Jeremy Hunter Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Jeremy Hunter Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
The Illinois wrestling team, ranked 25th nationally, is set to commence its Big Ten dual season against the sixth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes. The match will take place on Friday, January 12, at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Edmond Ruth, a redshirt junior from Illinois, recently defended his Midlands Championships title at 174 pounds and is currently on a six-match winning streak. He leads the team with 19 dual points and has achieved six major decisions this season.
Luke Luffman, another redshirt junior from Illinois, secured second place at the Midlands Championships and follows Ruth with 15 dual points. Luffman is noted as the only starter this season to have recorded a pin.
Freshman Kannon Webster placed third in his first Midlands Championships appearance and ranks third on the team in dual points alongside junior Joe Roberts.
Ohio State enters the match with an 8-1 record and a four-match winning streak. Historically, Illinois holds a slight advantage over Ohio State with a series record of 37-36-1 dating back to their first meeting in 1934. Both teams have faced Pitt this season, suffering defeats; Pitt beat Ohio State 21-13 on December 10 and Illinois 22-9 on December 3. In their last encounter on January 17, 2021, Illinois emerged victorious with an 18-15 win.
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