Senior B.J. Futrell captured his first career 141 title at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open on Saturday in Ames, Iowa, while nine other Illini wrestlers finished in the top five.
“It was a pretty good effort,” head coach Jim Heffernan said in a press release. “Most importantly we got a lot of matches in. We still need to become more disciplined in some areas, but we will continue to get better and keep working.”
Futrell finished 5-0 on the day, moving past Grand View’s Gustavo Martinez in his first bout by a 17-5 major decision. To get to the final, he later defeated Iowa Western Community College’s Tyler Nation with a pin in 2:29, St. Cloud State’s Matt Nelson on a 10-2 decision and Northern Iowa’s Gunnar Wolfensperger with a 6-1 decision. Futrell then faced Nebraska-Kearne’s Brock Coutu in the final to capture the 141 title on a fall in 29 seconds.
“It’s a step in the right direction,” Futrell said. “It was a good win but I know that I still have a lot of things to improve on.”
To go along with Futrell, 11 other Illini wrestlers placed at the tournament. Jeff Koepke (184 pounds) and Pat Walker (HWT) both placed second in their respective weight classes. Daryl Thomas (133), Jordan Blanton (174), Tony Dallago (184) and John Fahy (149) all finished third in their weight classes, while Logan Arlis (133) placed fourth. Steven Rodrigues (141) and Adam Acheson (165) also contributed to the Illini’s success with fifth-place finishes. Overall, the Illini were pleased with their early season performance, but are using many of these open tournaments as stepping stones to their ultimate goal of winning a national championship.
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“It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but we still have a lot to work on,” Futrell said. “But this sport is all about the month of March, anything less than a national championship would be a disappointment.”
The Illini will take another step toward March next weekend as they will compete in St. Charles, Mo., at the Lindenwood Open.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @callitcomisky.
