Chambana Sun

The Illinois wrestling team, ranked No. 10, secured a decisive victory over Northwestern with a score of 33-7 at Huff Hall on Sunday. The Illini won eight out of ten bouts, achieving two wins by technical fall, two major decisions, three decisions, and one win due to an injury default.

Head coach Mike Poeta expressed satisfaction with the team's performance following their previous match. "We rebounded well from Friday night," he said. "I think the guys are happy with their performance, never satisfied, but everyone is happy right now."

Lucas Byrd, ranked No. 2 at 133 pounds, contributed significantly by defeating Massey Odiotti of Northwestern with a major decision of 22-8. This result tied the dual at four after Northwestern initially took the lead with a major decision at 125 pounds.

Danny Pucino's match against Chris Cannon ended in an injury default for Cannon at the 3:24 mark, giving Illinois a lead they maintained throughout the event.

Jason Kraisser and Braeden Scoles also added to Illinois' score with decision wins in their respective weight classes. Danny Braunagel and Edmond Ruth extended the lead further with a major decision and a technical fall respectively.

Zac Braunagel controlled his bout against Evan Bates to secure an 8-4 decision win. Luke Luffman closed out the competition with a dominant technical fall over Dirk Morley.

This marks Illinois' fifth occasion this season scoring over 30 points in dual meets. The attendance for this match was recorded at 358 spectators.

The Fighting Illini will next face No. 2 Iowa in Iowa City on Friday.