"Our guys did some good things," Illinois assistant coach Carl Perry said. "It was good to have a chance to work on some different areas to get ready for Big Tens."
No. 13 Gabe Flores (125) started Illinois on the right foot against CSU with a 10-1 major decision, and No. 9 Jimmy Kennedy (133) pinned Josh Palivoda in 1:57 for an early 10-0 Illini lead. Consecutive decisions by No. 19 Ryan Prater (141) and Grant Paswall (149) were follwed by No. 1 Mike Poeta's technical fall at 157, pushing Illinois' lead to 21-0. Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165), No. 17 John Dergo (174) and Dave Gleissner (184), No. 13 Patrick Bond (197) and No. 19 John Wise (HWT) all recorded decisions to finish off the 37-0 win.
Against Liberty, Flores started with a pin in just 33 seconds, followed by back-to-back decisions by Kennedy and Prater. Paswall then pinned Sam Walters in 43 seconds, putting the Illini ahead 18-0. Poeta and Smith-Bergsrud each recorded decisions, followed by a 13-2 major decision for Dergo. Gleissner earned a decision, Bond got a pin in 4:41 and Wise notched a 15-3 major decision to ice the 41-0 victory.
In the final match of the day, against the host Ashland Eagles, Flores notched a 20-2 technical fall and Kennedy recorded his second pin of the day, this time in 1:20. Prater and Paswall each earned decisions and Poeta recorded his second pin of the year. Smith-Bergsrud followed with a pin and Dergo got a 14-5 major decision to put Illinois up 33-0. Ben Friedl (184) notched a 9-3 decision, Bond got a win by injury default and Wise earned a 13-5 major decision to ice a 46-0 Illini victory.
"Kennedy had two falls," Perry said. "He's really starting to get in a groove. He's right on track. And Mike Poeta had a great week of practice and continues to put himself among the best in the country."
Illinois will take a week off from competition before beginning the Big Ten dual season Friday, Feb. 1, at Michigan. The match will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, starting at 5 p.m. (CT).
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