Wrestling | The Daily Illini

Martinez and fellow Illini finish strong at NCAA tournament

March 24, 2018

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Wrestling

Isaiah Martinez finished his collegiate career as runner-up at the NCAA Championships, being defeated in the 165-pound title bout by Penn State’s Vincenzo Joseph. Martinez finishes his career with two national championships, four Big Ten championships and the highest percentage of career wins (.97...

Car accident takes life of Fighting Illini wrestler Francis Edelen

By Eli Schuster, Sports Editor

March 22, 2018

Filed under Men's Sports, Showcase, Sports, Top Stories, Wrestling

Redshirt-sophomore wrestler Francis Edelen was killed in a hit-and-run on Interstate 57 in Champaign County on March 21. Edelen, 21, was from Oak Forest, Illinois. After being behind the wheel for a two-car accident, Edelen got out of his vehicle and was struck by a hit-and-run driver while he was...

Illini of the Week | A rematch one year in the making

By Jared Farmer, Staff Writer

March 8, 2018

Filed under Illini of the Week, Men's Sports, Showcase, Sports, Top Stories, Wrestling

Isaiah Martinez’ matchup against Penn State’s Vincenzo Joseph was a battle 351 days in the making. This was the fourth time these two would meet. Going in, Martinez was 2-1 against Joseph. Their previous matchup was in last year’s NCAA Championships, where the then-freshman Joseph pinned the two-time cham...

Martinez wins fourth Big Ten championship

By Jared Farmer, Staff writer

March 5, 2018

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Top Stories, Wrestling

Isaiah Martinez made history on Sunday. Wrestling Penn State’s Vincenzo Joseph in an NCAA Finals rematch, Martinez pulled through and secured his fourth Big Ten title -- the first time anybody has done that in school history. But he doesn't seem to think that much of the accomplishment. "It do...

Martinez begins preparing for his final postseason

By Jared Farmer, Staff Writer

February 15, 2018

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Wrestling

Throughout the entire season, senior Isaiah Martinez has zeroed in on one objective: getting back to the NCAA Championships and winning the national title. With the regular season officially coming to a close and the postseason under way, the NCAA Championships continue to inch closer. While the imm...

Olympic Training Begins for Zane Richards

By Jared Farmer, Staff Writer

February 5, 2018

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Uncategorized, Wrestling

For most college athletes, graduation means the end of competitive play in their respective sport and the beginning of new adventures. But not for Illini alumnus Zane Richards. Richards remains dedicated to his wrestling career, which most recently saw him spending this past January training in Vlad...

Illinois wrestling dominates Maryland to win tenth-straight at home

By Jared Farmer, Staff writer

January 30, 2018

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Wrestling

Maryland entered Sunday's dual match looking for its first ever win against Illinois. The Terrapins didn't find it. After scoring bonus points in each of its six victories, the Illinois Men’s Wrestling team defeated Maryland 25-18. The Illini now have won 10 straight at home and improve to 5-3 on...

Duncan shines as Illinois wrestling defeats Purdue

By Jared Farmer, Staff writer

January 23, 2018

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Top Stories, Wrestling

With bonus points coming from freshman Dylan Duncan and senior Isaiah Martinez, the No. 14-ranked Illinois wrestling team defeated Purdue 21-12 on Sunday afternoon at Holloway Gym. This victory improves the Illini's record to 4-3 (3-2 in the Big Ten conference). Illinois started the dual well, wi...

Nepomnyaschiy provides insight on life, wrestling in Russia

By Jared Farmer, Staff writer

December 14, 2017

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Wrestling

About 300 miles south of Moscow, Russia, and 200 miles to the east of Ukraine is the city Voronezh. It’s a large city, sporting about 1 million residents, and is the westernmost city in the entire country. It contains a large number of museums, libraries, theaters and many other amenities that accom...

Illinois wrestling drops heartbreaker at Iowa

By Rishab Sikri, Contributing writer

December 4, 2017

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Wrestling

It all came down to a pin in the final match. In a matchup that featured multiple ranked wrestlers on each side, No. 15 Illinois narrowly dropped a heartbreaker against No. 7 Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Illinois was determined to make a statement by pulling off the upset against a top Big Ten oppon...

Illini Wrestling prepares for dual meet against Iowa on Friday

By Jared Farmer, Staff writer

November 30, 2017

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Wrestling

When the No. 15-ranked Illinois wrestling team travels to Iowa City on Friday, it will be looking to knock off No. 7 Iowa and hand the Hawkeyes their first loss of the season. These two teams have not competed against one another since January 2016 of the 2015-2016 season, in which the then-No. 14 Illini...

Illinois wrestling prepares for big weekend in California

By Rishab Sikri, Contributing writer

November 17, 2017

Filed under Men's Sports, Sports, Wrestling

After a disappointing loss against Missouri in the season opener, the Illinois wrestling team is looking to turn things around as it travels to California for a weekend of competition. On Friday, No. 16 Illinois will be at Fresno State for a dual meet against the Bulldogs. After a one-day break, the...