Hoosiers Open Season Sunday on Big Ten Network
1/9/2021 11:34:00 AM | Wrestling
BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– The Indiana wrestling team will open the 2021 season by hosting Illinois on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. ET. The match will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
Indiana vs. Illinois
Sunday January 10, 2021 • 12:00 p.m. ET
Wilkinson Hall • Bloomington, Ind.
Broadcast: BTN (Shane Sparks and Tim Johnson)
Live Stats: Track Wrestling
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Fans: No fans permitted
Attendance at 2020-21 Big Ten Wrestling matches will be limited to the immediate family of student-athletes, coaching staff, wrestling personnel and members of the team traveling parties.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
• The Illini return five NCAA Qualifiers from the 2019-20 season: Justin Cardani, Dylan Duncan, Danny Braunagel, Zac Braunagel, and Luke Luffman.
• Four of the five returning NCAA qualifiers received national-ranks in their respective weight classes. FloWrestling lists them as the following: Cardani (No. 22), Duncan (No. 13), D. Braunagel (No. 11), and Z. Braunagel (No. 10).
The Illini will have three first-year starters in their lineup with Lucas Byrd, Johnny Mologousis, and Trey Sizemore.
• The Illini are coached by Jeff Heffernan, who enters his 12th season at the helm of the Fighting Illini
SERIES HISTORY
• Illinois holds the series edge, 46-38 with one tie. The last match up came on Jan. 12 2020 when Illinois won 32-3. The last IU win in the series was Jan. 29, 2010 when IU won 22-13 in Bloomington.
NOTES
• The Hoosiers will have nine dual matches over the course of the 2021 season.
• The Hoosiers have 23 freshmen/sophomores on their 2021 roster.
• Indiana returns three NCAA qualifiers in Brock Hudkins, Graham Rooks and Garrett Hoffman.
• Indiana has seven wrestlers that are ranked coming into this weekend.
• The Hoosiers have had back-to-back recruiting classes ranked in the top-25. Their 2019 class was ranked 16 and their 2020 class was ranked 25.
• Indiana set an attendance record for average fans per match in the 2019-20 season.
• Cayden Rooks finished the 2020 season with a 21-13 record as a true freshman. He wrestled in eight Big Ten dual matched and finished with a 4-4 record.
• Indiana has three sets of brothers on their team (Graham Rooks and Cayden Rooks, Nico Bolivar and Eddie Bolivar and Jonathan Moran and Jacob Moran)
• IU head coach Angel Escobedo is in his third season with the team. Escobedo wrestled at Indiana from 2007-10 and won the national championship at 125 lb. in 2008. Escobedo is the only four-time All-American in Indiana wrestling program history.
Indiana Probable Lineup
125: #8 Brock Hudkins or Jacob Moran
133: Cayden Rooks
141: #28 Paul Konrath
149: #15 Graham Rooks or Luke Baughman
157: Matt Ortiz or Jonathan Kervin
165: #24 Nick South or Robert Deters
174: #25 Donnell Washington
184: Drayton Harris
197: Nick Willham
285: Jacob Bullock
Illinois Probable Lineup
125- #22 Justin Cardani
133- Lucas Byrd
141- #13 Dylan Duncan
149- #7 Mike Carr
157- Johnny Mologousis
165- #11 Danny Braunagel
174- Trey Sizemore
184- #10 Zac Braunagel
197- Matt Wroblewski
285- Luke Luffman
UP NEXT
Indiana travels to Michigan for a dual match on Jan. 17. The time of the match is TBA.
Follow Indiana Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
#GoIU
Indiana vs. Illinois
Sunday January 10, 2021 • 12:00 p.m. ET
Wilkinson Hall • Bloomington, Ind.
Broadcast: BTN (Shane Sparks and Tim Johnson)
Live Stats: Track Wrestling
Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Fans: No fans permitted
Attendance at 2020-21 Big Ten Wrestling matches will be limited to the immediate family of student-athletes, coaching staff, wrestling personnel and members of the team traveling parties.
ABOUT ILLINOIS
• The Illini return five NCAA Qualifiers from the 2019-20 season: Justin Cardani, Dylan Duncan, Danny Braunagel, Zac Braunagel, and Luke Luffman.
• Four of the five returning NCAA qualifiers received national-ranks in their respective weight classes. FloWrestling lists them as the following: Cardani (No. 22), Duncan (No. 13), D. Braunagel (No. 11), and Z. Braunagel (No. 10).
The Illini will have three first-year starters in their lineup with Lucas Byrd, Johnny Mologousis, and Trey Sizemore.
• The Illini are coached by Jeff Heffernan, who enters his 12th season at the helm of the Fighting Illini
SERIES HISTORY
• Illinois holds the series edge, 46-38 with one tie. The last match up came on Jan. 12 2020 when Illinois won 32-3. The last IU win in the series was Jan. 29, 2010 when IU won 22-13 in Bloomington.
NOTES
• The Hoosiers will have nine dual matches over the course of the 2021 season.
• The Hoosiers have 23 freshmen/sophomores on their 2021 roster.
• Indiana returns three NCAA qualifiers in Brock Hudkins, Graham Rooks and Garrett Hoffman.
• Indiana has seven wrestlers that are ranked coming into this weekend.
• The Hoosiers have had back-to-back recruiting classes ranked in the top-25. Their 2019 class was ranked 16 and their 2020 class was ranked 25.
• Indiana set an attendance record for average fans per match in the 2019-20 season.
• Cayden Rooks finished the 2020 season with a 21-13 record as a true freshman. He wrestled in eight Big Ten dual matched and finished with a 4-4 record.
• Indiana has three sets of brothers on their team (Graham Rooks and Cayden Rooks, Nico Bolivar and Eddie Bolivar and Jonathan Moran and Jacob Moran)
• IU head coach Angel Escobedo is in his third season with the team. Escobedo wrestled at Indiana from 2007-10 and won the national championship at 125 lb. in 2008. Escobedo is the only four-time All-American in Indiana wrestling program history.
Indiana Probable Lineup
125: #8 Brock Hudkins or Jacob Moran
133: Cayden Rooks
141: #28 Paul Konrath
149: #15 Graham Rooks or Luke Baughman
157: Matt Ortiz or Jonathan Kervin
165: #24 Nick South or Robert Deters
174: #25 Donnell Washington
184: Drayton Harris
197: Nick Willham
285: Jacob Bullock
Illinois Probable Lineup
125- #22 Justin Cardani
133- Lucas Byrd
141- #13 Dylan Duncan
149- #7 Mike Carr
157- Johnny Mologousis
165- #11 Danny Braunagel
174- Trey Sizemore
184- #10 Zac Braunagel
197- Matt Wroblewski
285- Luke Luffman
UP NEXT
Indiana travels to Michigan for a dual match on Jan. 17. The time of the match is TBA.
Follow Indiana Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
#GoIU
Players Mentioned
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
FB: Aiden Fisher Media Availability (9/23/25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB: Pat Coogan Media Availability (9/23/25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 4 (Illinois)
Wednesday, September 17
FB: Kellan Wyatt Media Availability (9/16/25)
Tuesday, September 16