iowa and Minnesota are the other two teams). In the same season, the Illini defended its Midlands title and won the Big Ten dual meet title. Five Illini earned All- America honors and Alex Tirapelle and Pete Friedl were Big Ten Champions. The team capped the season with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the school s ninth Top-10 finish in 11 years.

7 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP PRELIMINARY SEEDS Simmons, Nick - Michigan State, Jr. 2. Hazewinkel, Sam - Oklahoma, Jr. 3. Dubuque, Joe - Indiana - Sr 4. Ott, Kyle - Illinois - Sr 5. Nickerson, Troy - Cornell - Fr 6. Scott, Coleman - Oklahoma State - So 7. Mendoza, Jeremy - Arizona State - Sr 8. Velez, John - Northwestern - Sr 9. Mendes, Chad - Cal Poly - Jr 10. Donahoe, Paul - Nebraska - Fr 11. Smith, Luke - Central Michigan - Sr 12. Gardner, Tanner - Stanford Jr Paulson, Trent - Iowa State - Jr 2. Schlatter, C.P. - Minnesota - So 3. Tirapelle, Alex - Illinois - Sr 4. Lebe, Matthew - West Virginia - Sr 5. Cherrington, Ben - Boise St - Sr 6. Becker, Brandon - Indiana - So 7. Manotti, Dustin - Cornell - Sr 8. Henning, Craig - Wisconsin - So 9. Johnston, Joe - Iowa - Sr 10. Stith, Brian - Arizona State - Jr 11. Zinck, Derek - Lehigh - Sr 12. Luke, Steve - Michigan Fr Michalak, Wynn Central Michigan - So 2. Cerminara, Kyle Buffalo Sr 3. Padden, B.J. Nebraska Jr 4. Rosholt, Jake Oklahoma State Sr 5. Flaggert, Joel Oklahoma - Jr 6. Davis, Philip - Penn State So 7. Rinaldi, Jerry Cornell Jr 8. Bader, Ryan - Arizona State - Sr 9. Byrd, Tyrone Illinois Sr 10. Delguyd, Matt Northwestern - Sr 11. Goodman, Ryan - North Carolina State - Fr 12. Phelps, Casey - Boise State - Sr Bunch, Shawn - Edinboro - Sr 2. Morgan, Nathan - Oklahoma State - So 3. Clum, Tom - Wisconsin - Sr 4. Reiter, Mack - Minnesota - So 5. Fleeger, Chris - Purdue - Sr 6. Valenti, Matthew - Penn - Sr 7. Strayer, Jake - Penn State - Fr 8. Keller, Matt - UT-Chattanooga - Jr 9. Jorgensen, Scott - Boise St - Sr 10. Vasquez, Darrell - Cal Poly - Jr 11. Preston, Robert - Harvard - Jr 12. Moos, Mark - Michigan Jr Churella, Ryan - Michigan - Sr 2. Hendricks, Jonny - Oklahoma State - Sr 3. Abdurakhmanov, Muzaffar - American - Sr 4. Baima, Nick - Northern Iowa - Sr 5. Pell, Mathew - Missouri - Sr 6. Nagel, Matt - Minnesota - Sr 7. Letters, Troy - Lehigh - Sr 8. Paulson, Travis - Iowa State - Jr 9. Poeta, Mike - Illinois - Fr 10. Pitsch, Patrick - Arizona State - Jr 11. Anceravage, Stephen - Cornell - So 12. Harwood, Marc - Nebraska So Konrad, Cole Minnesota - Jr 2. Mocco, Steve - Oklahoma State - Sr 3. Wagner, Greg Michigan - Sr 4. Velasquez, Cain - Arizona State -Sr 5. Ogunwole, Bode Harvard - Jr 6. Garrett, Tanner Navy - Sr 7. Hager, Jake Oklahoma - Sr 8. Faust, Mike - Virginia Tech Sr 9. Zarrinpour, Payam - Sacred Heart - Jr 10. Fox, Dustin Northwestern - So 11. Nadolsky, Spencer - North Carolina - Jr 12. LoPiccolo, Adam American - So Gallick, Nate - Iowa St - Sr 2. Ware, Teyon - Oklahoma - Sr 3. Cooperman, Cory - Lehigh - Sr 4. Simmons, Andy - Michigan St - Jr 5. Churella, Josh - Michigan - So 6. Lang, Ryan - Northwestern - So 7. Tsirtsis, Alex - Iowa - So 8. Moore, Derek - UC Davis - Jr 9. Rader, Brandon - West Virginia - Fr 10. Tarquinio, Ron - Pittsburgh - Sr 11. Wooton, Josh - Northern Illinois - Sr 12. Markey, Sean - The Citadel Sr Askren, Ben Missouri - Jr 2. Herbert, Jake Northwestern - So 3. Perry, Mark Iowa - So 4. Klein, Jacob Nebraska - Jr 5. Patrovich, Michael Hofstra - Jr 6. Boudro, Richard Michigan State - Sr 7. Cook, Kenneth UC Davis - Sr 8. Frick, Travis Lehigh - Sr 9. Yonushonis, James Penn State - Jr 10. Dretsch, Gabriel Minnesota - So 11. Mason, Brandon Oklahoma St - Fr 12. Herrington, Matthew Penn - Jr Schlatter, Dustin - Minnesota - Fr 2. Eustice, Ty - Iowa - Sr 3. Esposito, Zach - Oklahoma St - Sr 4. Storniolo, Matthew - Oklahoma - Sr 5. DiSalvo, Mark - CMU - Sr 6. Masa, Jon - Hofstra - Sr 7. Gillespie, Gregor - Edinboro - Fr 8. Tannenbaum, Eric - Michigan - So. 9. Turner, Tyler - Wisconsin - Sr 10. Elliott, Daniel - Gardner-Webb - Sr 11. Dragon, Matt - Penn - Fr 12. Tirapelle, Troy - Illinois Fr Glenn, Josh American - So 2. Kish, Roger Minnesota - So 3. Wissel, Benjamin Purdue - Sr 4. Mazzurco, Joe Cornell - Sr 5. Webster, Shane Oregon - Sr 6. Freidl, Pete Illinois - Sr 7. Backes, Kurt - Iowa State Jr 8. Bradley, Eric - Penn State - Sr 9. Jordan, Raymond Missouri - Fr 10. Dollaway, C.B. - Arizona State - Jr 11. Camargo, Alex - Kent State - Sr 12. Tamillow, Mike Northwestern So

8 ILLINOIS HEAD WRESTLING COACH MARK JOHNSON (14th Season) The 2005 Big Ten Coach of the Year, head coach Mark Johnson is in his 13th season at the University of Illinois. Johnson takes the school s first Big Ten Championship squad since 1952 into this weekend s NCAA Championships. Scoring 130 points en route to the league title, Illinois tied the school record with the same score in The team also repeated as Midlands Tournament winners and Big Ten Conference Dual Meet Champions. With nine qualifiers, five of them returning All-Americans, the Illini look to break into the top-4 for the first time in the modern era. During the Johnson tenure, Illinois has finished in the Top-10 at the NCAA championships on eight occasions and in the Top-12 for the last 10 seasons. Johnson has led the Illinois program to more wins, NCAA Champions, NCAA qualifiers and All- Americans than any coach in the school s history. He has compiled a record over the last 12 years, for a.803 winning percentage. Johnson has also guided seven individual national champions in the last 10 seasons. In 2003, 165- pounder Matt Lackey joined Adam Tirapelle (149, 2001), John Lockhart (heavyweight, 2001), Carl Perry (141, 2000), Eric Siebert (150, 1998), Ernest Benion, Jr. (158, 1995) and Steve Marianetti (150, 1995) in earning NCAA titles under Johnson s tutelage at Illinois. The 2004 season was one of many highlights and accomplishments. For the first time under Johnson, the Illini won the Big Ten regular season dual meet title with a near-perfect 7-1 record. The team continued a streak of Top-10 finishes with its seventh place at the national championships and sent a wrestler to the finals (Kyle Ott, 125) for the fourth straight year. The squad won its first team Midlands title in the school s history, topping Iowa and Iowa State in the process. The team crowned five All- Americans, the most since 1948, and Alex Tirapelle and Mark Jayne earned Big Ten Championship titles at their respective weight classes. Tirapelle made an undefeated run through the regular season winning 34 matches and earning a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament. But the biggest feat of all came just one week into the season when the team earned the school s first No. 1 national ranking. During the 2003 season, Johnson took eight qualifiers to the NCAA Championships from a squad that had five freshman competing most of the year. The 2003 team finished ninth overall with two national finalists. Senior Matt Lackey finished his climb up the ladder with his win in the finals over Troy Letters for his first national title. Freshman Tirapelle became the first Illinois freshman to make the finals as he recorded All-America status with his second-place finish. In 2002 during a rebuilding year, Johnson led a reshaped starting lineup to a 12-4 record and 10thplace finish at nationals. With seven new starters, the Illini still managed to qualify nine wrestlers for the NCAAs after a fifth-place finish at the Big Tens, equaling the 2001 squad s NCAA representation. That year, the Illini crowned three All-Americans, following two straight seasons of awarding four All-Americans. The Illinois wrestling team has progressively made school history year after year. In 2000, the team s sixth-place national finish was the best since 1958 only to be topped by the 2001 finish of fifth place, which was the highest since The 2001 team also took second at the Big Ten Championships, sending nine athletes to the NCAA Championships and placing ahead of national power Iowa for the first time in Johnson s career. For his coaching efforts in 2001, Johnson was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. The team posted a 12-2 dual meet record and Johnson became the school s all-time winningest coach. In , Johnson led his team to a 14-1 dual meet record, a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a ninth-place effort at the NCAA Championships. The third-place conference finish was the best for Illinois in 39 years, a mark it equalled last season. Johnson has guided 95 wrestlers to the NCAA championships over his tenure, an average of nearly eight qualifiers each year. During the past 12 seasons, the Illini have crowned 33 All-Americans and produced seven national champions (out of 14 finalists). Johnson earned National Coach of the Year honors from both the National Wrestling Coaches Association and W.I.N. Magazine in 1995 after posting a 13-2 dual record and a ninth-place finish at the NCAA championships. On the recruiting front, Johnson has brought in eight classes ranked among the top 20 in the nation, including the second-ranked class in the nation in 1993 and sixth-ranked group this season. Johnson came to Urbana-Champaign from Oregon State University, where he was head coach from The Rock Island, Ill., native led the Beavers to the Pac-10 championship in 1992, earning conference Coach of the Year honors. An alumnus of Alleman High School, Johnson was a high school national champion as a senior. He went on to the University of Michigan, where he was a two-time All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up at 177 pounds. Johnson captained the Wolverines and finished his college career with a record. He earned a B.S. in education in 1977 and was a dean s list student. Internationally, Johnson was a member of the 1980 Olympic team and was a member of 15 U.S. teams that competed throughout the world, winning two national championships. Before moving to Oregon State, Johnson was University of Iowa head coach Dan Gable s top assistant for eight years. While at Iowa, he helped groom four NCAA championship teams, 17 national champions, 55 All-Americans and eight Big Ten championship squads. In 1986, he was named NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year. Prior to accepting his Iowa position, Johnson was physical fitness director and wrestling coach at the Boys Club of Sarasota (Fla.) for two years. Johnson began his coaching career at the University of Iowa, where he was a graduate assistant coach from Internationally, Johnson s coaching experience includes stints as assistant coach for the 1988 Olympic freestyle team and head coach at the 1986 and 1991 Olympic Sports Festivals. He is also a USA Wrestling National Coaching Staff member and a member of the Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame. Johnson and his wife, Linda, have two daughters, Tricia and Mackey, and reside in Champaign. He just recently signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Illini through the 2007 season. ILLINOIS ALL-AMERICANS (38) (UNDER MARK JOHNSON) Pete Friedl (2005) Mark Jayne (2005) Kyle Ott (2005) Cassio Pero (2005) Alex Tirapelle (2005) Pete Friedl (2004) Brian Glynn (2004) Mark Jayne (2004) Kyle Ott (2004) Alex Tirapelle (2004) Matt Lackey (2003) Alex Tirapelle (2003) Matt Lackey (2002) John Lockhart (2002) Griff Powell (2002) Matt Lackey (2001) John Lockhart (2001) Pat Quirk (2001) Adam Tirapelle (2001) Carl Perry (2000) Adam Tirapelle (2000) Pat Quirk (2000) John Lockhart (2000) Karl Roesler (1999) Adam Tirapelle (1999) Jevon Herman (1998) Carl Perry (1998) Karl Roesler (1998) Eric Siebert (1998) Eric Siebert (1997) Ernest Benion (1997) Lindsey Durlacher (1997) Ernest Benion (1996) Lindsey Durlacher (1996) Ernest Benion (1995) Steve Marianetti (1995) Steve Marianett i (1994) Steve Marianetti (1993) JOHNSON BY THE NUMBERS 7 NCAA Champions 9 Top-10 NCAA Team Finishes 10 Big Ten Champions 14 NCAA Finalists 17 Academic All-Americans 38 All-Americans 39 Academic All-Big Ten 104 NCAA Qualifiers 109 Big Ten Placewinners