Feb. 7, 2010
Full Results 
MADISON, Wis.---The No. 13 Wisconsin wrestling team (6-9, 2-3) lost to No. 21 Illinois (8-6, 3-3) in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. in a close 19-18 decision that came down to the final bout. The Badgers claimed five individual victories against the Illini.
The match began at 157 lbs., where sophomore Jesse Hintz took on senior Clint Arlis. With riding time, Arlis won the bout by tech fall, 18-3, and put Illinois on top with a score of 5-0. His win included eight nearfall points. Hintz had three escapes in the matchup.
At 165 lbs., No. 1 sophomore Andrew Howe faced redshirt freshman Conrad Polz. Howe entered the third period with a 7-2 lead that included three takedowns and an escape. Howe added three more takedowns and riding time to defeat Polz by a 14-6 major decision, cutting the Illini lead to 5-4. Howe has not lost a match this season and now stands at 25-0.
True freshman Brendan Ard, making his third start in a row, then wrestled No. 14 sophomore Jordan Blanton at 174 lbs. Ard recorded the first takedown of the match early in the first period, but Blanton responded by scoring 14 points in the bout to win by a 14-4 major decision. Ard registered two escapes in the matchup. Illinois extended its lead to 9-5 with the win.
The 184 lbs. weight class featured two ranked wrestlers, No. 16 sophomore Travis Rutt and No. 2 senior John Dergo. Dergo scored the only points of the first period with a takedown with 20 seconds left. He added three more takedowns in the match to extend Illinois’ lead to 12-4 after an 8-2 decision. Rutt had two escapes in the bout.
No. 8 junior Trevor Brandvold then took on No. 14 Patrick Bond in a close match at 197 lbs. Each wrestler scored an escape forcing the match into sudden-victory overtime. No points were scored in the first overtime, but Brandvold registered an escape in the first tiebreak, winning the match by a 2-1 decision, shortening Illinois’ lead to 12-7.
At heavyweight, junior Eric Bugenhagen faced redshirt freshman Pat Walker. After a scoreless first period, Bugenhagen scored an escape for the only points in the second. Walker got an escape out of the restart in the third, but Bugenhagen earned riding time to win by a 2-1 decision and cut the Illini lead to 12-10.
Senior Drew Hammen then wrestled junior John Deneen in a crucial match at 125 lbs. Deneen scored a takedown in the first period, followed by a scoreless second period. Hammen scored a takedown to tie it in the third, but was called for an illegal hold. Deneen won the bout 4-2 with riding time to give Illinois a 15-10 lead.
No. 7 redshirt freshman Tyler Graff battled redshirt freshman Daryl Thomas at 133 lbs. Graff entered the match coming off four bonus point wins and needed a fifth to give UW a shot at the victory. Graff did exactly that, winning the match by a 22-6 tech fall in 4:27. Graff had five nearfall points, eight takedowns and an escape to tie the matchup at 15-15.
Redshirt freshman Cole Schmitt then faced No. 14 junior Ryan Prater at 141 lbs. Entering the match, Schmitt had defeated three ranked wrestlers. Prater scored nine points in the first period off of two takedowns and five nearfall points. Prater added three more nearfall points in the second to enter the third period up 12-0. Schmitt scored managed only an escape in the 15-1 major decision for Prater.
Illinois entered the final matchup up 19-15. No. 5 Kyle Ruschell needed to defeat No. 19 Eric Terrazas by major decision to tie the team score. Ruschell scored two takedowns in the first to lead the match 4-2 and another takedown and an escape in the second to lead 7-2 entering the third. Ruschell scored an escape and riding time, but it was not enough for the Wisconsin win. Ruschell won the bout 9-5, but the Badgers lost the matchup 19-18.
Wisconsin now travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. to face Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. (CT)
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Justin Mozer
Athletic Communications
