The Illinois wrestling team secured a decisive 44-3 victory over Northwestern in their final dual meet of the season on Saturday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. The 44 points scored by Illinois mark the second-highest total for the program in a Big Ten dual, surpassed only by the record 74 points against Wisconsin in 1935. The last time Illinois reached 44 points in any dual was during a shutout win over George Mason in 2013.
Northwestern did not weigh in competitors at the 125- and 165-pound classes, resulting in forfeits and awarding Illinois an early advantage with 12 points. The opening match at 133 pounds saw top-ranked Lucas Byrd defeat Luis Bazan by technical fall, extending Byrd’s season record to 17-0 and his winning streak to 29 matches.
Northwestern earned its only points of the meet with a decision victory at 141 pounds. Illinois responded as Michael Gioffre won his bout at 149 pounds, and Kannon Webster pinned his opponent at 157 pounds, bringing Illinois ahead by a wide margin.
Colin Kelly added another fall for Illinois at 174 pounds, while Chris Moore achieved a technical fall at 184 pounds to further increase the lead. Cade Lautt delivered an 11-1 major decision at 197 pounds, pushing Illinois past the forty-point mark for the first time this season. Heavyweight Luke Luffman closed out the event with a shutout decision.
Illinois now prepares for its next competition at the Big Ten Championships, scheduled for March 7-8 and hosted by Penn State in University Park, Pennsylvania.
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