Chambana Sun

The Illinois wrestling team concluded its participation in the Cougar Clash on Saturday, December 7, at First Community Arena on the SIUE campus.

Redshirt senior Jake Harrier achieved a fifth-place finish in the 149-pound category, securing three victories. Harrier's day began with a narrow 6-5 win over Rudy Lopez from Northern Colorado. He advanced to the semifinal after defeating Eric Almarinez of SIUE with a 13-4 major decision. In the consolation bracket, Harrier again faced Almarinez and won by pinning him in 4:35 during the fifth-place match.

In the 184-pound category, redshirt junior Dylan Connell placed sixth with three wins. Connell started strong with a 5-1 decision against Bellarmine's Jack Ring but moved to the consolation bracket afterward. There, he secured an 8-6 victory over Little Rock's Jake Stacy and pinned Bellarmine's Sam Schroeder in just under two minutes for his third win.

Freshman Ryan Bennett debuted for the Fighting Illini at 157 pounds, finishing sixth in his weight class. Bennett's first collegiate victory came against Braxton Strick of SIUE with an 8-2 decision. He continued to perform well in the consolation bracket, winning against Bellarmine's Gray Ortis and achieving his first career pin against Bronson Baxter from Little Rock.

Other notable performances included Joey Ruzic at 125 pounds who was eliminated after one win; Brian Beers at 133 pounds who also exited early; Jackson Herman at 141 pounds who faced tough competition; Charlie Fifield and Caden Ernd who finished their runs at eighth place; and Marko Ivanisevic at heavyweight who was eliminated after two matches.

The Illinois wrestling team will take a break before returning to compete against No. 6 Ohio State for their Big Ten home opener on January 10.