The No. 11 ranked Illinois wrestling team will conclude its regular season with two final dual meets this weekend. The team is scheduled to face No. 5 Nebraska at Huff Hall in Champaign on Friday, February 13 at 7 p.m., followed by a match against Northwestern at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston on Sunday, February 15 at 1 p.m.
Illinois recently secured its third consecutive Big Ten dual victory after defeating Purdue 28-6 on February 8. Eight out of ten Illinois wrestlers won their matches during that event. Wrestlers Spencer Moore, Braeden Scoles, and Lucas Byrd remain undefeated in conference duals, with Byrd maintaining an overall perfect record of 15-0 for the season.
Kannon Webster continues to lead the team in technical falls, achieving his seventh of the season against Isaac Ruble with a score of 19-3 in under four minutes. Colin Kelly also recorded a technical fall win at the 174-pound weight class by defeating Aidan Costello 17-2.
Nebraska enters Friday’s meet with a season record of 10 wins and six losses, including three victories and three defeats within Big Ten duals. Both Illinois and Nebraska have faced common opponents such as Lehigh, Missouri, Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan, and Iowa this season. Each team has defeated Lehigh, Missouri, and Purdue; however, Nebraska has also beaten Michigan and Minnesota while both teams lost to Iowa.
Historically, Nebraska leads the all-time series against Illinois with eleven wins to four since their first meeting in 1939. Illinois last defeated Nebraska on January 5, 2018.
Northwestern currently holds a record of three wins and seven losses overall and one win in seven Big Ten duals this season. Against shared opponents—Rutgers, Michigan, and Michigan State—Northwestern was defeated by all three while Illinois achieved victories over Rutgers and Michigan State.
In their head-to-head history dating back to their first contest in January 1922, Illinois leads Northwestern with fifty-one wins to thirty-five. The Illini have claimed victory in the last two meetings between the teams.
Both upcoming matches will be available for viewing online or via BTN platforms.