Live results: Iowa men’s wrestling opens Big Ten schedule against Illinois

The No. 2 Hawkeyes battle the unranked Fighting Illini at 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Iowa+head+coach+Tom+Brands+yells+during+a+wrestling+meet+between+Iowa+and+Cal+Baptist+at+Carver-Hawkeye+Arena+on+Sunday%2C+Nov.+13%2C+2022.+The+Hawkeyes+defeated+the+Lancers%2C+42-3.+

Jerod Ringwald

Iowa head coach Tom Brands yells during a wrestling meet between Iowa and Cal Baptist at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022. The Hawkeyes defeated the Lancers, 42-3.

Kenna Roering, Sports Reporter


The No. 2 Iowa men’s wrestling team opens its Big Ten slate against unranked Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The dual will be streamed on BTN+ with former Iowa wrestlers Alex Marinelli and Kaleb Young on the call.

The Hawkeyes are 7-0 on the season while the Fighting Illini are 2-2. Iowa has won the last 11 meetings between the two squads.

The Hawkeyes’ 16th-ranked 174-pounder Nelson Brands is projected to face 10th-ranked Edmond Ruth in one of the five possible ranked matchups of the meet. Ruth has won 18 consecutive bouts for the Fighting Illini.

Iowa’s third-ranked 285-pounder Tony Cassioppi is riding a five-match pin streak into Friday’s dual. Cassioppi has a career-high nine falls this season in 11 matches.

Follow the live blog below for updates throughout the dual:

125 POUNDS: No. 1 Spencer Lee (IA) over Maximo Renteria (ILL) via fall

Renteria never had much of a chance as a stalling warning was called on him less than a minute into the first period. Lee racked up a takedown and several near falls before the three-time national champion pinned Renteria with 38 seconds left in the first period. Lee has now won 44 consecutive matches.

Iowa leads Illinois, 6-0.

133 POUNDS:  No. 8 Lucas Byrd (ILL) over No. 17 Cullan Schriever (IA) via fall

Schriever gave up a takedown early in the first period before getting put to his back. Schriever fought off the pin for about 10 seconds before Byrd sealed the deal with a second remaining in the first period. Schriever is now 0-2 in his career against Byrd.

Iowa is tied with Illinois, 6-6.

141 POUNDS:  Danny Pucino (ILL) over Drew Bennett (IA) via major decision

Pucino was in control the entire match as he led Bennett, 6-2, after the first period. Pucino continued to dominate throughout the bout to earn a 20-8 major decision and hand the Fighting Illini the lead.

Illinois leads Iowa, 10-6.

149 POUNDS: No. 5 Max Murin (IA) over Kevon Davenport (ILL) via fall

Murin earned four takedowns in the first period to go up, 8-3. Murin went up 12-3 in the second period after tiring out Davenport, causing him a third stalling warning. Davenport couldn’t keep up as Murin pinned him in 3:34 to regain the lead for the Hawkeyes.

Iowa leads Illinois, 12-10.

157 POUNDS: Michael Carr (ILL) over No. 17 Cobe Siebrecht (IA) via decision

Carr came out ready in his first bout of the season and scored five takedowns. Siebrecht nearly got a reversal pin to end the first period, but time expired, keeping the score at 6-4 in favor of Carr.

Siebrecht was contained for the rest of the match and could not muster up any takedowns. Siebrecht, who has bonus point victories in five of his six matches, suffered his first loss of the season, 12-7.

Illinois leads Iowa, 13-12.

165 POUNDS: No. 13 Patrick Kennedy (IA) over No. 11 Danny Braunagel (ILL) via major decision

Kennedy came out strong in the first period, mustering up two takedowns and 1:45 of riding time. Kennedy allowed his first takedown with about 30 seconds left in the third period but he responded with a huge takedown and four-point near fall in the waning seconds of the match to earn the major decision victory, 15-4.

Iowa leads Illinois, 16-13.

174 POUNDS: No. 16 Nelson Brands (IA) over No. 10 Edmond Ruth (ILL) via TB1

The 174-pound bout was scoreless after the first period. Ruth escaped with 1:10 left in the second period to take the lead. Brands scored the only points of the third period with an escape to knot it at one apiece.

The pair went scoreless in sudden victory before Ruth escaped with three seconds left in tiebreaker one to earn a 2-1 decision. Ruth has now won 19 consecutive matches for the Fighting Illini.

Iowa is tied with Illinois, 16-16. 

184 POUNDS: No. 8 Abe Assad (IA) over No. 29 Dylan Connell (ILL) via decision

Assad got on the board first with an escape. The score remained 1-0 in favor of Assad through the second period. Connell escaped early in the third period to tie it, but Assad clinched the 3-1 decision with a takedown in the final minute, riding out Connell the rest of the way.

Iowa leads Illinois, 19-16.

197 POUNDS: No. 10 Zac Braunagel (ILL) over No. 6 Jacob Warner (IA) via decision

The first period was scoreless after unsuccessful takedown challenges from both coaches. Warner escaped to start the second period and Braunagel escaped to start the third to knot it at one. Braunagel recorded a takedown in the final seconds of the third period to earn the 3-1 decision.

Iowa is tied with Illinois, 19-19.

HEAVYWEIGHT: No. 3 Tony Cassioppi (IA) over Matt Wroblewski (ILL) via stall-call

Cassioppi started right where he left off on Friday night. He earned two takedowns in the first period along with 2:03 of riding time. Cassioppi continued to dominate in the second period with a four-point near fall before Wroblewski was called for stalling, increasing Cassioppi ‘s lead to 12-0.

A stall-out call in the third period earned Cassioppi his 12th win and Iowa’s first conference victory of the season.

FINAL: Iowa 25, Illinois 19

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.