After dominating Indiana on Sunday, the No. 6 Illinois wrestling team has a tough test ahead of it, as the team travels to Oak Harbor, Ohio, to take on No. 5 Ohio State.
The Illini are now 2-2 in Big Ten duals, having lost to Nebraska and Minnesota earlier in the season. Ranked No. 7 in his weight class, 133-pound senior Daryl Thomas is set to wrestle the Buckeyes’ Logan Stieber, who won an NCAA individual title last season.
Thomas has defeated all three Big Ten opponents he has faced so far this season and is looking to remain unbeaten come Friday.
“I just need to be aware of where he’s good. Obviously, it’s a big match, but I don’t want to change my approach to him as I have to any other matches,” Thomas said. “I’ll be ready to go.”
After compiling a 15-15 record and placing fifth at the Big Ten Championships last season at 141 pounds, Thomas has been seeing success as the full-time starter at 133 this season.
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“It is a better natural fit for my body and 141 is a better fit for B.J’s (Futrell) body, so we kind of decided right after the season last year that it was a good idea to switch and it was better for the team,” he said.
Illinois holds the all-time record over Ohio State 33-29-1 and has won 11 out of its last 14 meets against the Buckeyes. But Ohio State has won the last three, including last year’s matchup 21-12. The Illini this weekend will still be wrestling without their senior leader and No. 2-ranked wrestler at 141-pounds, B.J. Futrell.
Illinois wrestling head coach Jim Heffernan said he was pleased with his team’s performance over the Hoosiers on Sunday. He wants to see the same intensity from his wrestlers this Friday against a national title contender in Ohio State.
“It’s a big meet, they’re ranked a notch or two ahead of us and they’re a solid team for sure,” he said.
The road for the Illini will not get any easier after they face the Buckeyes. Illinois will host No. 1 Penn State on Sunday. Given the fact that the Illini will only have one day off between meets, Heffernan said it will have no effect on the way his team will wrestle.
“It’s pretty typical in terms of the Big Ten season,” he said. “We go Friday-Sunday most weekends so it’s not a big deal. In tournaments, you’re gonna wrestle guys back-to-back in the same day, so it really won’t have any bearing on anything.”
Wrestling at 174 pounds for the Illini, No. 8 Jordan Blanton has a tough weekend ahead of him, as he will face No. 7 Nick Heflin before wrestling No. 4 Matt Brown of Penn State on Sunday.
Blanton is 18-4 so far this season but is only 2-2 in Big Ten duals. He dominated Purdue’s Chad Welch and Indiana’s Cheney Dale but was defeated by No. 3 Robert Kokesh of Nebraska 8-3 and No. 2 Logan Storley of Minnesota 6-5.
“I was looking the other day at the rankings in the top 10 and by the time the Big Ten Tournament comes around, I will have wrestled nine of the 10, which is awesome,” Blanton said. “Every single match, I’m wrestling the best guys, and I love it.”
At this point in the season, Blanton is looking to gain momentum by beating top conference opponents.
“I kind of put it on myself a little bit for our team to really do something special here and get on a roll a little bit before the Big Tens and nationals.” Blanton said.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @yaboybernie11.
