Illinois Defeats No. 17 Wrestling Team by Criteria
No. 12 Illinois wrestling claimed a narrow victory against No. 17 Rutgers on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at Huff Hall. The Fighting Illini won the match 17-16, despite both teams splitting the matches evenly at five apiece.
Match Overview
The match concluded in a tie at 16-16. However, Illinois secured the win based on Criteria C, accumulating a total of 46 match points compared to Rutgers’ 42.
Key Matches and Performances
- Ryan Ford (174 lbs) achieved a ranked major decision over No. 25 Colin Kelly, scoring 15-5.
- Remy Cotton (197 lbs) and Hunter Catka (HWT) both delivered crucial victories, as did Tahir Parkins (141 lbs) with a sudden victory win against Kole Brower (4-1).
- Andrew Clark (149 lbs) secured a thrilling 3-2 win in tiebreakers against Michael Gioffre, tying the match at 6-6.
Despite the strong showing, No. 27 Ayden Smith (125 lbs) and No. 27 Dylan Shawver (133 lbs) fell to their highly ranked opponents. Shawver faced reigning national champion No. 1 Lucas Byrd and suffered a close 3-1 loss.
Match Breakdown
| Weight Class | Winner | Loser | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 lbs | Spencer Moore (ILL) | Ayden Smith (RU) | W by Dec, 5-1 |
| 133 lbs | Lucas Byrd (ILL) | Dylan Shawver (RU) | W by Dec, 3-1 |
| 141 lbs | Tahir Parkins (RU) | Kole Brower (ILL) | W by SV1, 4-1 |
| 149 lbs | Andrew Clark (RU) | Michael Gioffre (ILL) | W by TB2, 3-2 |
| 157 lbs | Kannon Webster (ILL) | Anthony White (RU) | W by MD, 13-4 |
| 165 lbs | Braeden Scoles (ILL) | Andrew Barbosa (RU) | W by Dec, 8-2 |
| 174 lbs | Ryan Ford (RU) | Colin Kelly (ILL) | W by MD, 15-5 |
| 184 lbs | Chris Moore (ILL) | Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU) | W by Dec, 2-1 |
| 197 lbs | Remy Cotton (RU) | Dylan Connell (ILL) | W by Dec, 6-5 |
| 285 lbs | Hunter Catka (RU) | Ryan Boersma (ILL) | W by SV1, 5-2 |
Upcoming Matches
Rutgers will look to bounce back as they host Maryland on Friday, January 30, 2024. The match will kick off at 7 p.m. at Jersey Mike’s Arena and will be available for streaming on Big Ten Plus.
