University of Illinois
Big Ten Championships
No. 11 Illini Travel to Penn State for 2021 Big Ten Championships
March 5, 2021 | Wrestling
Preview
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 11 Illinois opens up postseason competition in University Park, Pa. at the Bryce Jordan Center for the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7. Session one of the 107th Big Ten Wrestling Championships will begin at 9 a.m. CT on Saturday with coverage on the Big Ten Network and streaming available on BTN+.
Big Ten Championships Schedule (All Times CT)
Sat., March 6 Session I- 9 a.m. | BTN / BTN+
Sat., March 6 Session II- 6:30 p.m. | BTN / BTN+
Sun., March 7 Session III- 11 a.m. | BTN / BTN+
Sun., March 7 Session IV (Finals, third, fifth place)- 3 p.m. | BTN / BTN+
| Big Ten Championships | |
|---|---|
| When | Saturday-Sunday, March 6-7 |
| Where | Bryce Jordan Center // University Park, Pa. |
| Watch | Big Ten Network & BTN+ |
| Team and Championships Information | Illini Notes | Illini Season Stats | 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships |
| Social Media | @IlliniWrestling  | #Illini | @Illinwrestling  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
| #11 Illinois Probables | ||
| Wt. Class | Wrestler | Record |
| 125 |
#15 (10) Justin Cardani |
2-6 |
| 133 | #9 (4) Lucas Byrd | 7-1 |
| 141 | #12 (5) Dylan Duncan | 4-2 |
| 149 | (13) Christian Kanzler | 2-3 |
| 157 |
(12) Johnny Mologousis |
1-6 |
| 165 | #5 (2) Danny Braunagel | 6-0 |
| 174 | (11) DJ Shannon | 2-4 |
| 184 | #16 (8) Zac Braunagel | 4-4 |
| 197 |
#23 (8) Matt Wroblewski |
5-3 |
| 285 |
#10 (4) Luke Luffman |
6-2 |
QUICK HITS
• No. 11 Illinois travels to University Park, Pa. for the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships taking place March 6-7.
• Illinois finished 11th/14 at last year's Big Ten Championhsips in Piscataway, N.J. Danny Braunagel finished with a record of 3-3 and a sixth-place finish at 165-pounds. Dylan Duncan won his seventh-place bout at 141-pounds, defeating Purdue's Parker Filius in a 3-1 decision.
• The Illini remain ranked No. 11 in the latest NWCA DI Coaches Poll.
• The Illini finished the Big Ten-only regular season with a 5-3 record and three top-25 wins.
• Seven Illini wrestlers are nationally ranked in the top 25 across multiple ranking websites. Their highest respective rankings are as follows: Justin Cardani (No. 15), Lucas Byrd (No. 9), Dylan Duncan (No. 12), Danny Braunagel (No. 5), Zac Braunagel (No. 16), Matt Wroblewski (No. 23), Luke Luffman (No. 10).
• Danny Braunagel went 5-0 in Big Ten dual matches and 6-0 overall during the regular season. He is the only undefeated Illini wrestler.
• Illinois is ranked on all major ranking websites, with their highest ranking being No. 11 on NWCA Coaches Poll.
NOTES
#11 Illini at B1G Championships
The Fighting Illini travel to State College, Pa. for the 2021 Big Ten Championships on March 6-7 at the Bryce Jordan Center. All Illini starters from the regular season are expected to compete other than Mike Carr at 149-pounds, who will be replaced by Christian Kanzler. Carr is currently working through an injury and will be sidelined until further notice. The Illini finished in 11th place at last years Big Ten Championships
Live Streaming
This weekend's Big Ten Championships will be streamed on BTN and BTN+, or follow along for Illinois updates on twiter @IlliniWrestling.
2020 B1G Championships
Illinois finished 11th/14 at last year's Big Ten Championhsips in Piscataway, N.J. Danny Braunagel finished with a record of 3-3 and a sixth-place finish at 165-pounds. Dylan Duncan won his seventh-place bout at 141-pounds, defeating Purdue's Parker Filius in a 3-1 decision. In his first Big Ten Championships, Luke Luffman finished eighth at 285-pounds. Justin Cardani and Matt Wroblewski also competed at last year's Big Ten Championships, going 1-3 and 1-2, respectively.
Illini in the Rankings
Seven Illini wrestlers are nationally ranked in the top 25 across multiple ranking websites. Their highest respective rankings are as follows: Justin Cardani (No. 15), Lucas Byrd (No. 9), Dylan Duncan (No. 12), Danny Braunagel (No. 5), Zac Braunagel (No. 16), Matt Wroblewski (No. 23), Luke Luffman (No. 10).
Staying Unbeaten
Illini redshirt sophomore Danny Braungel has yet to lose a match this season, starting off 6-0 overall and 5-0 in Big Ten duals. Braunagel got off to a strong start before missing two meets due to an injury. The Illinois native won his sixth-consecutvie match over Nebraska's Peyton Robb, winning in a 9-6 decision. Braunagel enters the 2021 B1G Championships as the #2 seed in the 165-pound weight class.
Illini to Watch
Illini sophomore Lucas Byrd continues his impressive 2021 campaign after picking up another match win over Nebraska's Tucker Sjomeling in a 10-8 decision in the Illini's last dual meet of the season. Byrd is now 7-1 on the season with a team-high 29 dual points scored, 11 more than the next highest (Danny Braunagel, 18). Byrd will wrestle at 133-pounds this weekend, and is listed as the #4 seed heading in to the weekend.
Senior Dylan Duncan is another Illini to watch and will compete at 141-pounds this weekend as the #5 seed. Duncan is having a great senior season, racking up four wins including a pin in his first match of the season at Indiana. Duncan will look to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the fourth time this weekend.
Matt Wroblewski is having an excellent season, racking up five wins at 197-pounds and looking impressive in all of his matches up to this point. Wroblewski enters the weekend as the #8 seed in the 197-pound weight class.
Luke Luffman is another Illini to keep an eye on this year. Entering the weekend as the #4 seed, Luffman will compete in a very competitive HWT class which is headlined by two undefeated wrestlers in Minnesota's Gable Steveson and Michigan's Mason Parris. Luffman is 6-2 this season with 19 team dual points scored for the Illini.
Up Next
The Illini will have a week off before heading to St. Louis, Mo. for the 2021 NCAA Championships. The Big Ten Championships serve as a qualifier to the NCAA Championships, so those competing in St. Louis will depend on results from this weekend. The NCAA Championships will take place from March 18-20.
