Illinois wrestling finishes nonconference schedule with Matmen Open in Hoffman Estates
Photo courtesy from Illini Wrestling Instagram
Wrestler Lucas Bryd prepares to wrestle opponent from Oklahoma University during a match. The Illini will be competing in the Matmen Open on Wednesday.
December 29, 2021
Following the cancellation of the Midlands Championships, Illinois will now travel to Hoffman Estates for the Matmen Open, which will be its last competition before conference meets begin.
With over 20 different teams competing at the Matmen Open on Wednesday, the Illini will look to carry on the way they performed before this three-week break, coming off the back of a hard-fought 19-12 win over Chattanooga and a 35-6 blowout win over SIUE.
With the squad putting up an undefeated record and multiple high placings at tournaments, head coach Mike Poeta is still looking for more out of his team ahead of the Matmen Open and quickly approaching conference play.
“I want my guys going out there willing to give every single thing they have, win or lose,” Poeta said. “I want their effort to be as high as possible, and I want to pick up a lot of wins this week.”
Looking to continue a dominant start to the season is redshirt freshman Lucas Byrd. The All-American is 6-1 on the season and already has a third-place finish at the Michigan State Open under his belt.
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Redshirt sophomore Danny Braunagel is also looking to improve on his 5-2 record this week. Braunagel’s 2-0 record at the Illini’s last dual meet was a lot bigger than just two victories, as he inspired the team’s comeback against the Mocs.
“For our dual against UTC, I have got to give all of the credit to Danny Braunagel,” Poeta said. “He was battling some injuries, he took one for the team, he knew we needed him and he won a match after we had lost four in a row. We absolutely needed that. He changed the momentum, and everybody after him fed off of that.”
Sophomore Luke Luffman has had a similar start to the season as Braunagel and Byrd. Luffman is 6-1 so far, also winning both his matches at the last dual meet and boasting a third-place finish at the Michigan State Open.
A hot start to the season for this trio gives the Illini a lot of hope that this momentum can continue into the Matmen Open this week and conference play, which starts on Jan. 14.
The action in Hoffman Estates will begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning for the first session of the bracket, where the Illini will be competing to get more wins on the board and more high placings.
