Two Illinois wrestlers will grapple for the last time at Huff Hall on Sunday afternoon when the seventh-ranked Illini host the No. 17 Ohio State Buckeyes.

Seniors Cassio Pero (141) and Matt Winterhalter (174), the lone seniors in the starting lineup, will try to help the Illini win their last dual match of the conference season before the Big Ten Championships in March.

Pero is a two-time national qualifier and was a 2005 All-American. He is currently ranked 12th in the nation in his weight class and is 17-5 on the season. Last week against Purdue, Pero recorded his fourth pin of the year in Illinois’ 29-7 win.

“Cassio has been a great kid,” head coach Mark Johnson said. “He became a good leader this year, and that was really important to us. He has done a good job leading, working hard and being a good example for everyone.”

Winterhalter has split time in the 174-pound weight class with redshirt freshman Nick Guida. Winterhalter is just 6-7 on the season, but two of his six victories are pins.

For the second straight dual, Johnson said the Illini will likely be without top-ranked Mike Poeta (157) and Troy Tirapelle (149), who will use the time off to nurse injuries.

“We are not going to go in it 100 percent,” Johnson said. “We have to give it our all. We have to ask them to go to the well one more time.”

The Buckeyes are 4-2 in the conference and have five wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of the individual weight classes.

Illinois’ Patrick Bond became the third Illini grappler to win Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors after upsetting Purdue’s 13th-ranked Nathan Moore and the Badgers’ 12th-ranked Dallas Herbst.

“We knew how talented Patrick Bond was when we recruited him,” Johnson said. “He’s healthy now, and he’s showing everyone what he can do.”

The wins improved Bond’s record to 5-2 and moved him up eight spots in the national polls to the 12th spot.

“I’m completely honored and surprised,” Bond said. “It’s nice to see that all the hard work in the wrestling room and on the mat is finally paying off. I can’t let up, though, because I have to keep the same intensity as we head to Big Tens and nationals.”