Chambana Sun

The Illinois wrestling team, ranked No. 13, secured a decisive victory against No. 27 Purdue on Saturday with a final score of 35-8. The Illini dominated the match, winning eight out of ten bouts through various methods including a pin, three technical falls, two major decisions, and two decisions.

Head coach Mike Poeta expressed satisfaction with his team's performance: "There's a lot to take away from this dual, our guys wrestled hard," he stated. He highlighted the team's execution and offensive strategies as key factors in their success. "I was proud of the way they wrestled," Poeta added. "They're listening to a lot of the things that we've been talking about and they're being coachable."

Lucas Byrd, ranked fourth at 133 pounds, achieved his first technical fall of the season against Jacob Macatangay from Purdue with a score of 25-8. This tied the dual at five points each after Purdue initially took an early lead.

Danny Pucino followed suit at 141 pounds by earning his first technical fall over Christian White from Purdue with a score of 20-4. Kannon Webster continued the momentum for Illinois at 149 pounds with another technical fall against Isaac Ruble.

Braeden Scoles provided one of the highlights by pinning Stoney Buell in just over three minutes during the 165-pound bout, increasing Illinois' lead to 21-8.

Additional victories included Danny Braunagel's decision win at 174 pounds over Brody Baumann and Edmond Ruth's overtime win at 184 pounds against Orlando Cruz.

Zac Braunagel extended Illinois' lead further at 197 pounds with a major decision victory over Ben Vanadia while Luke Luffman concluded the dual with another major decision win in the heavyweight category.

Looking ahead, Illinois will face top-ranked Penn State on February 16 following their week off.