Chambana Sun

The Illinois wrestling team, ranked No. 11, is preparing for two upcoming road matches against Maryland and Rutgers. The team will face No. 29 Maryland on Friday, January 24th at the XFINITY Center Pavilion in College Park, Maryland, and then travel to compete against No. 13 Rutgers on Sunday, January 26th at Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Luke Luffman achieved a significant victory in his recent match by defeating Iowa's Ben Kueter with a score of 3-1. Danny Pucino also secured a win against Ryder Block with a narrow margin of 4-3.

Maryland comes into the match with an overall record of 8-5 and remains undefeated in their Big Ten duals this season. Their last performance was a win over Wisconsin on January 17th. Historically, Illinois has dominated their encounters with Maryland, holding an all-time series lead of eight wins to none since their first meeting in 2007.

Rutgers holds a current record of 10-3 for the season and recently defeated Wisconsin as well. The series between Illinois and Rutgers dates back to 2015, with Illinois leading slightly by three wins to two losses.

Lucas Byrd leads the Illini team with an impressive record of eleven wins out of twelve matches overall and eight victories from nine duals. He has accumulated numerous decision wins which contribute significantly to his team's scores.

Braeden Scoles stands out as another key player for Illinois due to his ability to secure points through falls and other decisive victories. His achievements include seven bonus point victories from various techniques including pins and technical falls.

Luke Luffman maintains one of the best records on the roster alongside Lucas Byrd regarding dual performance while Jason Kraisser follows closely behind in terms of contribution to dual points for the team this season.

Illinois aims to leverage these strengths during their weekend challenges against both Maryland and Rutgers as they continue their campaign within this year's wrestling season.