The Illinois wrestling team, ranked 11th nationally, was defeated by No. 5 Nebraska with a score of 28-11 on Friday night at Huff Hall in Champaign. This loss drops Illinois to an overall record of 11-5 and 4-3 in the Big Ten Conference, while Nebraska improves to 11-6 overall and also holds a 4-3 conference record.
Illinois started strong in the lower weight classes. At 125 pounds, Spencer Moore, ranked No. 16, pinned Kael Lauridsen at the 3:57 mark, keeping his Big Ten dual record perfect at 6-0. Lucas Byrd, who is ranked No. 1 at 133 pounds, followed up with a technical fall over Alan Koehler (17-2 in 5:59), marking his third tech fall this season and extending his winning streak to 28 matches. Byrd now stands at 16-0 for the season and is undefeated in seven conference duals.
However, after these initial victories for Illinois, Nebraska won the remaining seven bouts of the evening. Brock Hardy secured a technical fall against Will Baysingar at 141 pounds. Chance Lamer won by decision over Michael Gioffre at 149 pounds, and Antrell Taylor edged out Kannon Webster in the next match.
Further wins by Nebraska’s LJ Araujo (165), Christopher Minto (174), Silas Allred (184), Camden McDanel (197), and AJ Ferrari (285) ensured their team’s victory as they swept through the upper weights.
The match drew an attendance of 562 fans on Senior Night during Illinois’ final home dual meet of the season.
Illinois will conclude its regular season on Sunday when it faces Northwestern on the road at 1 p.m., with coverage available on Big Ten Network.