“The thing that really helped us is that Marty Smith did a great job of fighting and giving himself a chance to win at heavyweight, and John Deneen had a huge win at 125,” Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan said. “Conrad and Barczak both had great wins and it was the first Big Ten win for both of them, and that’s a big deal. I think 157 and 165 were probably toss-ups going in and our guys did a great job of finding ways to win. It was good to get one in the win column in the Big Ten.”
Dergo got a takedown in the first minute against Curran Jacobs and Jacobs escaped 25 seconds later, but Dergo quickly got another takedown and added two near-fall points with 1:04 left before riding out Jacobs. Dergo started down in the second and escaped quickly before tacking on three more takedowns to finish the period up 13-3. Jacobs started down in the third and escaped, but Dergo took him down 30 seconds later and added three more back points before tacking on the riding-time point for the 19-4 technical fall and a 5-0 Illini lead.
No. 10 Patrick Bond got a takedown with 59 seconds left against Tyler Dickenson at 197 and Dickenson quickly escaped. But Bond tacked on another takedown with 32 seconds left in the first and took a 4-2 lead into the second period after Dickenson managed a late escape. Dickenson started down in the second and escaped after Bond rode him for over a minute, then the Illini senior notched another takedown with 23 seconds. But Dickenson narrowed the gap to 6-4 as he escaped just before time ran out in the period. Bond started down in the third and got out quickly before adding another takedown with 52 seconds left in the match, all but icing the victory. Dickenson escaped but couldn’t manage any late offense as Bond tacked on the riding-time point for the 10-5 win.
Smith battled Alan O’Donnell to a scoreless first period before O’Donnell started down in the second and escaped quickly, the only scoring in the stanza. Smith started down in the third and also got out quickly, but O’Donnell recorded a takedown with 1:33 left in the match to go up 3-1. Smith escaped quickly but couldn’t land any shots late as the Spartan took the 3-2 win.
Deneen fell behind early at 125 against Eric Olanowski, giving up a takedown at 2:34 and getting ridden by the Spartan for over a minute before escaping. Deneen started down in the second and Olanowski was cautioned for the third time, giving up a point and tying the bout 2-2. Deneen worked into a reversal with 1:24 left and got a three-point near-fall with 20 seconds left. Olanowski scored a reversal before time ran out, though, to cut Deneen’s lead to 7-4 after a six-point period by the Illini junior. Olanowski started down in the third and Deneen rode him for much of the period before tacking on three more back points and the riding-time point for an 11-4 win, pushing Illinois’ lead to 11-3.
At 133, Michigan State’s top-ranked Franklin Gomez scored a takedown against Daryl Thomas with 1:52 left in the first period and rode Thomas before finally turning the Illini redshirt-freshman and getting the pin with six seconds left in the first period, cutting the Illini’s margin to 11-9.
But Prater responded with a key 6-4 win at 141. Prater got a takedown with 1:39 left in the first against Dan Osterman and rode out the Spartan for a 2-0 lead after three minutes. The Illini junior started down in the second and escaped after 15 seconds for the period’s only scoring and a 3-0 lead. The pair started neutral in the third and Osterman got a takedown with 1:34 left but Prater escaped with just under a minute remaining to make his lead 4-2. Osterman kept fighting, thought, tying the match 4-4 with a takedown at the 34-second mark. But Prater got into one of his signature scrambles and rolled through for the reversal with two seconds left in the match for the 6-4 win and a 14-9 lead in the team score.
At 149, No. 20 Eric Terrazas took on No. 13 David Cheza. After a scoreless first period, Cheza started down in the second and finally kicked away form Terrazas after 29 seconds. Neither wrestler could land any shots in the period and Terrazas started down in the third. But despite a few close calls, the Illini sophomore wasn’t able to break free as Cheza rode him out for the 2-0 win, cutting Illinois’ lead to 14-12.
Polz faced Anthony Jones Jr. at 157 and the two combined for a few flurries of action in the first period but neither wrestler landed a shot and they went scoreless to the second period. Polz started down in the second and got out in eight seconds, but Jones Jr. fought back with quick shot at the edge of the mat and landed a double-leg to go up 2-1. Polz escaped after a restart to tie the match then got in on a single and fought through Jones Jr.’s attempt to fend it off, going up 4-2 with 20 seconds left in the period. He rode out the Spartan and Jones Jr. started down in the third, getting out in nine seconds to cut Polz’ lead to 4-3. Polz shot into a single-leg into a high crotch before tossing Jones Jr. over his shoulder for the takedown. Jones Jr. escaped but Polz fought off a shot on the edge of the mat and circled around him for the final takedown before riding him out. Polz came up with the clutch 8-4 win and moved Illinois’ lead to 17-12.
At 165, Barczak locked up with Kyle Bounds and the two traded shots before finishing the period scoreless. Barczak started down in the second and escaped in 21 seconds for a 1-0 lead. Bounds took a shot on the edge but Barczak spun out of bounds to fend it off. Barczak got a similar high crotch on the edge but Bounds sprawled out of bounds to keep away the Illini junior. Bounds started down in the third and escaped quickly but Barczak got a quick single-leg and finished it for the takedown and a 3-1 lead with 1:30 left. Bounds escaped with 1:10 left to cut Barczak’s lead to 3-2 and started shooting, but Barczak locked up a front headlock each time and held off the Spartan for the 3-2 win, pushing Illinois’ advantage to 20-12 and sealing up the victory.
In the day’s final match at 174, No. 14 Jordan Blanton squared off with Ian Hinton and Hinton shot right off the whistle, but Blanton sat the corner and finished the takedown for a 2-0 lead. Blanton cut him loose with 1:44 left in the period and Hinton got the single-leg at the edge, but Blanton fended him off and got a neutral restart. Blanton got a good shot toward the MSU bench and circled around for the takedown in the final seconds, taking the 4-1 lead after three minutes. Blanton started down in the second and got out quickly before Hinton took another sloppy shot and Blanton stopped him and spun around for the takedown to go up 7-1. After being unable to turn Hinton right away, Blanton cut him loose. Blanton had a front headlock on the edge and went for a pass-by but Hinton slipped behind him for the takedown, cutting Blanton’s lead to 7-4 as the second period ended. Hinton started down in the third and Hinton escaped as Blanton tried to turn him. Blanton took a shot and appeared to sit the corner and was awarded the takedown, but the referees conferred and waved off the takedown. Hinton got in deep on a single to a high crotch but Blanton flattened out and circled around, looking for the decisive takedown and getting it with 14 seconds left. Hinton got a late reversal but Blanton added the riding time for a 10-7 win and a 23-12 team victory.
The Illini continue Big Ten action next weekend when they travel to No. 11 Indiana Friday at 6 p.m. CT and head to Northwestern Sunday at 2 p.m. Sunday’s dual will be televised by the Big Ten Network on a same-day delay, with it airing Sunday at 6 p.m. CT.
Results:
184: No. 2 John Dergo (ILL) tech. fall Curran Jacobs (MSU), 19-4 (5-0)
197: No. 10 Patrick Bond (ILL) dec. Tyler Dickenson (MSU), 10-5 (8-0)
HWT: Alan O’Donnell (MSU) dec. Marty Smith (ILL), 3-2 (8-3)
125: John Deneen (ILL) dec. Eric Olanowski (MSU), 11-4 (11-3)
133: No. 1 Franklin Gomez (MSU) pinned Daryl Thomas (ILL), 2:54 (11-9)
141: No. 11 Ryan Prater (ILL) dec. Dan Osterman (MSU), 6-4 (14-9)
149: No. 13 David Cheza (MSU) dec. No. 20 Eric Terrazas (ILL), 2-0 (14-12)
157: Conrad Polz (ILL) dec. Anthony Jones Jr. (MSU), 8-4 (17-12)
165: Joe Barczak (ILL) dec. Kyle Bounds (MSU), 3-2 (20-12)
174: No. 14 Jordan Blanton (ILL) dec. Ian Hinton (MSU), 10-7 (23-12)
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