University of Illinois
NCAA Championships
Five Illini Wrestlers Set for NCAA Championships
March 17, 2021 | Wrestling
Preview
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Five Illini wrestlers travel to the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri for the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships beginning on Thursday, March 18 at 10 a.m. CT. Lucas Byrd, Dylan Duncan, Danny Braunagel, Zac Braunagel, and Luke Luffman will be the five Illini competing at this year's NCAA Championships. All of the action will be streamed on ESPNU and ESPN 2, with the Friday night semifinals and Saturday night championship being broadcasted on ESPN.
First Round Matchups:
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Streaming Schedule:
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Date |
Time (ET) |
Session |
Networks |
Number of ESPN3/ESPN App Mat Feeds |
|
Thu, Mar 18 |
11 a.m. |
First Round |
ESPNU |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
|
|
2 p.m. |
First Round |
ESPNU |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
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|
6 p.m. |
Second Round |
ESPN2 |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
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|
9 p.m. |
Second Round |
ESPN2 |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
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Fri, Mar 19 |
11 a.m. |
Quarterfinals |
ESPNU |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
|
|
3 p.m. |
Semifinals |
ESPNU |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
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8 p.m. |
Semifinals |
ESPN |
8 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
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Sat, Mar 20 |
11 a.m. |
Medal Round |
ESPN2 |
4 mat feeds, 1 "multi-view" feed |
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7 p.m. |
Championship |
ESPN |
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QUICK HITS
• Five members of the Fighting Illini wrestling team travel to St. Louis, Missouri to compete in the 2021 Division I NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Enterprise Center.
• The Illini had seven NCAA qualifiers last season, but the 2020 NCAA Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Illini currently hold a 27-year streak of having at least one All-American on the roster.
• The Illini finished the Big Ten-only dual season with a 5-3 record and three top-25 wins (vs. #8 Ohio State, vs. #22 Wisconsin, vs. #16 Purdue).
•Each of the five NCAA qualifiers for the Illini are nationally ranked in the top 25 across multiple ranking websites, with their highest respective rankings as follows: Lucas Byrd (No. 7), Dylan Duncan (No. 16), Danny Braunagel (No. 9), Zac Braunagel (No. 17), and Luke Luffman (No. 15).
• Lucas Byrd is one Illini to watch this week at the NCAA Championships as he is the highest-seeded Illinois wrestler with a #7 seed. He will face Bucknell's Darren Miller (#26) in his first-round match on Thursday.
• Senior Dylan Duncan is a four-time NCAA qualifier after earning an automatic bid in 2021. Duncan is the only 2021 qualifier for the Illini to have previously competed in an NCAA Championship tournament.
• All Illini qualifiers but Lucas Byrd have qualified for the NCAA Championships at least one time previously. Danny Braunagel, Zac Braunagel, and Luke Luffman were all first-time qualifiers in 2020, but did not compete due to the tournament being canceled.
NOTES
2021 NCAA Championships
Five members of the Fighting Illini wrestling team travel to St. Louis, Missouri to compete in the 2021 Division I NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Enterprise Center. Lucas Byrd (133), Dylan Duncan (141), Danny Braunagel (165), Zac Braunagel (184), and Luke Luffman (285) have all qualified for the NCAA Championships as Byrd and Duncan received automatic bids by placing third and seventh in their respective weight classes at the B1G Championships at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. on March 6-7. Danny Braunagel, Zac Braunagel, and Luke Luffman each earned at-large bids following impressive dual seasons and performances at the B1G Championships. Lucas Byrd will be the highest seed for the Illini, coming in at #7 in the 133-pound weight class, followed by Dylan Duncan at #14 at 141-pounds. Danny Braunagel earned a #15 seed, while Zac Braunagel will be a #19 seed. Luke Luffman, wrestling at 285, earned a #16 seed.
Live Streaming
The 2021 NCAA Championships will be streamed on ESPN3 and ESPNU, with the finals being televised on ESPN beginning at 6 pm CT on Saturday, March 20.
2020 NCAA Championships
The 2020 Division I NCAA Wrestling Championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Illini had seven qualifiers in 2020, three of which have also qualified this year in Dylan Duncan, Danny Braunagel, and Zac Braunagel.
Illini in the Rankings
Each of the five NCAA qualifiers for the Illini are nationally ranked in the top 25 across multiple ranking websites, with their highest respective rankings as follows: Lucas Byrd (No. 7), Dylan Duncan (No. 16), Danny Braunagel (No. 9), Zac Braunagel (No. 17), and Luke Luffman (No. 15).
#7 Lucas Byrd
Lucas Byrd will face #26 Darren Miller (Bucknell) in his first round matchup on Thursday, March 18. Byrd has had an extremely impressive redshirt freshman campaign as he sits at 11-2 looking to build upon a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships. Byrd lost in the 133-pound semifinal match as he battled with Iowa's Austin DeSanto, but ultimately ended up losing by decision, 5-4 in an exciting bout. Byrd led the Illini in team dual points scored during the dual season with 29, 11 more than the second-highest (Danny Braunagel, 18).
#14 Dylan Duncan
Dylan Duncan will squre off with #19 Lane Peters (Army) in his first round matchup at 141-pounds. Duncan is a four-time NCAA qualifier after earning an automatic bid in 2021. Duncan is the only 2021 qualifier for the Illini to have previously competed in an NCAA Championship tournament due to the 2020 Championships being canceled. Duncan currently holds a 7-4 overall record in 2021 and had a strong dual season for the Illini, scoring 17 dual points and going 4-2.
#15 Danny Braunagel
Danny Braunagel will face #18 Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) in the first round 165-pound matchup. Braunagel was unbeaten during the 2021 dual season before losing his first two matches at the Big Ten Championships. Braunagel bounced back with a strong showing on day two, notching two wins to move to 8-2 overall on the season, enough to earn an at-large bid for the NCAA Championships. Braunagel qualifies for his second NCAA Championship in 2021.
#19 Zac Braunagel
Zac Braunagel will face #14 Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) in his first round matchup at 184-pounds. Braunagel is 6-6 overall on the season and contributed 16 team dual points during the dual season. He went 2-2 at the Big Ten Championships, picking up two wins on day two and earning an at-large bid, his second time qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
#16 Luke Luffman
Luke Luffman will square off with #17 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) in his first round matchup at 285-pounds. Luffman got off to a great start for the Illini in 2021, going 4-0 before dropping a few matches in the middle of the dual season. Luffman is now a two-time NCAA qualifier and he currently sits at 8-5 overall after a strong sophomore campaign.
